Events and Programming
New Inn Keynsham is a community pub and flexible local events space rather than a conventional concert hall. Its programme combines live sport, karaoke, quizzes, pool and darts with live music, DJ-led parties, private celebrations and charity events. The official venue listing promotes live entertainment alongside regular sports coverage, while local listings describe recurring karaoke, live acts and end-of-month entertainment.
Recent programming shows a broad, informal mix. A 2025 charity night combined blues, acoustic rave anthems and drum and bass, with performances from Axel Boy, Showhawk Duo and Trafic MC; entry was listed at £5 and proceeds supported Dogs Friends. The venue has also hosted house and disco parties under the Up Ya Local banner, including a free but ticket-controlled Christmas event for over-30s and younger guests who could keep up with the pace.
Community events are just as important as music. Verified recent examples include a 24-hour danceathon, charity collections, bake-sale fundraising, local donation drives and a ceremonial finish for a 150-mile Great Western Air Ambulance fundraising run. In early 2026, the Bristol Morris Men’s traditional outdoor performance also used the New Inn as one of its Keynsham locations.
For 2026, the venue’s published plans point towards continued live sport, seasonal gatherings, Boxing Day activity and New Year’s Eve celebrations. The operator is also promoting screenings around the 2026 FIFA World Cup and other football, rugby, tennis, golf, boxing, darts and motor-racing fixtures. No confirmed programme beyond 2026 was found, and the current public events calendar does not provide a complete dated archive of every show.
Programming frequency varies. Karaoke and sport can be recurring weekly or seasonal fixtures, whilst live bands, DJs, charity nights and private parties are announced separately. The venue’s character is closer to a lively local with a performance space than a promoter-led touring venue: expect accessible entertainment, social events and community occasions rather than a regular schedule of nationally touring artists.
Tickets and Booking
There is no permanent theatre-style box office or published standard ticket tariff. Entry arrangements are event-specific. Some pub entertainment is advertised as part of the normal evening, whilst promoted events may be ticket-only, require a free registration or sell limited paid tickets. Recent verified examples ranged from free ticket-controlled entry to £5 for a charity music night. These prices should be treated as examples rather than a standing price list.
For popular parties, claim or purchase entry in advance rather than relying on the door. The Up Ya Local listings specifically stated that previous events had sold out and that ticket control was used to manage numbers. Private celebrations are handled as venue-hire bookings, with the back bar and terrace advertised from £20 per person per day, subject to the booking format and any agreed catering or donation arrangements.
Check the individual event notice for doors, age limits, last entry, ticket requirements and whether the event is seated or standing. The venue-hire rules state that some functions require a full guest list, identification on arrival and wristbands, and that no under-18s are permitted for that booking format. Those rules should not automatically be applied to every ordinary pub visit.
About New Inn Keynsham
New Inn Keynsham is at 90 Bath Hill, Keynsham, Bristol, BS31 1HN. It is a two-bar local pub with a separate function or games room, rear garden and decked outdoor area overlooking the park. The venue sits on the Bath Hill route towards Saltford and Bath and forms part of a group of historic buildings around the junction of Bath Hill, Bath Road and Wellsway.
The main building is Grade II listed. Historic England dates the core house to the late eighteenth century, with an L-shaped plan, a cottage set back parallel to the road, rear service ranges around a courtyard and a mid-twentieth-century extension. Its external details include colourwashed render, a gabled pantile roof, a tall brick stack, paired ground-floor casements, first-floor twelve-pane sash windows and a later projecting bar frontage.
An exact opening date for the pub has not been established in the published sources. The building was already associated with local working life by the early twentieth century: local historical material records a wheelwright’s yard in the New Inn yard beside the old forge around 1925. The building was first listed on 19 June 1975, with the official record amended in 2000.
A major modern chapter began in 2022, when local resident Jemma Lewis took over after the pub had been her local for more than 30 years. A refurbishment costing more than £199,000 opened up the two bars, removed a partition wall, refreshed the toilets and improved the balance between sports viewing and seating. The works also supported the beer garden and decked area as important parts of the venue’s identity.
Seating and Layout
The pub’s everyday layout is informal rather than auditorium-based. The front and rear bars offer different atmospheres, with one area used for sports viewing and the other providing additional seating. The separate function or games room can be used for private events, whilst the back bar and terrace provide the main advertised event-hire combination.
