For open mic hosts and venues
How to start an open mic night
Pick the night, set up the kit, run the list, build the regulars.
How to start, host and run an open mic night in the UK: the night, the kit, the sign-up list, the host and the licence rules.
Updated 23 October 2026
01 — How to start an open mic night
Where to Start an Open Mic
GIGXCHANGE is where UK hosts list an open mic and find the performers for it. The GigXchange directory holds 1,442 open mic listings across the UK, and 70 venues across 79 cities are on the platform. A host lists the night free, performers find it by city and weekday, and the host can book a feature act for the night with a contract. The booking fee is 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately.
An open mic is how most UK scenes start. A pub with a quiet Tuesday, one person with a PA and a clipboard, and a room that slowly fills with people who play, people who listen and people who come back next week.
Most open mics that close do so in their first few months, for the same reasons: the night moves, the host burns out, nobody knows it exists, and performers stop coming because the slots are unfair or the sound is bad.
GigXchange is where performers already look for open mics - by city and by night of the week - so a new night is found from the day it is listed. A host can book a feature act to anchor the evening, with a contract, and the venue gets a regular, low-cost night that builds its own crowd.
| 02Put it on, in stepsFrom an idea to a full room | |
| 03Host and feature feesBudget the acts before you book | |
| 04Rooms for your nightThe venues in our directory | |
| 05Members across the UKThe acts and rooms near you | |
| 06The licence rulesEach with its official source | |
| 07Open mics that lastThe choices that decide whether an open mic survives its first months. | |
| 08Choosing the right actsWhat to check before you book, so the night goes the way you planned. | |
| 09Free tools for promotersFree with a promoter account. | |
| 11QuestionsWhat open mic hosts ask first | |
| 12Keep exploringThe other guides and the longer reads |
02 — The steps
5 stepsPut it on
| Step 01Find the roomSearch venues by city, capacity and what they host, and message the booker about a date - or use a room you already have. | |
| Step 02Book the actsPost the night free and take applications, or invite ranked acts for your date. Hear each act’s audio and video before you ask. | |
| Step 03Agree it in the chatSettle the fee, set times and kit with each act directly; the offer lands in the same thread. | |
| Step 04Sign the contractEvery booking makes a digital performance agreement, signed by both of you, with a full audit trail. | |
| Step 05Fill the roomTurn the line-up into a poster in one click and list the night free in the gig directory. The booking fee is 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately. | |
| If plans changeIf the act drops outGX Gig Rescue sends an urgent invite to available acts near you. The first to accept is booked. |
03 — Host and feature fees
LiveThe price ladder
What does an open mic cost to run? Usually the host, the PA and sometimes a feature act. As artist-fee benchmarks on the live GX Index, a solo act at a pub or bar is typically £250 (370 fees); the PA and room depend on the venue.
GX Index UK medians, live - ARTIST fees only, against the Musicians’ Union per-musician minimums. Room hire, sound, staff and promotion come on top and are not in these figures. Many open mics pay the host and sometimes a feature act; open slots are usually unpaid.
- Pub or bar, solo £250 median · 370 observationsThe MU publishes no solo figure
- Pub or bar, duo £325 median · 67 observationsMU minimum £334.32
You pay the acts’ fees. 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately.
| GuideYour first event, budgetedBudgets, venue hire and break-even. | |
| ToolRate calculatorA fair fee for your night. | |
| DataGX IndexEvery UK fee table, open data. |
04 — On GigXchange
70 venuesRooms for your night
70 venues are on GigXchange - pubs and bars where a weekly open mic fits. Each venue lists its capacity and what it hosts; message the booker, agree the date and the terms, and keep the whole night in one thread. Where do you start an open mic? Usually in a pub or bar with a quiet midweek night. On GigXchange, a host lists the night free in the open mic directory and finds performers by city and weekday.
05 — Members across the UK
Tap a cityActs near you
Scroll to zoom (hold Ctrl / two fingers)· tap a layer to switch · click a pin for details, a cluster for its area.
