Bar Loco is a cosy independent cafe-bar on Leazes Park Road in central Newcastle (NE1), billed as a 'musical-cultural shelter' with a quirky, split-level, chilled-out space. It draws students, locals and touring performers for intimate nights of live music, stand-up and spoken word — you might catch an acoustic songwriter showcase one evening then new-material comedy, an improv jam or a Fringe-preview set the next, with indie, jazz and global sounds threaded through the week. By day it serves coffee, craft beer, cocktails and pizzas/calzones; by night the bands and live DJs take over. Open Tue–Thu 4pm–12am, Fri–Sat from noon, Sun noon–6pm (closed Mondays). Audiences sit close to the action.
Newcastle · Every last Wednesday of the month · No fee listed
Bar Loco Open Mic
Leazes Park Rd's saturday-night free open mic at Bar Loco — PA + vocal mic, walk-in sign-up from 6:30pm, 10-minute slots, all ages.
Next night: Wed 25 Nov. Kick-off 19:00, sign-up from 18:30. 10-minute slots. No fee listed.
Nearby open micsAt a glance
Checked 28 Sep 202619:00
Kick-off
Wednesdays
sign-up from 18:30Wednesdays
| Night | Every last Wednesday of the month |
| Sign-up | 18:30 walk-in |
| Slot | 10 min |
| Entry | No fee listed · all ages |
| Backline | PA provided |
01 — Inside the room
4 photosPhotos: Google
154
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0 members voted to bring the venue onto GigXchange02 — The details
Before you goEverything you need to know
0
Member votes
votes to get this venue on GigXchange
| Capacity | – |
| Performer types | Poets |
The check
| Status | Verified running |
| Last checked | 28 Sep 2026 |
| Checked against | Web listing |
03 — The night
Every last Wednesday of the monthHow the night runs
19:00
Kick-off
WednesdaysRunning order
18:30 Sign-up· Walk-in
19:00 Kick-off· 10-minute slots
00:00 Venue closes
04 — Find Bar Loco
Leazes Park RdGetting there
22 Leazes Park Road,
Leazes Park Rd, Newcastle NE1 4PG
Leazes Park Rd, Newcastle NE1 4PG
The nearest station is St James (Metro station), about 5 minutes' walk away.
05 — What's on stage
1 provided · 5 TBC| PA system | Provided |
| Drum kit | TBC |
| Guitar amp | TBC |
| Bass amp | TBC |
| Keys / keyboard | TBC |
| Vocal mics | TBC |
| In-house engineer | None |
06 — About
Leazes Park Rd, NewcastleAbout the night
Bar Loco on Leazes Park Road hosts the Newcastle Literary Salon on the last Wednesday of every month, upstairs in a cosy, welcoming room. It's spoken word rather than music: featured performers give readings on a monthly theme, and the rest of the night is open mic space for everyone, with poems of any topic and length welcome. It starts at 7pm and it's free to come along, whether you're reading or listening.
Sign-up process
Sign-up on arrival at the venue - walk-in, no advance booking. It's a monthly night rather than a weekly one, so turn up early if you want to be sure of a slot.
What to expect
Newcastle audiences are warm and generous, and this one draws students, locals and touring performers in roughly equal measure. Bring a poem, or bring nothing and just listen.
Bar Loco is a cosy independent cafe-bar on Leazes Park Road in central Newcastle (NE1), billed as a 'musical-cultural shelter' with a quirky, split-level, chilled-out space. It draws students, locals and touring performers for intimate nights of live music, stand-up and spoken word — you might catch an acoustic songwriter showcase one evening then new-material comedy, an improv jam or a Fringe-preview set the next, with indie, jazz and global sounds threaded through the week. By day it serves coffee, craft beer, cocktails and pizzas/calzones; by night the bands and live DJs take over. Open Tue–Thu 4pm–12am, Fri–Sat from noon, Sun noon–6pm (closed Mondays). Audiences sit close to the action.
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| 04 | Update backline and capacity |
Leazes Park Rd · Every last Wednesday of the month
Bar Loco Open Mic
Leazes Park Rd's saturday-night free open mic at Bar Loco — PA + vocal mic, walk-in sign-up from 6:30pm, 10-minute slots, all ages.
Open mic at a glance Bar Loco · Newcastle
Wednesday
Open mic night
Apr 2026
Listed since
28 Sept
Last verified
No fee
Entry
10 min
Slot length
Verified
Listing status
Run a Newcastle open mic? List it free — reviewed before it goes live
Last updated: 28 September 2026
Bar Loco Open Mic — Quick Facts
Leazes Park Rd's saturday-night free open mic at Bar Loco — PA + vocal mic, walk-in sign-up from 6:30pm, 10-minute slots, all ages.
✓ Verified activeLast verified
NightWednesdayEvery last Wednesday of the monthNext: Wed 25 Nov
Starts19:00start time
Sign-up18:30Walk-in
Slots10minutes each
Music starts around 19:00. It's walk-in sign-up, with the list opening at 18:30 - arrive early to get a slot. Each act gets about 10 minutes. There is a PA listed - ask what else is on stage before you load in.
