Aylesbury, Hemel and Leighton Buzzard pubs offer affordable music gigs in 2023

Venues in Leighton Buzzard, Aylesbury and Hemel Hempstead offer punters a chance to witness live music at affordable prices.

The Petri Dish in Aylesbury rarely charges over £10, and often has free live music events, pricing is similar at Friars Inn, Hemel Hempstead, and The Crooked Crow Bar in Leighton Buzzard

According to a recent YouGov survey, half of all Britons have been priced out of attending live gigs.

More than three-quarters of Britons (77%) believe the price to see live music is expensive, with 44% saying it’s “very” expensive.

On the 1 May 2022, when Duran Duran played the O2 in London, ticket prices were between £94 and a whopping £941, according to ticket seller Viagogo.

At this single gig, the average ticket price was £200. The capacity of the O2 is 20,000. That is £4 million for a single gig.

It’s not always like that, however. For the Ed Sheeran Mathematics Tour, prices are somewhere between £45 and £80 per ticket.

Many people want to see popular acts, so the price rises to meet the demand. In 2003 you might have got to see Kings of Leon for £5 in High Wycombe, but they were not famous then. In 2022, it would have been around £65.

There are plenty of gigs happening for £10 or less, all over the country, with brilliant musicians.

Some will be famous one day, but that’s not the point - they are still great. Live music can and is accessible to everyone and out there in our locality. In the Belle Vue in High Wycombe, just before Christmas, a local cover band played for a bucket collection.

Music lovers who feel priced out of visiting stadium tours can seek out more affordable options closer to home.

Whether or not these acts become the next Kings of Leon, there are plenty of options in Buckinghamshire and beyond that will not break the bank in the same way a trip to a Wembley Stadium gig does.

Recently, The Crooked Crow Bar hosted Squeeze founder, Chris Difford, for an intimate, sell-out set at the Leighton Buzzard pub.