December in Chester is alive with music. As the lights go up and the nights draw in, the city’s venues become gathering places… rooms where sound and community collide. This festive run isn’t just about tradition; it’s about variety, risk, intimacy, and celebration.
From international names to grassroots favourites, Chester’s calendar is stacked with nights that promise resonance long after the year closes.
Here’s what’s coming up.
FRIDAY THE 12TH DEC:
JESCA HOOP + HOT SPRINGS – ST MARY’S CREATIVE SPACE
St Mary’s Creative Space glows with more than fairy lights this December. On Friday 12 December, Jesca Hoop returns to Chester, bringing her singular blend of folk intimacy and indie eccentricity to one of the city’s most atmospheric venues. Hoop’s songs feel like whispered secrets that bloom into kaleidoscopic worlds… Perfectly suited to St Mary’s vaulted acoustics.
Adding to the night’s resonance, Chester’s own Hot Springs open the show, weaving local energy into the bill. Together, they promise a December showcase that feels both celebratory and communal.
CROBOT + ASOMVEL – THE LIVE ROOMS
If Jesca Hoop is the season’s spellbinding hush, then Crobot at The Live Rooms is its thunderclap. On Friday 12 December, the Pennsylvania heavy‑rockers roll into Chester as part of their Chasin’ Death UK Tour 2025.
Expect fuzzed‑out guitars, funk‑metal swagger, and choruses that hit like a freight train.
Frontman Brandon Yeagley leads the charge with powerhouse vocals, backed by Chris Bishop’s riff‑laced guitar, Tim Peugh on bass, and Dan Ryan on drums.
Support comes from UK metallers Asomvel, making this a double bill of high‑octane energy. For Chester’s rock faithful, this is the festive calendar’s loudest highlight.
SATURDAY THE 13TH:
THE LOVING CUP – TELFORD’S WAREHOUSE
On Saturday 13th of December, The Loving Cup bring their blend of Americana‑tinged rock ’n’ roll and bluesy grit to Telford’s Warehouse. Known for warm harmonies and driving rhythm, they channel the spirit of The Rolling Stones and Faces while keeping their sound rooted in Chester’s creative pulse.
Their live shows are equal parts raw energy and communal joy — the kind of set where every chorus feels like a toast and every riff like a spark in the December air. It’s a festive night of swagger and connection.
SUNDAY THE 14TH:
PAUL NAZOLE – THE GOLDEN EAGLE
The Golden Eagle’s festive run begins with Paul Nazole on Sunday 14 December. His stripped‑back sets carry raw storytelling and blues‑tinged honesty, perfectly suited to The Eagle’s intimate vibes.
This is grassroots December at its finest: one voice, one guitar, and a room gathered close.
JUDE BROTHERS + CAITLIN GILLIGAN – GARDEN SOCIAL
Garden Lane’s Garden Social hosts a double bill rich in intimacy on Sunday the 14th of December. Jude Brothers, Arkansas‑born and now UK‑based, bring intricate banjo lines and heartfelt vocals, weaving folk traditions with contemporary edge.
Joining them is Caitlin Gilligan, a Scottish folk artist whose timeless voice draws on tradition while speaking directly to the present. Together, they promise a night of closeness and resonance…a fireside gig where every lyric feels communal.
FRIDAY THE 19TH:
LITTLE BEAT COMBO – THE GOLDEN EAGLE
On Friday 19 December, Little Beat Combo play their final show before an indefinite hiatus. Known for tight grooves and playful energy, they’ve long been a fixture of Chester’s live circuit.
This farewell promises a full‑throttle send‑off…a night of celebration, gratitude, and closure. Every chorus will feel like a goodbye, every cheer like a thank‑you.
Their ending becomes part of the wider Northwest story: proof that endings can echo just as loudly as beginnings.
SUNDAY THE 21ST:
EDGAR JONES – THE GOLDEN EAGLE
The Golden Eagle welcomes Edgar Jones on Sunday the 21st. Best known for fronting The Stairs, Jones has carved out a solo career that moves between garage rock grit, jazz‑infused grooves, and Merseybeat echoes.
In The Eagle’s close quarters, his kaleidoscopic range will feel electric…a living thread between past and present, showing how the Northwest’s musical story keeps evolving.
SATURDAY THE 27TH:
LOCO ONO + SCREAMING DEVIL PLEASURE BEACH – THE SADDLE INN
The Saddle Inn thrives on variety, and Saturday 27th December brings a night of raw, high‑energy rock ’n’ roll. Loco Ono, Chester’s own garage‑driven outfit, headline with riffs that bite and rhythms that drive.
Joining them are Screaming Devil Pleasure Beach, whose jagged guitars and theatrical edge add extra fire to the bill.
Together, they promise sweat, volume, and camaraderie…A festive Saturday that shakes the walls.
SUNDAY THE 28TH:
CAITLIN GILLIGAN – THE GOLDEN EAGLE
The final gig of Chester’s year belongs to Caitlin Gilligan, returning to The Golden Eagle on Sunday the 28th.
Her voice, steeped in Scottish folk tradition yet alive with contemporary resonance, feels tailor‑made for a closing chapter: intimate, timeless, and quietly powerful.
As the city winds down for Christmas, Gilligan’s set offers stillness and and reflection… A gentle ending to a year of sound.
From Jesca Hoop’s kaleidoscopic folk to Crobot’s thunderous riffs, Chester’s December calendar is alive with variety: intimate storytelling, sweat‑soaked rock, soulful heritage, and grassroots farewells.
The Loving Cup bring warmth and swagger, Jude Brothers and Caitlin Gilligan offer fireside resonance, while The Saddle Inn shakes with Loco Ono and Screaming Devil Pleasure Beach.
At the heart of it all, The Golden Eagle carries the city’s pulse…Paul Nazole’s stripped‑back honesty, Little Beat Combo’s poignant farewell, Edgar Jones’ kaleidoscopic grooves, and Caitlin Gilligan’s year‑closing stillness.
Together, these nights remind us that festive music in Chester isn’t just about tradition.
It is about endings that echo, beginnings that spark, and the communal joy of gathering in rooms where sound becomes memory.
As 2025 closes, Circl8 celebrates a scene that thrives on variety, resilience, and connection. The year ends not with silence, but with resonance… Proof that the Northwest’s music story is alive, restless, and ready for what comes next.
