Brighton’s live music community gets a vibrant new home this July as WaterBear Music Bar opens in a venue rich with musical heritage. The new bar launches on Wednesday 16 July with a free-entry night of live music from four standout acts: Congratulations, Sametime, Dirtsharks and Tia Ice.
The building has previously welcomed artists including Amy Winehouse, The Kooks and Chris Difford. Now under the stewardship of WaterBear – The College of Music, it becomes the college’s second live venue in the city. The opening marks the start of a wider plan to embed students and emerging artists directly into Brighton’s grassroots circuit, offering real-world experience in performance, stagecraft and production.
Congratulations are a four-piece known for their break-beat driven, noise-pop energy and vibrant, colour-coordinated live aesthetic. Their chaotic, kinetic shows have drawn comparisons to acts like Jockstrap and Pom Poko, and they’ve been building a name through constant gigging and a growing following on the local circuit. Sametime, a WaterBear alumni band, are Australian brothers Sam and Tim Aitken, now based in Brighton after signing an early global publishing deal with Sony. With a pop-leaning sound and sharp songwriting instincts, they’ve played sold-out shows across the UK and built buzz at The Great Escape. Joining them will be Dirtsharks, comprising another WaterBear alumni, who will bring a heavier alt-rock presence to the launch night. Known for their dynamic, violin-infused arrangements and reverb-soaked chaos, they’ve toured widely and earned critical acclaim for high-impact sets at Boardmasters, The Great Escape and venues across the south coast. Completing the line-up is neo-soul vocalist Tia Ice, a WaterBear student whose soft, rich voice and spoken-word-infused songwriting have marked her out as one to watch. Her intimate sets tap into Brighton’s growing soul and R&B scene, blending vulnerability with stage presence.
The venue itself includes a basement live space and a ground floor bar with an intimate performance area. It will host touring acts, student showcases and events tied to WaterBear’s educational programmes. Its launch comes as the UK’s grassroots venue network continues to shrink. According to the Music Venue Trust, two venues are closing every week, with over 120 shut down in the past year alone.
As part of a direct response, WaterBear will serve Fightback Lager from launch day, with a portion of every pint supporting the Music Venue Trust’s national fund for independent venues. WaterBear’s new venue is also part of the Keeping Music Live campaign launched with the Music Venue Trust, which raises awareness of the role grassroots venues play in shaping British music while encouraging direct action.
Sam Rushton, Events and Careers Coordinator at WaterBear, said: “We’re thrilled to announce the opening of WaterBear Music Bar. This is a building with serious history. We’re proud to continue that story, creating a space for gigs, talks, club nights and more.”
WaterBear co-founder Bruce Dickinson added: “It’s incredible to think that we now have two live music venues in the city. It’s so important to ensure we don’t lose these spaces. We recently launched the Keeping Music Live Campaign with the Music Venue Trust to highlight the crisis facing independent venues across the UK. Through this campaign, we want to encourage young people to go out and support their local music venues. These are the places where the magic happens—where talent and careers take shape, where artists, bands, and songwriters grow and mature to the point of making great records.”
Despite record demand for live music, with over 19.2 million UK concertgoers in 2023, venues face rising costs, redevelopment pressure and the long-tail effects of the pandemic. WaterBear Sheffield is already putting this into practice with students playing midweek slots in local venues to boost footfall. The campaign will expand this October with a national tour featuring WaterBear students and established headliners.
Wednesday 16 July will be the first night of a new chapter for a venue that helped shape Brighton’s musical past—and now plays a role in securing its future. Entry is free and open to all.
