The Forum Basement
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Welcome to the Forum Basement, our intimate, 50-capacity live music venue in Tunbridge Wells. We showcase a diverse range of talented artists from various genres, from country to punk rock and grunge.
At the Sussex, we have always been dedicated to supporting up-and-coming artists. Our tiny live music venue has had the privilege of hosting renowned acts like Soft Play (previously known as Slaves), Maisie Peters, Yonaka, and The Wytches for their early gigs.
Run in collaboration with the Tunbridge Wells Forum (an independent music venue), the Forum Basement in the Sussex Arms offers a warm and electrifying atmosphere. In addition to hosting gigs, we actively contribute to the live music scene in Tunbridge Wells by participating in events and festivals like Unfest and Local and Live.
Check out our complete gig listing below and book your tickets online today.
Whats On?
Interact with the polaroids to reveal their description, admission price and a booking link.
The Butterfly Wheel – Live EP Showcase Party
05/06/2026 - 7:30 pmAdmissison: £9
18+Join us for a live EP showcase party featuring songs from our latest release, Open Your Mouth, along with tracks from our album Behind the Veil. Celebrate with the band, soak in the atmosphere, and stay late as the night transforms into a psychedelic afterparty—complete with immersive visuals
Doors – 7:30pm
8:00pm – Krow Tao
9:00pm – The Butterfly Wheel
10:00pm – midnight – Psychedelic Disco EP Party
We’ll be spinning hypnotic, mind-bending sounds, with DJs delivering a mix of modern and vintage psychedelia, accompanied by trippy visuals to keep you dancing deep into the night.
Come for the music. Stay for the experience.
Irish & Trad Sessions
07/06/2026 - 4:00 pmAdmissison: £0
18+Irish Music at The Sussex Arms – Free Entry
The Sussex Arms are bringing the true Irish spirit to the Pantiles! Join us for an afternoon of live traditional Irish, Cornish, Folk, and old-time tunes with some of the county’s finest session players. If you’re a fan of the Pogues, the Dubliners, or new folk legends like Lankum, this is for you. Our handpicked Celtic Session band is here to bring ‘Trad’ back to where it belongs – in the heart of the pub.
So grab a pint of Guinness and watch the best ‘Trad’ this side of Dublin. Sláinte!
Big Fear
02/10/2026 - 7:30 pmAdmissison: £10
18+Big Fear are a rising London trio formed by Alice Edwards (lead vocals), Jack Wilkinson (guitar) and Ben Crone (synth). Dystopian and operatic, their sound blends elements of alt-pop and indie rock, led by the magnetic storytelling of singer Alice Edwards, who creates a space where outsiders can belong. The band’s vision comes to life on their flawless debut EP ‘Career Day’, produced by Charlie Andrew (alt-J, Wolf Alice), which recently surpassed 250,000 Spotify streams and has been featured on editorial playlists such as New Music Friday, Melomania, Hot New Bands and Peach. Backed by praise from BBC Radio 6 Music, Dork and Clash Magazine, plus spins on John Kennedy’s Radio X show and BBC Music Introducing, Big Fear appeared at Truck Festival this summer and recently supported The Howlers at London’s Scala alongside Kynsy.
Oslo Twins
09/10/2026 - 7:30 pmAdmissison: £11
18+Oslo Twins are a London-based indie-synth-pop group crafting moody soundscapes that blend trip hop, synth pop, and atmospheric electronica. Emerged from the Bristol DIY scene and comprised of Claudia Vulliamy, Eric Davies and Ed Lyness, the group have supported The Last Dinner Party and played Green Man, Manchester Psych Fest, and more. Their critically acclaimed 2025 EP Tresor, featuring their danceable hit I Wake Up Slowly, explores memory, dreams, and emotion through intimate vocals, minimal beats, and haunting textures.
Krooked Tongue
15/10/2026 - 7:30 pmAdmissison: £11
18+Krooked Tongue burst onto the scene with the release of their critically acclaimed debut EP ‘No Vacancy Hotel’ in February of 2022, recorded with Josh Gallop (Phoxjaw, Mother Vulture) at Stage 2 Studios. The EP has since amassed over 200,000 streams and saw support from publications such as Ones To Watch, HardBeat Magazine and Distorted Sound.
Their second studio EP ‘Deathproof’, released May 2023, saw the start of the band’s evolution, there was a refreshed maturity to their songwriting and an evident progression in their sound. ‘Deathproof’ has been streamed over 320,000 times to date and was celebrated by Louder Than War Radio, Ones To Watch, Sirius XM, BBC Introducing and many others.
The band have recently played shows alongside the likes of Virgin Marys, False Heads, Phoxjaw, Moriaty, The Soap Girls and Mother Vulture as well as festival slots at Icebreaker, Dot to Dot, Tallinn Music Week and Burn It Down Festival. August 2024 saw their biggest support tour to date, supporting Kid Brunswick on his final ‘Dead Forever’ tour
Hawxx
22/10/2026 - 7:30 pmAdmissison: £10
18+HAWXX create rituals of rage and resistance.
Through songs of protest, feminist resistance, grief, ecological catastrophe and queer love, they write songs to keep the soul alive in a dying world, to carve a way through the terrifying times we are in.
Their upcoming second album ‘The World Splits Open’ will be released in 26.06.26. This record weaves alternative metal, punk, and traditional Greek music from Anna’s heritage.
Based in London, HAWXX are Anna on lead vocals/ guitar, Hannah on guitar/ bvs and Jess on drums / bvs. Their debut album ‘Earth, Spit, Blood and Bones’ was nominated for album of the year by Metalhammer and Kerrang describe them as ‘playing like they want to start a revolution’.
Stormo + Believe In Nothing
23/10/2026 - 7:30 pmAdmissison: £16
18+On the surface, STORMO are a band of musicians, but beneath one’s initial glance lurks a multifaceted outlet of performance art and expression. Formed in 2007, STORMO have become a pillar of the European screamo scene, combining elements of hardcore, screamo and noise, entwined with poetic story-telling, to create emotional music that cuts through with razor-sharp intention. Comprised of Luca Rocco (Vocals) Federico Trimeri (Bass, Electronics) Michael Barletta (Guitar) and Stefano Rutolini (Drums), the band prides themselves on their relentless touring schedule and consistent musical output, releasing five LPs since 2018 and sharing the stage with legendary acts such as Converge, Blind Girls, Birds In Row, as well as performing at renowned festivals, including Roadburn and Fluff Fest.
Formed in Eastbourne in 2023, Believe In Nothing brings together members from the South Coast heavy music scene with a unified vision of sonic destruction. Their music thrives on dynamic tension, walls of noise and guitar are offset by silence, atonality, and dread.
Debuting live in 2024 with a fully improvised set, the band have moulded and refined their abrasive performances through relentless grind and since shared stages with the likes of Petbrick, Mizmor, WODE, Slabdragger and more. Alongside this, the band embarked on their first UK headline tour in November/December 2025.