How to find the best events

Doing your makeup on the floor, inviting your mates around for pre-drinks, the butterflies in your stomach as you approach the venue, the singing and dancing all night long, the crashing through the front door at the end -  a good event can’t be beaten.

The freedom and euphoria of hearing some of your favourite tracks through huge sound systems and sharing that feeling with those close to you is just the bees' knees.

But before we can enjoy it all, we need to discover the events that get our blood pumping. We need to know where to find the crazy underground raves, the intimate gigs, and all the other serotonin-boosting, smile-inducing events that keep tempting us back to the dancefloor. 

Luckily for you, we’re experts in this kind of thing. So here’s how to find the best raves and gigs, leaving boring weekends on the sofa behind. 

Peep the posters at your local record shop 

Photo: Anastasia Saldatava / Unsplash.com 

If you’ve been to one of your local record shops recently, you’ll probably have noticed the walls are adorned with posters for killer events. Some will be gigs for tiny artists you’ve never heard of, some will be for mammoth-sized events like festivals and The Warehouse Project. Either way, you’re bound to come across something interesting.

Some record shops also target certain genres. So if you’re a fan of electronic tunes, head to an electronic-focused vinyl shop to find out about electronic events. In our opinion, it's one of the best tips for finding events as you can also go crate digging for new music. 

Sign up for artist mailing lists 

Photo: Solen Feyissa / Unplash.com 

Is there a specific artist (or a few artists) you want to see? Head over to their website and sign up for their mailing list! You might even get access to presales so you have a better chance of securing your place when tickets for their events go on sale. 

Keep an eye on Spotify 

As you're listening to music or browsing through your favourite artists' releases, Spotify shows their upcoming events. And Skiddle has just partnered with Spotify, meaning you can secure Skiddle tickets for your favourite artists' events directly through the Spotify app. 

Download Skiddle

Photo: James Yarema / Unsplash.com 

From metal to reggae, techno to house, classical to neo-soul-breakbeat-grime-jazz fusion, you can find it all and more on the Skiddle app. And even if you aren’t in the mood for music, there are plenty of other events on there, like sports events, brunches, family days out, comedy, artsy stuff, and so much more. Get to the app store!

Use social media

Photo: dole777 / Unsplash.com 

Everything’s on social media nowadays. So open whichever app you use most, use it to follow your favourite artists, venues, promoters, and brands, and turn your notifications on to keep your finger on the pulse. And while you’re on your follow spree, follow Skiddle too! We’re always posting about the hottest events across the UK. 

Talk to people at events!

Photo: Edoardo Tommasini / Pexels.com 

No one knows better than a DnB head at a rave about where the next best DnB rave will be, do they? The next time you’re out at an event, get chatting, make some mates, and ask if they know of any cool events coming up. If nothing else, you might make a new rave buddy. 

But don’t just chat with other attendees, see if you can scope out promoters too. If, for example, you’ve been to five events all by the same promoters, they’ll be able to tell you where to find similar events and let you know about any future ones they plan on putting on. 

Check back on Skiddle’s news page 

With our weekly New On Skiddle blog plus announcements for other events on our news page, you can always keep your fingers firmly on the pulse as we nod to some of the hottest events of the year. And trust us, we know what’s popping! 

Click or tap here to see all Skiddle news  

Read music-focused mags 

Photo: Crack Magazine / Instagram.com

Magazines like DJ Mag, Crack, and So Young usually have gig listings in them. You might just find your new favourite band hidden in a random music magazine! 

Scan QR codes in your city’s “cool” area 

Photo: Ambitious Creative Co. - Rick Barrett / Unsplash.com 

Most cities have a “cool” area. In Manchester, it’s probably the Northern Quarter. In London, it’s probably Camden. One of our favourite tips for finding events is looking around some alleys, on lampposts, and on those electricity box things on the street, searching for sticker QR codes. 

They aren’t always events, sometimes it's a clothing brand or a SoundCloud rapper’s hottest new tune, but sometimes they’re used to advertise cool underground raves. Be careful though, as you have no idea what will come up once you scan the code. If you have an old spare phone you don’t care about, it’s probably best to use that to stay safe. 

This year, we’re going hard. We’re sacking off doom scrolling and binge-watching shows we’ve already seen a million times and filling our free time with fun, laughs, and dancing until the sun rises. With these tips for finding events, we're sure you can make it a reality. Get out there and discover the best raves and gigs! 

Searching for that dream event? Search Skiddle for gigs, raves, festivals, comedy nights, and more!

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.

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