Entertainment in Hereford

The Courtyard is Hereford’s centre for the arts and one of the key entertainment venues in the county. Between its 436-seat main house and 120-seat studio theatre, The Courtyard curates a brilliant year-round programme of theatre, music, dance, comedy and film. It should be your first point of call for all things entertainment during your stay in Hereford. It’s a modern build on Edgar Street, and the facilities are state of the art. Both theatres double down as cinemas, and the award-winning cafe bar also hosts jazz nights, Sunday socials and open mic nights.

If you enjoy a musical, you’ll want to check out the Tomkins Theatre on Whitecross Road. It’s the home of the local Hereford Musical Theatre Company, which performs two major musicals per year, as well as a slew of stellar smaller performances as well. Ticket prices are extremely reasonable, everyone involved is always really friendly and the quality of the company’s musicals is consistently excellent. Best of all, it’s less than a 10-minute drive from our Hereford Holmer hotel.

Here we are sports fans. If you want to watch some football, Hereford FC is the local football team. It was founded as a phoenix club in 2014, rising from the ashes of Hereford United. As their motto goes, “Our greatest glory lies not in never having fallen, but in rising when we fall.” The Bulls, as they’re locally known, play their home matches at their Edgar Street Stadium, which you’ll find just opposite The Courtyard.

We also highly recommend checking the race calendar to see if anything is happening at Hereford Racecourse during your stay. It’s a popular circuit, which hosts National Hunt races over the course of the season. Watch from the paddock or dress to the nines for a full hospitality experience, the choice is yours. Hereford’s horse racing history dates back to 1771. The quality is always high; Hereford Racecourse is popular with trainers wanting to get a few furlongs into their prize steeds ahead of the calendar’s more prestigious festivals.

When it comes to live music, if you want to see a gig during your stay, then check The Courtyard before anywhere else. We’ve already waxed lyrical about it as a theatre. As it’s one of Herefordshire’s leading arts venues, it books the best gigs in the county.

Another excellent option is The Left Bank Village, the supremely popular spot on the banks of the River Wye, just a stone’s throw from Hereford Cathedral. It’s an incredible venue with a properly beautiful terrace and home to Charles’ Bar – Hereford’s only rooftop bar, which is among our favourite bars when it comes to Hereford nightlife. In terms of entertainment, The Left Bank Village also houses The Speakeasy, a cool 160-capacity underground club that hosts everything from club nights, live music, comedy, magicians and even psychics on Friday and Saturday nights.

Lastly, Gordon Bennetts is an independent pub on St Peter’s Square where you can watch live music on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s a great pub in its own right, gracing the pages of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, so you can sip on some seriously refreshing beverages while listening to the local music coming out of Herefordshire. On the weekends, Gordon Bennetts enjoys a brilliant atmosphere. The prices are really reasonable, and the location in the town centre couldn’t be more convenient.