Booking in a city? London · Birmingham · Leeds · Glasgow · Sheffield · Manchester · Bradford · Edinburgh · Liverpool · Bristol · Leicester · Cardiff · every city guide
06 — The licence rules
Checked 22 October 2026What you need
Does an open mic need a licence? On premises licensed for alcohol, live music between 8am and 11pm for up to 500 people needs no extra licence; covers songs need TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS.
| England and WalesUnamplified is easiestUnamplified live music needs no licence between 8am and 11pm in any place; amplified music needs alcohol-licensed premises or a workplace, for up to 500 people. | |
| England and WalesOne-off events: a TENFor an event outside your licence: fewer than 500 people at all times, including staff, up to 7 days. Give the council at least 10 clear working days' notice (a late TEN: 5). One premises can have up to 15 a year, 21 days in total. | |
| UKYou still need TheMusicLicenceThat is permission to hold the event, not copyright. Playing or performing music in public needs a music licence from PPL PRS. | |
| England and WalesKeep the neighbours on sideYour council can act if noise becomes a statutory nuisance. Agree finish times and volume with the act in the contract. |
| Scotland and NILicensing (Scotland) Act 2005Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own licensing law - check with your council. | |
| ToolLicensing checkerTen questions, a plain-English verdict. |
07 — What keeps it going
Pick your night
| The same night, every weekRegulars plan around it. Midweek nights are easiest to get from a venue. | |
| A host who keeps timeRun the list, introduce each act, keep the slots fair. | |
| A feature actA booked act mid-night gives people a reason to stay. | |
| List it where performers lookA free listing in the open mic directory, by city and weekday. |
08 — Choosing the acts
Before you book
| Hear the real thingAudio, video and two-way reviews on profiles, where the act has added them - venues review acts and acts review venues. | |
| Find acts by sound and dateSet the date, the budget and the sound, and invite ranked acts that are free that night. | |
| Ask about coverMany venues ask acts for public liability insurance. Musicians’ Union members are covered to £10 million each with their membership. | |
| Agree the kitWho brings the PA, the stage space and the power - written into the contract so nobody guesses on the night. |
| Musicians' UnionNational gig rates | |
| PPL PRSTheMusicLicence | |
| GOV.UK - Live Music ActUnamplified and amplified rules |
09 — Free tools
7 toolsFor promoters
| DiscoveryFind an ArtistRanked acts for your dates | |
| BookingPost a GigArtists apply to you | |
| ContractsBooking ContractsUK-compliant and e-signed, on every booking | |
| PromotionEvents PosterYour what’s-on, in one click | |
| PromotionFlyer BuilderOn-brand gig flyers, no design skill needed | |
| CoverGX Gig RescueFill a dropout, fast | |
| MoneyInvoice GeneratorSynced to your bookings, paid faster |
See it in action
A look inside GigXchange Mainstage — the members app where artists, venues, agents and promoters manage bookings, messaging, events and payments. Scroll: the phone follows you through the app.
- 01 / 04
Your dashboard
The moment you log in, everything that matters is in front of you — what's booked, what you've earned, and what needs you next. No digging through tabs.
- Bookings at a glanceConfirmed, pending and upcoming gigs in one view — so nothing slips through the cracks.
- Earnings, trackedSee deposits held securely and payouts released, with a running total you can trust.
- Live activity feedNew messages, offers and event updates surface the second they happen — you're never the last to know.
- 02 / 04
Explore the scene
Find the right artists, venues and open gigs across the UK from one place — filtered by what actually matters to you: location, genre, date and budget.
- Search that fits youFilter by role, city, genre and availability to surface only the people and gigs worth your time.
- Smart Match suggestionsThe strongest matches rise to the top, so the right connection finds you — not just the loudest.
- Open gigs, liveBrowse gigs that need filling and apply in a tap — no cold outreach, no gatekeepers.
- 03 / 04
Bookings, end to end
Offer, negotiate and confirm a gig in a single thread — every date, fee and deposit agreed in one place and held to.
- One thread, start to finishThe whole deal lives in one conversation — no lost emails, no he-said-she-said.
- Negotiate with clarityCounter-offers, dates and fees are structured and tracked, so both sides always know where they stand.
