Brad’s Bar, Stockton-on-Tees

Brad’s Bar, Stockton-on-Tees – Remembering a Teesside Nightlife Venue

For anyone who spent their weekends around Stockton-on-Tees during the town’s busier nightlife years, Brad’s Bar is one of those names that may bring back a few memories.

Located on Little Brown Street, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 1UF, Brad’s Bar formed part of the town-centre drinking and nightlife scene. The building itself sits within the Stockton Town Centre Conservation Area, and a Stockton heritage survey from 2009 recorded its use as leisure and entertainment premises. citeturn0search0

A Stockton Night Out

Stockton had a very different nightlife landscape during the late 1990s and 2000s. The town centre contained numerous pubs, bars and clubs, with people moving between venues around the High Street and surrounding streets before heading on to wherever was open later.

Brad’s was part of that era.

Old online comments about the venue paint a picture of a busy, sometimes rough-and-ready local nightspot rather than a polished modern bar. Contemporary comments mention cheap drinks, busy Thursday and Sunday nights and people heading there after drinking elsewhere in Stockton. One historical review also mentions the venue undergoing a lengthy refurbishment, showing that Brad’s changed during its lifetime. citeturn0search10

Those old comments aren't necessarily reliable accounts of every night at Brad’s, but collectively they give us a glimpse of the type of place it was and the nightlife culture surrounding it.

Little Brown Street

Brad’s occupied an unusual-looking building at the end of Little Brown Street. Stockton Council's heritage record describes it as mainly single-storey with a two-storey section at the front, a double-door entrance beneath a canopy and a rendered side wall painted red. The council dated the building to the late 20th century. citeturn0search0

The address also appears in historical business directories as Brad’s Bar, Little Brown Street, complete with the old Stockton telephone number 01642 608045. citeturn0search2

What Happened to Brad’s Bar?

CAMRA's record for the venue states that Brad’s Bar closed on 4 June 2012 and subsequently became classified as closed long term, with its future uncertain. citeturn0search1

There is an interesting complication, however. Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's March 2026 Register of Licensed Premises still contains an entry for Brads Bar, Little Brown Street, TS18 1UF, with a premises licence held by Moores Leisure (Teesside) Limited. citeturn0search12

That doesn't necessarily mean Brad’s has returned as the nightclub/bar people remember. A premises licence can remain relevant independently of whether a venue is trading in its old form. But it does mean the Brad’s Bar name has survived in Stockton's official licensing records long after the venue disappeared from the town's normal nightlife.

Part of Stockton Nightlife History

Places such as Brad’s are easy to overlook when looking back at Teesside's music and nightlife history.

Not every important local venue hosted internationally famous DJs or became a legendary superclub. Some were simply the places where local people met their mates, started or finished a night out, heard DJs, drank, danced and created stories that were still being talked about years later.

Brad’s Bar belongs to that side of Stockton's history.

The building may still be there and the name may survive in official records, but the Brad’s Bar remembered from Stockton nights out belongs to another era of the town centre.

For people who were there, the photographs, flyers and stories are probably far more valuable than any official record.

Do You Remember Brad’s?

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Were you a regular at Brad’s Bar? Did you work behind the bar, DJ there, know the door staff, or remember particular nights and events?

Weedy Garage Radio would love to hear your memories.

Old photographs, flyers, DJ names, dates and stories could help us build a better record of Stockton and Teesside nightlife history before more of it disappears.