The published capacity for the back bar and terrace is up to 120 standing, 40 dining, 60 cabaret-style or 30 in a U-shaped arrangement. Those figures apply to the advertised hire space, not necessarily to every room or the entire pub at once. No verified public room dimensions or fixed theatre seating plan were found.
For live bands, DJs and dance-led events, standing near the back bar and terrace is likely to provide the most flexible experience. Dining and cabaret layouts suit parties, presentations and community functions better than conventional concert viewing. The venue’s garden and raised decking are distinctive viewing and socialising areas when an event uses the outdoor space, but their availability depends on the booking and weather.
Because this is a pub conversion and not a purpose-built music room, sightlines and acoustics can change considerably according to furniture, crowd density and whether the event uses the back bar, terrace or main pub. Ask the organiser which space is included before booking if a clear view or a seated position is important.
Getting There and Parking
The venue is on Bath Hill in Keynsham, between Bristol and Bath. The address is 90 Bath Hill, Keynsham, Bristol, BS31 1HN. Keynsham’s town centre, shops, cafés and restaurants are close by, while Keynsham Memorial Park is immediately associated with the Bath Hill East area.
On-site event-hire information lists 15 free parking spaces, together with free on-street parking and paid parking nearby. Visitor feedback is less consistent about availability: some reviewers describe free parking, whilst others say spaces can be limited or difficult to find during busy periods. Arrive early for a popular Saturday event rather than assuming a space will be available.
Bath Hill East is the most obvious council car park to investigate. Bath and North East Somerset Council lists it among Keynsham’s seven council-run car parks and advises drivers to follow local signs and restrictions. Current council information shows charges applying Monday to Saturday during daytime hours, with the exact tariff and any Saturday changes subject to the latest posted information. There is no pay-and-display requirement for ordinary on-street parking in Keynsham, but yellow lines and other restrictions still apply.
Keynsham railway station is the nearest rail connection, with services towards Bristol and Bath. The station has step-free access to both platforms, although platform 2 is reached step-free via the car park rather than the footbridge. Local venue information places the station roughly 650 metres away, whilst other listings describe the walk as about 10–15 minutes. The final approach includes Bath Hill, so allow extra time for anyone with limited mobility.
Bus services connect Keynsham with Bristol, Bath and surrounding communities. Published local transport information identifies routes including 17, 39, A4 and 19A near the pub, while current service information also shows routes 42, 43 and 522 serving Keynsham. Bus stopping points and timetables can change, so check the stop nearest Bath Hill on the day.
Inside the Venue
Expect a traditional local-pub atmosphere with two bars, sports screens, pool, darts, Wi-Fi, a cocktail menu, live sport and live entertainment. The 2022 refurbishment was designed to make the interior feel more open and spacious whilst retaining the building’s established character. Outside, the beer garden and decking look over the park and are particularly popular in fine weather.
Drinks information describes guest ales, cocktails, local, national and international beers, wines, spirits, no- and low-alcohol options and soft drinks. Venue-hire information says that food and drink can be organised in-house for private bookings, with British cuisine listed. A food-hygiene inspection on 24 February 2026 recorded very good standards for hygienic food handling and food-safety management, with good standards for cleanliness and building condition.
For production, the advertised hire space has a PA system or speakers, flatscreen television, air conditioning, natural light, a dance floor and terrace. It permits an external DJ by arrangement. The same specification does not list dedicated lighting, projection, video equipment, soundproofing or storage, and records a noise restriction after 1am. This makes the space suitable for pub-scale music and parties, but not a full technical concert production without bringing additional equipment.
Nearby Amenities
Keynsham town centre provides several practical options for a pre-event meal or a drink before returning to the pub. Nearby listings identify the Talbot Inn, Bonzo Lounge, Cinnamon, Tandoori Garden, Chef Wu and other cafés and restaurants within a short walk or a few minutes by car. Check opening hours and booking requirements because evening availability varies.
For an overnight stay, Keynsham has small hotels and guesthouses, including accommodation with rooms, a restaurant and bar within the town. The pub itself does not provide on-site accommodation. For late departures, pre-booking a local taxi is sensible, especially after a ticketed event or a private party, as the railway station has no taxi rank and late-night bus frequency may be limited.