- Held securelyThe deposit is held safely until the gig is done — performers get paid, bookers get peace of mind.
- 04 / 04
Messaging
Agree the details before you commit. Direct, real-time conversations with venues, artists, agents and promoters — with bookings built right in.
- Talk first, book secondSort the awkward questions — sound, timings, fee — before anything's signed.
- Bookings inside the chatTurn a conversation into a confirmed offer without ever leaving the thread.
- Share availability & filesSend your calendar, riders and posters in-line, so everyone's working from the same page.
- 01 / 04
Your dashboard
The moment you log in, everything that matters is in front of you — what's booked, what you've earned, and what needs you next. No digging through tabs.
- Bookings at a glanceConfirmed, pending and upcoming gigs in one view — so nothing slips through the cracks.
- Earnings, trackedSee deposits held securely and payouts released, with a running total you can trust.
- Live activity feedNew messages, offers and event updates surface the second they happen — you're never the last to know.
- 02 / 04
Explore the scene
Find the right artists, venues and open gigs across the UK from one place — filtered by what actually matters to you: location, genre, date and budget.
- Search that fits youFilter by role, city, genre and availability to surface only the people and gigs worth your time.
- Smart Match suggestionsThe strongest matches rise to the top, so the right connection finds you — not just the loudest.
- Open gigs, liveBrowse gigs that need filling and apply in a tap — no cold outreach, no gatekeepers.
- 03 / 04
Bookings, end to end
Offer, negotiate and confirm a gig in a single thread — every date, fee and deposit agreed in one place and held to.
- One thread, start to finishThe whole deal lives in one conversation — no lost emails, no he-said-she-said.
- Negotiate with clarityCounter-offers, dates and fees are structured and tracked, so both sides always know where they stand.
- Held securelyThe deposit is held safely until the gig is done — performers get paid, bookers get peace of mind.
- 04 / 04
Messaging
Agree the details before you commit. Direct, real-time conversations with venues, artists, agents and promoters — with bookings built right in.
- Talk first, book secondSort the awkward questions — sound, timings, fee — before anything's signed.
- Bookings inside the chatTurn a conversation into a confirmed offer without ever leaving the thread.
- Share availability & filesSend your calendar, riders and posters in-line, so everyone's working from the same page.
11 — Questions7 answersHow to start an open mic night FAQ
12 — Keep exploring
Go deeper
| How to Become a Music PromoterPut on your first nights and build a following. | |
| How to Start a Club NightDJs, the room, the licence, the crowd. | |
| How to Put On a GigRoom, line-up, budget, tickets. | |
| How to Organise a Charity GigRaise money with a night of live music. | |
| How to Run a Battle of the BandsRules, judging, the bands, the night. | |
| How to Start a Music FestivalSite, licence, safety, line-up - small first. | |
| Music Promoter DealsGuarantees, door splits and break-even. | |
| UK open mic directoryEvery night, by city. | |
| Midweek open micsWhy pubs run them. | |
| All the promoter guidesEvery kind of night in one place. | |
| Your first eventThe first-timer checklist. | |
| GigXchange for promotersEverything a promoter account does. |
| How cancellations work | |
| The booking fee | |
| Gig rate calculator |
How to start an open mic night
How to start, host and run an open mic night in the UK: the night, the kit, the sign-up list, the host and the licence rules.
Last updated: 23 October 2026
Where to Start an Open Mic
GIGXCHANGE is where UK hosts list an open mic and find the performers for it. The GigXchange directory holds 1,442 open mic listings across the UK, and 70 venues across 79 cities are on the platform. A host lists the night free, performers find it by city and weekday, and the host can book a feature act for the night with a contract. The booking fee is 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately.
An open mic is how most UK scenes start. A pub with a quiet Tuesday, one person with a PA and a clipboard, and a room that slowly fills with people who play, people who listen and people who come back next week.
Most open mics that close do so in their first few months, for the same reasons: the night moves, the host burns out, nobody knows it exists, and performers stop coming because the slots are unfair or the sound is bad.
