Live Music in Medway Blues & Rock at The Oast, Rainham 2026 / 27

Where is The Oast in Rainham? The Oast is on Granary Close, Rainham, Kent ME8 7SG, right next to Rainham railway station. It’s the historic Victorian oast house beside the station, not the Oast House Theatre. The building is clearly signposted from the station exit, and first-time visitors usually find it within a couple of minutes of arriving. The entrance is on the station side of the complex, and the character of the building — an original Victorian oast house with its distinctive conical roof — is immediately recognisable once you know what you’re looking for.

From Rainham High Street the walk takes around five minutes. If you are arriving by car, parking is available at the rear of the venue off Station Road. We recommend arriving 15 to 20 minutes before doors on your first visit to settle in and find a good position before the music starts. The venue has a character of its own that rewards a few minutes to take in before the room fills.

How far is The Oast from Gillingham? Rainham is the next stop from Gillingham: four to five minutes by train, or about ten minutes by car along the A2. Chatham, Rochester, Sittingbourne and Maidstone are all within about fifteen minutes. For most Gillingham residents The Oast is the local live music venue in the Medway.

By car, the A2 connects Gillingham directly to Rainham and the drive is straightforward at most times of day. Parking at the rear of the venue means you do not need to search for spaces in the town centre. If you are travelling as a group from the same area, a shared taxi or lift is often the most relaxed option — it means everyone can enjoy the evening and there is no designated driver needed. The journey is short enough that both options are genuinely easy.

How do I get to The Oast by train? Take the train to Rainham station, about 45–55 minutes from London Victoria or Cannon Street. The venue is a two-minute walk from the station exit, and late trains run after the show. From Gillingham, Chatham, Rochester and Sittingbourne you are at Rainham in under fifteen minutes. Check National Rail for timetables and current running information before you travel.

Exit the station and the venue entrance is immediately in front of you, so there is no need to leave early to catch transport home. This proximity to the station is genuinely unusual for a venue of this quality and is one of the things that makes a night at The Oast in Rainham so straightforward. No taxis needed, no parking stress — just the music and a short walk home.

Is there parking near The Oast in Rainham? Yes: there’s parking at the rear of the venue off Station Road, plus the station car park next door, public car parks in Rainham town centre and street parking nearby. Arrive early on busy nights, as spaces at the rear fill up before doors open.

For groups travelling from the same part of the Medway, sharing a taxi or lift removes the parking question entirely and means everyone can enjoy the evening without a designated driver. Travelling by train remains the easiest option for anyone within a short journey of the Southeastern line — the two-minute walk from the station to the venue makes it one of the most practical live music nights out in Kent. Many regular attendees at The Oast make a point of travelling by rail specifically because it simplifies the whole evening.

What kind of music does Rockin’ Roots Events promote in the Medway? Blues, rock, soul, Americana and roots by touring professional artists from the UK, Europe and North America, from Chicago and Delta blues to electric blues-rock and soul. Every act has a serious back catalogue and a dedicated following. The range within the roots music world is deliberately broad: one month you might see a raw Delta blues guitarist, the next a hard-driving electric rock band, and the month after that a soulful singer-songwriter who stops the room entirely.

What every artist on the Rockin’ Roots Events calendar has in common is that they have earned their place on stage. We have been bringing this kind of live music in Medway to The Oast long enough to know the difference between an artist who looks good on a poster and one who delivers on the night. Our audience has come to trust that distinction, and every show at The Oast is chosen with that standard firmly in mind.

How do I get tickets for live music at The Oast? Book advance tickets online through Gigantic from the Buy Tickets button on each show, from £12.50 plus a booking fee depending on the artist. Door tickets, when any are left, cost more, and many shows sell out. Tickets are e-tickets sent to your inbox — there is no need to print anything, just show the confirmation email at the door.

We strongly recommend booking early. Shows at The Oast sell out regularly, and the most sought-after acts on the calendar tend to go quickly after announcement. If a show does sell out, joining the mailing list is the best way to hear about any returned tickets that become available in the days before the date. Booking ahead is cheaper as well as the only way to be sure of a place before you travel to Rainham.

How do I find out about new shows at The Oast? Join the Rockin’ Roots Events mailing list on this page. Subscribers hear about new Oast dates first, before general sale, and are sometimes offered priority booking, which can make all the difference when tickets for a particular artist sell fast.

We send emails only when there is something worth knowing: new show announcements, on-sale alerts, and occasional news about the artists we work with. There are no weekly roundups for the sake of it. The mailing list is the most reliable way to stay across what is coming to The Oast in Rainham. Live music Medway nights at this venue move quickly — and hearing first gives you the best chance of getting tickets for the shows that matter most to you.

Do you promote shows at other venues in Kent? Yes. As well as The Oast in Rainham, Rockin’ Roots Events runs regular shows at The Old Brewery Store in Faversham and at Bromley Blues Club at Bromley Little Theatre, and we also put on shows at other venues around Kent, such as Margate and Birchington, when the right artist and room come together. See our full events calendar for everything coming up.

Many of our regular Medway audience members travel between venues during the season — the mailing list covers all venues in one place, so you will not miss a show worth making the trip for. If you enjoy the nights at The Oast in Rainham, the Faversham shows in particular have a very similar character: a world-class artist, an intimate room, and an audience that genuinely listens. The journey from Rainham to Faversham takes around 20 to 25 minutes by train.

What should I expect at a show at The Oast in Rainham? Doors usually open at around 7pm, most shows have a support act followed by the headliner, there’s a well-stocked bar, and shows typically finish by about 10:30pm, in time for trains across the Medway and back to London. The room at The Oast is set up for listening — the sightlines are clear from most positions in the room, the sound is consistently good, and the crowd is there for the music. Set times are posted in advance and sent to ticket holders.

Merchandise is usually available from the artist on the night. The bar operates efficiently throughout the evening, so you are never long without a drink. The two-minute walk from the station to the venue makes The Oast one of the most comfortable live music Medway evenings you can have — everything is arranged to let you concentrate on the music, not the logistics around it.

What makes The Oast different from other live music venues in the Medway? The Oast is a Victorian oast house, and Rockin’ Roots shows are in its intimate 90-capacity room downstairs, with exposed brickwork, low ceilings and timber beams, so amplified music sounds right at the right volume. It’s also a two-minute walk from Rainham station, which is rare for a venue of this standard. You hear the artist properly without the sound getting lost in a high roof, and without the room being so tight that the volume becomes uncomfortable.

Most places that offer this kind of music programme require a car journey, parking, and an early departure to beat traffic. At The Oast you step off a train and walk two minutes to the door, and after the show you do the same in reverse. That changes the feel of the whole evening in ways that are hard to quantify but easy to enjoy. It is, simply, one of the best live music Medway venues there is — and it has been for a long time.

Is there live music near Sittingbourne? Yes. The Appleyard in Sittingbourne was our home from 2020 until it closed at the end of 2025, and The Oast in Rainham is now one of the two nearest places to catch a Rockin’ Roots show: Rainham is two stops from Sittingbourne, about ten minutes by train, and The Oast is a two-minute walk from Rainham station. Our Faversham shows at The Old Brewery Store are one stop the other way.