Lakota ★ 4.2
££Stokes CroftClub nights Fri-Sat until early morning; gardens events by calendar
Lakota has carried Bristol rave culture since the early 1990s, its Stokes Croft warren of rooms now joined by the Moon Club and the open-air Gardens space.
Tip: The Gardens day events sell out fastest; the original rooms still deliver the sweaty jungle history lesson.
Thekla ★ 4.3
££HarboursideGigs from 19:00; club nights until early morning
Thekla stages gigs and club nights in the hold of a 1958 German cargo ship moored in Bristol's Mud Dock, an institution of a venue running since 1984.
Tip: Pressure on Thursdays and Pop Confessional on Saturdays are the student rites; check the hull for the Banksy grim reaper story.
Strange Brew ★ 4.2
££Old CityEvent-led, evenings into early morning
Strange Brew mixes club nights, gigs and art shows in its Fairfax Street event space, the connoisseur's small room of central Bristol's night-time scene.
Tip: Its bookings lean leftfield; trust the venue's own programming even when you know none of the names.
The Old Duke ★ 4.4
£Old CitySun-Thu 12:00-00:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-01:00
The Old Duke runs free jazz and blues every single night of the week on King Street, Bristol's cornerstone jazz pub in a building dating from around 1775.
Tip: Sunday afternoon sessions are the gentle way in; weekend nights spill onto the cobbles.
The Fleece ★ 4.1
££RedcliffeGigs and club nights seven nights a week from 19:00
The Fleece has hosted touring bands in a Grade II listed former wool hall since 1982, Bristol's classic sticky-floored 450-capacity rock room by Temple Meads.
Tip: The stone pillars eat sightlines at the back; arrive at doors for anything sold out.
The Louisiana ★ 4.2
£HarboursideGigs most nights from about 19:30
The Louisiana books tomorrow's bands into a harbourside corner pub, the small Bristol room that hosted Amy Winehouse and Muse on their way up the bill.
Tip: Gigs are upstairs and tiny; downstairs pints before doors are part of the ritual.