GigXchange is where performers already look for open mics - by city and by night of the week - so a new night is found from the day it is listed. A host can book a feature act to anchor the evening, with a contract, and the venue gets a regular, low-cost night that builds its own crowd.
Put it on, in steps
From an empty date to a full room - book the acts direct, without an agency.
Find the room
Search venues by city, capacity and what they host, and message the booker about a date - or use a room you already have.
Book the acts
Post the night free and take applications, or invite ranked acts for your date. Hear each act’s audio and video before you ask.
Agree it in the chat
Settle the fee, set times and kit with each act directly; the offer lands in the same thread.
Sign the contract
Every booking makes a digital performance agreement, signed by both of you, with a full audit trail.
Fill the room
Turn the line-up into a poster in one click and list the night free in the gig directory. The booking fee is 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately.
If the act drops out
GX Gig Rescue sends an urgent invite to available acts near you. The first to accept is booked.
Host and feature fees, live
GX Index UK medians, live - ARTIST fees only, against the Musicians’ Union per-musician minimums. Room hire, sound, staff and promotion come on top and are not in these figures. Many open mics pay the host and sometimes a feature act; open slots are usually unpaid.
What does an open mic cost to run? Usually the host, the PA and sometimes a feature act. As artist-fee benchmarks on the live GX Index, a solo act at a pub or bar is typically £250 (370 fees); the PA and room depend on the venue.
- Pub or bar, solo £250 median · 370 observationsThe MU publishes no solo figure
- Pub or bar, duo £325 median · 67 observationsMU minimum £334.32
You pay the acts’ fees. 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately. Your first event, budgeted · Work out a budget for your night · Every GX Index fee table · The Musicians’ Union national gig rates
Rooms for your night
70 venues are on GigXchange - pubs and bars where a weekly open mic fits. Each venue lists its capacity and what it hosts; message the booker, agree the date and the terms, and keep the whole night in one thread. Where do you start an open mic? Usually in a pub or bar with a quiet midweek night. On GigXchange, a host lists the night free in the open mic directory and finds performers by city and weekday.
Browse the UK venue directory · What a promoter account does · Join as a promoter
Members across the UK
Artists, venues, agents and promoters on GigXchange, by city - the acts and rooms near you.
Scroll to zoom (hold Ctrl / two fingers)· tap a layer to switch · click a pin for details, a cluster for its area.
Booking live music in a city? London · Birmingham · Leeds · Glasgow · Sheffield · Manchester · Bradford · Edinburgh · Liverpool · Bristol · Leicester · Cardiff · every city guide
The licence rules
The rules an open mic meets, each with its official source. Checked 22 October 2026.
Does an open mic need a licence? On premises licensed for alcohol, live music between 8am and 11pm for up to 500 people needs no extra licence; covers songs need TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own licensing law - check with your council. Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005. Not sure which applies? Licensing checker · Compliance checklist · Martyn’s Law check
Open mics that last
The choices that decide whether an open mic survives its first months.
The same night, every week
Regulars plan around it. Midweek nights are easiest to get from a venue.
A host who keeps time
Run the list, introduce each act, keep the slots fair.
A feature act
A booked act mid-night gives people a reason to stay.
List it where performers look
A free listing in the open mic directory, by city and weekday.
Choosing the right acts
What to check before you book, so the night goes the way you planned.
Who sets the rules: Musicians' Union · PPL PRS · GOV.UK - Live Music Act
Free tools for promoters
Free with a promoter account.
Find an Artist
Pick the empty date, set a 60-second brief, and invite up to 5 ranked best-fit acts — fit scores, fee bands and kit tags attached.
Post a Gig
List an open slot in two minutes — genres, budget, house kit — and take applications from gig-ready artists with verified reviews attached.
Booking Contracts
Every GigXchange booking auto-generates a UK-compliant performance contract — 8 standard clauses, deposit terms, dual e-signatures, instant PDF.
Events Poster
Your upcoming programme becomes a designed poster — ticket QRs on every listing, status badges, your branding. Print, post or publish to your profile.
Flyer Builder
Design striking gig flyers from on-brand templates in minutes — built from your booking details, no design skill needed.
