SOMERVILLE
THE BURREN
Updated
ABOUT
The Burren is an Irish pub and restaurant at 247 Elm Street in Davis Square, Somerville, Massachusetts. The venue occupies nearly 5,000 square feet with front and back rooms, a patio for outdoor seating, and a large parking lot. The Burren offers live entertainment 7 days and nights a week.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Programming centers on Irish traditional sessions but also includes folk, bluegrass, old-timey music, Gypsy jazz, singer-songwriters, rock, and Americana. The back room hosts ticketed concerts while the front room features drop-in sessions and casual performances. The pub serves a full Irish and American menu alongside a full bar.
HISTORY
The Burren was opened in 1996 by Irish musicians Tommy McCarthy and Louise Costello, who had lived in Boston since 1986. When Davis Square was largely bereft of pubs in the mid-1990s, Somerville officials offered attractive terms on empty storefronts, and the couple chose the current site for its size and layout. In 2017, McCarthy and Costello opened a sister venue called The Bebop near Berklee College of Music.
UPCOMING SHOWS as of 08/24/2026
Monday
- 8:30pm — Irish Session join in
Tuesday
- 7pm — The Django Cadre gypsy vibes
- 7pm — Electric Hora dance party
Wednesday
- 7pm — Grain Thief americana sound
- 7pm — Nova Jimenez, Mimi Fonseca, and Camila Quintero dance along
Thursday
- 7:30pm — Torn and Frayed rock classics
- 10pm — Orchid Reed college night
Friday
- 9:30pm — Irish Session join in
- 7pm — Yellow 45 (featuring Badass Aliens) get funky
- 10pm — Brick Park cover tunes
Saturday
- 9:30pm — Irish Session join in
- 12pm — The Guide, Aphrodite, Split Lips metal night
- 7pm — The Talking Deads jam session
- 10pm — Jimmy's Down cover night
Sunday
- 11:30am — Allan Hirt - Album Release Show album release
- 3-6pm — Irish Session join in
- 6pm — Old Timey Session old timey
- 7pm — 5th Sunday Honky Tonk Dance Party with The Beantown Buckaroos dance party
Monday - 9/28
- 8:30pm — Irish Session join in
- 8pm — Trivia Night test knowledge
Tuesday - 9/29
- 7pm — The Django Cadre gypsy vibes
Wednesday - 9/30
- 7pm — Grain Thief americana sound
- 7pm — Grüvmeiners Brass Band brass night
Thursday - 10/1
- 7:30pm — Torn and Frayed rock classics
- 7pm — Goodwin back again
- 10pm — The Yard Bops college night
Friday - 10/2
- 9:30pm — Irish Session join in
- 7pm — Michelle Malone let's rock
- 10pm — Broken Heels cover night
Saturday - 10/3
- 9:30pm — Irish Session join in
- 7pm — Adam Sherman Band with Special Guest The Starlings special event
- 10pm — Charing Cross cover night
Sunday - 10/4
- 3-6pm — Irish Session join in
- 6pm — Old Timey Session old timey
- 4pm — Máire Ní Chathasaigh & Chris Newman (Irish Harp & Guitar) in Concert let's listen
Monday - 10/5
- 8:30pm — Irish Session join in
- 8pm — Trivia Night test knowledge
Wednesday - 10/7
- 7:30pm — Reverie Road celtic music
- 7pm — Grain Thief americana sound