Mac Rating: 5.00 | Votes: 1 | Date: 19/06/2026 21:20:00

Occupying the former Town Arms, a traditional three-roomed pub once owned by Bass, Duffy's is an Irish-style bar and live-music venue in the heart of Leicester city centre. Duffy's relocated to the enlarged Pocklingtons Walk site in April 2014, knocking the old rooms together to create a pub with a dedicated back room for gigs and events. Live music is central to its identity, with a busy calendar spanning rock, punk, indie, metal and traditional Irish sessions, and hundreds of past concerts to its name. The back-room stage has hosted a steady stream of touring and local bands, giving Leicester a dependable grassroots venue for guitar music and beyond. The bar has also been part of the Leicester Comedy Festival for more than a decade, adding stand-up to its programme of live entertainment, and it screens sport for those after a more relaxed visit. Award-winning Guinness, real ale and bar snacks complete the offer, alongside a warm, "proper pub" welcome. Practical touches include a courtyard beer garden for warmer months and full wheelchair access with an accessible toilet, and the venue shares ownership links with the nearby Firebug bar. The combination of a genuine Irish-pub atmosphere with a working gig room has made it a favourite among the city's music fans. Set on Pocklingtons Walk in the city centre, within easy reach of Leicester's main shopping and nightlife streets, Duffy's sits among a cluster of independent bars and venues. Its mix of live music, comedy, sport and a quality drinks range has kept it a fixture of the local scene since the mid-2010s. Over the years the back room has built a particular association with the city's heavier guitar scene, giving local rock, punk and metal bands a regular stage alongside touring acts passing through the East Midlands. Open-mic and acoustic sessions, charity fundraisers and after-show parties fill out a calendar that runs most nights of the week, and the pub's central position makes it an easy first or last stop on a night out in Leicester.