GX Gig Rescue
Broadcast an urgent booking invite to up to 25 available acts near you — last-minute specialists first, first to accept is booked.
Invoice Generator
Create polished invoices in seconds and get paid faster — synced to your bookings, numbered and dated automatically.
See it in action
A look inside GigXchange Mainstage, the members app promoters book in: find the acts, agree the date and fee in the chat, track every booking. Scroll: the phone follows you through the app.
- 01 / 04
Your dashboard
The moment you log in, everything that matters is in front of you — what's booked, what you've earned, and what needs you next. No digging through tabs.
- Bookings at a glanceConfirmed, pending and upcoming gigs in one view — so nothing slips through the cracks.
- Earnings, trackedSee deposits held securely and payouts released, with a running total you can trust.
- Live activity feedNew messages, offers and event updates surface the second they happen — you're never the last to know.
- 02 / 04
Explore the scene
Find the right artists, venues and open gigs across the UK from one place — filtered by what actually matters to you: location, genre, date and budget.
- Search that fits youFilter by role, city, genre and availability to surface only the people and gigs worth your time.
- Smart Match suggestionsThe strongest matches rise to the top, so the right connection finds you — not just the loudest.
- Open gigs, liveBrowse gigs that need filling and apply in a tap — no cold outreach, no gatekeepers.
- 03 / 04
Bookings, end to end
Offer, negotiate and confirm a gig in a single thread — every date, fee and deposit agreed in one place and held to.
- One thread, start to finishThe whole deal lives in one conversation — no lost emails, no he-said-she-said.
- Negotiate with clarityCounter-offers, dates and fees are structured and tracked, so both sides always know where they stand.
- Held securelyThe deposit is held safely until the gig is done — performers get paid, bookers get peace of mind.
- 04 / 04
Messaging
Agree the details before you commit. Direct, real-time conversations with venues, artists, agents and promoters — with bookings built right in.
- Talk first, book secondSort the awkward questions — sound, timings, fee — before anything's signed.
- Bookings inside the chatTurn a conversation into a confirmed offer without ever leaving the thread.
- Share availability & filesSend your calendar, riders and posters in-line, so everyone's working from the same page.
- 01 / 04
Your dashboard
The moment you log in, everything that matters is in front of you — what's booked, what you've earned, and what needs you next. No digging through tabs.
- Bookings at a glanceConfirmed, pending and upcoming gigs in one view — so nothing slips through the cracks.
- Earnings, trackedSee deposits held securely and payouts released, with a running total you can trust.
- Live activity feedNew messages, offers and event updates surface the second they happen — you're never the last to know.
- 02 / 04
Explore the scene
Find the right artists, venues and open gigs across the UK from one place — filtered by what actually matters to you: location, genre, date and budget.
- Search that fits youFilter by role, city, genre and availability to surface only the people and gigs worth your time.
- Smart Match suggestionsThe strongest matches rise to the top, so the right connection finds you — not just the loudest.
- Open gigs, liveBrowse gigs that need filling and apply in a tap — no cold outreach, no gatekeepers.
- 03 / 04
Bookings, end to end
Offer, negotiate and confirm a gig in a single thread — every date, fee and deposit agreed in one place and held to.
- One thread, start to finishThe whole deal lives in one conversation — no lost emails, no he-said-she-said.
- Negotiate with clarityCounter-offers, dates and fees are structured and tracked, so both sides always know where they stand.
- Held securelyThe deposit is held safely until the gig is done — performers get paid, bookers get peace of mind.
- 04 / 04
Messaging
Agree the details before you commit. Direct, real-time conversations with venues, artists, agents and promoters — with bookings built right in.
- Talk first, book secondSort the awkward questions — sound, timings, fee — before anything's signed.
- Bookings inside the chatTurn a conversation into a confirmed offer without ever leaving the thread.
- Share availability & filesSend your calendar, riders and posters in-line, so everyone's working from the same page.
How to start an open mic night FAQ
What open mic hosts ask first.
More answers: How cancellations work · The booking fee · Gig rate calculator
Your next night, booked
Join free and book the acts direct.