What Makes This Venue Special
New Inn Keynsham’s strongest feature is the combination of heritage and everyday community use. The Grade II-listed late-eighteenth-century building remains a working pub, rather than a preserved façade or museum piece. Its historic form, courtyard arrangement, later bar frontage and position among other listed Bath Hill buildings give ordinary visits more architectural character than a modern event room.
The venue also occupies a distinctive position in local social life. It supports sport, music, private celebrations, charity collections, fundraising challenges and local traditions. The 2025 air-ambulance run finished at the pub, the 2026 Morris Men performance used it as a community gathering point, and the pub’s own fundraising work supported Operation Community Hamper and Dogs Friends.
The economic impact is primarily local and community-based rather than that of a major touring venue. The pub’s fundraising campaign helped channel more than £96,000 worth of hampers and gifts through Operation Community Hamper, while around £3,000 was donated to Dogs Friends. The New Inn also acted as a donation drop-off and storage point, bringing regulars, local businesses, schools and community groups into a shared effort.
Visitor Tips and Information
Wheelchair access is advertised for the ground-level event space, with step-free access throughout the venue-hire area and an accessible parking space. However, the same specification states that accessible toilets are unavailable. This distinction matters: visitors who need an accessible lavatory should confirm the arrangement before booking, rather than relying only on the general wheelchair-accessible label.
There is no published general dress code. For ordinary pub visits, casual clothing is appropriate; private parties and ticketed nights may set their own expectations. Smoking and vaping are prohibited inside the building. Event-specific identification, guest-list and wristband rules may apply, particularly to private or ticketed functions.
Arrive earlier than the advertised start if you need parking, a particular seat, step-free positioning or time to collect a wristband. Do not assume that a live-music night will have fixed seating, that a free event allows walk-in entry or that every room has the same access arrangements. The safest approach is to treat each event notice as the final authority for entry, age limits, seating and timings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is New Inn Keynsham a concert venue?
It is primarily a community pub with live entertainment and flexible event space, not a dedicated concert hall. It hosts local live acts, karaoke, DJs, club-style parties, charity nights and private celebrations. The atmosphere is informal and social, with the layout changing according to the event. Large touring productions, fixed theatre seating and major concert infrastructure are not part of the published specification.
What kinds of events are held at New Inn Keynsham?
Programming includes live sport, karaoke, quizzes, pool and darts, live bands, DJ nights, house and disco parties, fundraising events, private birthdays and seasonal celebrations. Recent examples include a drum-and-bass charity night, a free ticket-controlled house party, a 24-hour danceathon and a Morris Men performance stop. The mix changes throughout the year and is not a fixed weekly concert programme.
Do I need a ticket to attend an event?
It depends on the event. Some entertainment may be part of the normal pub evening, while promoted parties can be ticket-only or require a free ticket even when no admission fee is charged. Recent event information specifically warned that free entry still required a claimed ticket. Check the individual listing for door policy and do not assume that availability at the bar means admission to a private function.
How much do New Inn Keynsham events cost?
Verified recent examples ranged from free ticket-controlled entry to £5 for a charity music night. Private-hire information lists a starting figure of £20 per person per day for the back bar and terrace, although that is a hire price rather than an ordinary event ticket. Prices, donations, food packages and deposits vary by organiser, so use the event-specific price rather than an old listing as your guide.
Does the venue have a box office?
No permanent theatre-style box office is publicly listed. Tickets and guest lists are arranged according to the event, normally by the organiser or venue team. Some events are free but still require advance registration, while private functions use a booking process. For popular parties, advance booking is safer than relying on door sales because previous events have been described as selling out.
What is the capacity of New Inn Keynsham?
The published capacity for the back bar and terrace is up to 120 standing, 40 dining, 60 cabaret-style or 30 in a U-shaped arrangement. These figures apply to the advertised hire space and should not be treated as a certified capacity for every part of the pub. No verified overall building capacity or official room dimensions were found in the public information.
Does New Inn Keynsham have seated concerts?
The venue can be arranged for dining, cabaret or U-shaped functions, but ordinary live entertainment is not presented as a fixed seated concert series. Many music and party events are likely to use a flexible standing layout, with tables moved according to the booking. Ask the organiser whether seating is reserved, first-come-first-served or unavailable before buying entry if you need a guaranteed chair.
