The sound of the city: February’s live music highlights
BIG-TICKET: Kaiser Chiefs
A music scene as vibrant as ever, by Rose Barker
Winter is still clinging on but inside Hull’s music venues, things are starting to simmer.
Spanning everything from gritty post-punk to funk-drenched nights and arena-ready indie, if you're looking for a reason to head out into the cold, these are my personal highlights:
Saturday, February 7 delivers a double hit of alternative energy. Manchester post-punk trio Spangled bring their urgent, high-octane live show to Social (£10), while BUDfest returns to Adelphi for 2026 with a stacked underground bill, including Canadian-British duo Shelf Lives and Glasgow post-hardcore group Humour (£19).
Keep the momentum going on Sunday, February 8 at Dive, with Teesside’s Motions (pay-what-you-can). If you need to blow off steam and end your week on a loud note, get down to HU5 for this melodic post-metal session.
Midweek energy arrives on Tuesday, February 10 with The Sesh at Polar Bear Music Club, featuring Leeds funk outfit Flat Moon (free entry). Loud, unpredictable and relentlessly groovy, it’s exactly the kind of chaotic lift a February Tuesday needs.
Northern Irish alt-rock veterans Ash hit The Welly on Sunday, February 15 (£27). Witness the career-spanning anthems that has kept this three-piece at the top of the UK rock game for decades.
For something more intimate, globetrotting songwriter Tim Holehouse brings his experimental acoustic sound to O’Rileys on Tuesday, February 17 (£5), followed by Nashville-based Jarrod Dickenson – best known for his world-class guitar work and sophisticated storytelling – at Wrecking Ball Arts Centre on Friday, February 20 (£18).
To close out the month, Connexin Live offers a massive dose of indie-rock nostalgia on Saturday, February 21. Kaiser Chiefs will be performing their seminal 2005 debut, Employment, in its entirety (from £35). From I Predict a Riot to Everyday I Love You Less and Less, it’s the ultimate big-ticket night out in Hull this month!
Short but stacked, February proves Hull’s music scene remains as vibrant as ever. Wrap up, head out, and I’ll see you somewhere in the crowd!