Can I hire New Inn Keynsham for a private party?
Yes. The back bar and terrace are advertised for promoted events, ticketed functions and private celebrations, with dining, cabaret, U-shaped and standing arrangements. The listing mentions free room hire in some circumstances, a charitable-donation minimum and deposits to secure bookings. It also identifies the local host as Jemma Lewis. Confirm catering, age restrictions, guest-list requirements and cancellation terms before paying a deposit.
Does the venue provide a sound system?
The event-hire specification lists a PA system or speakers for music and announcements and allows an external DJ by arrangement. It does not list a full concert production package, dedicated lighting equipment, video equipment or soundproofing. For a band or DJ, establish what is included, what power and connections are available, and whether additional equipment must be supplied by the organiser.
Is New Inn Keynsham wheelchair accessible?
The advertised event space is described as wheelchair accessible, ground-level and step-free, with an accessible parking space. However, the same information says that accessible toilets are unavailable. The listed building and different rooms may have different practical arrangements, so visitors who need specific access support should confirm the exact event area and toilet provision before booking.
Is there parking at New Inn Keynsham?
Event-hire information lists 15 free on-site spaces, and public directories also report free parking. Availability can be limited during busy events, so arriving early is advisable. Bath Hill East is a nearby council car park, with charges and operating conditions set by the local authority. On-street parking is not pay-and-display in Keynsham, but yellow lines and other restrictions still apply.
How far is Keynsham railway station from the pub?
Keynsham station is the nearest rail connection and is roughly a 10–15 minute walk from New Inn Keynsham, depending on the route and walking pace. Local venue information gives a distance of about 650 metres. The station has step-free access to both platforms, although platform 2 is reached via the car park rather than the footbridge.
Which buses serve New Inn Keynsham?
Local transport information identifies services 17, 39, A4 and 19A near the pub. Current regional timetables also show routes 42, 43 and 522 serving Keynsham and linking the town with Bristol, Bath and surrounding areas. Bath Hill stops can be affected by roadworks or timetable changes, so check the current stop information before travelling, especially after a late event.
Are under-18s allowed at New Inn Keynsham?
Age rules vary by event and booking type. The private-hire specification states that no under-18s are allowed for that advertised event space and that identification may be required on arrival. This is not necessarily a universal rule for every daytime or ordinary pub visit. Read the individual event conditions carefully, particularly for evening entertainment, ticketed parties and alcohol-led celebrations.
Does New Inn Keynsham show live sport?
Yes. The operator promotes live sport every day, including football, rugby, horse racing, golf, boxing, darts, tennis and Formula 1. The pub has sports screens and separate areas intended to balance match viewing with ordinary seating. Published 2026 information also promotes World Cup coverage. Fixture availability, screen allocation and bookings can change, so confirm the match before travelling.
What food and drink is available?
The pub’s drinks information includes beers, guest ales, cocktails, wine, spirits, no- and low-alcohol choices and soft drinks. For private events, the hire specification says that in-house food and drink can be arranged and lists British cuisine. The exact food offer may vary between ordinary service and private bookings. A February 2026 inspection recorded very good food-safety management and hygienic handling.
Does New Inn Keynsham have outdoor space?
Yes. The venue has a hillside garden and decked area with views over the park, and the back-bar hire space includes a terrace. Outdoor use depends on the event plan, weather and any restrictions attached to the booking. The garden is one of the venue’s more distinctive features and gives private parties or informal gatherings a different atmosphere from the two indoor bars.
What is the history of the New Inn building?
The main building is a Grade II-listed late-eighteenth-century house that became a public house, with twentieth-century alterations and additions. Its L-shaped plan, pantile roof, sash windows, courtyard ranges and later bar frontage remain important parts of its character. It was first listed in 1975. The exact date when the pub first opened has not been confirmed in the available historical records.
What makes New Inn Keynsham important to the community?
Its role extends beyond entertainment. The venue supports local sport, parties, charity collections, community gatherings and fundraising challenges. In the year covered by a 2026 local report, it helped channel more than £96,000 of donated hampers and gifts through Operation Community Hamper and contributed around £3,000 to Dogs Friends. It also provided storage and a public drop-off point for donations.