Next nightWed 25 Nov · 19:00Starts in 24d 17h 11m
AgeAll ages
Sign-upWalk-in on the night
Who playsPoets
BacklinePA provided
Sound engineerNone in-house
Directory statusVerified active
Member votes0 to get the venue on GigXchange
How do you rate this open mic?One tap, no sign-up required.
Spotted something wrong with this listing?Closed, moved night, different start time? Let us know. We review corrections within 7 days.
What’s on in Newcastle this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About This Open Mic
Bar Loco on Leazes Park Road hosts the Newcastle Literary Salon on the last Wednesday of every month, upstairs in a cosy, welcoming room. It's spoken word rather than music: featured performers give readings on a monthly theme, and the rest of the night is open mic space for everyone, with poems of any topic and length welcome. It starts at 7pm and it's free to come along, whether you're reading or listening.
Sign-up process
Sign-up on arrival at the venue - walk-in, no advance booking. It's a monthly night rather than a weekly one, so turn up early if you want to be sure of a slot.
What to expect
Newcastle audiences are warm and generous, and this one draws students, locals and touring performers in roughly equal measure. Bring a poem, or bring nothing and just listen.
Equipment and backline at this venue — what's on stage, verified regularly.
PA system
Drum kit · TBC
Guitar amp · TBC
Bass amp · TBC
Keys / keyboard · TBC
Vocal mics · TBC
In-house engineer
The Night at a Glance
How Bar Loco’s Wednesday night runs.
Next nightWed 25 Nov · 19:00Starts in 24d 17h 11m
Sign-up opens18:30Walk-in on the night
Kick-off19:00Every last Wednesday of the month
Venue closes00:00The listed closing time
Slots10minutes each
How often
Every last Wednesday of the month
Coming up
Wed 25 Nov · Wed 30 Dec · Wed 27 Jan
Kit
Bar Loco provides a PA system; no in-house sound engineer — check the rest with the venue.
First time here?
Arrive for 18:30 to get your name on the list, tune up before you go on, and plan a set that fits 10 minutes.
Find Bar Loco
22 Leazes Park Road, Leazes Park Rd, Newcastle NE1 4PG
Address22 Leazes Park Road
AreaLeazes Park Rd, Newcastle
PostcodeNE1 4PG
DirectionsOpen in Google Maps →
Getting there
The nearest station is St James (Metro station), about 5 minutes' walk away. Bar Loco is in Leazes Park Rd, Newcastle — use NE1 4PG for sat-nav, taxis and ride apps. Check the venue's website for parking and the nearest station before you set off.
Open mics nearby
Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport (Open Government Licence).
Planning Your Wednesday Night
Arrive by 18:30 to sign up for a slot. Bar Loco provides a PA system; no in-house sound engineer — check the rest with the venue.
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07 — Small print9 answersCommon questionsCommon Questions
9 things people want to know before Newcastle's Bar Loco open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 18:30. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Newcastle open mic nights for alternatives.
Bar Loco provides a PA system; no in-house sound engineer — check the rest with the venue.
10 minutes per act — typically 3 songs solo.
No entry fee is listed for Bar Loco's open mic - most open mics are free to play and to watch, but check with the venue before you go. Browse Newcastle open mics.
Ask the host before bringing a full band — solo and duo acts are the usual open-mic format.
22 Leazes Park Road, Leazes Park Rd, Newcastle NE1 4PG.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Newcastle regulars across the Newcastle open mic scene. Newcastle open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
The nearest station is St James (Metro station), about 5 minutes' walk away. For sat-nav and taxis, the postcode is NE1 4PG. (Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport, Open Government Licence.)
Sign-up is walk-in on the night, from 18:30, so you do not need to book ahead. GigXchange doesn't publish venue phone numbers or emails. Browse other Newcastle open mics.
From the GigXchange directory
Venues Near Bar Loco
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Bar Loco open mic in brief. The Bar Loco open mic runs every last Wednesday of the month from 19:00 (no fee listed); sign-up opens 18:30 and slots run about 10 minutes. Coming back with a full band? Bar Loco’s venue page has its kit and capacity listed. The open mics near Newcastle are listed by day, for another night this week.
Booking or playing in Newcastle? The GX Index publishes what UK gigs actually pay, by city, band size and venue type, and the GX Index reports set out the methodology and the sample behind every figure. Both are free to read and free to cite.
Keep exploring: the UK gig directory for what's coming up, the venue directory for rooms that book live music, the open mic finder for recurring stage time, and what's on across the UK this week. The blog covers pricing, contracts and getting booked, and about GigXchange explains who runs it and why. Something not right on this page? Tell us — or start on the home page.
09 — More Newcastle open mics
All ›Looking for paid gigs, not open mics? See Newcastle gigs or check the going rate.
10 — Venues near Bar Loco
All ›More rooms near Bar Loco: Bridge Hotel, Buzz Bingo Newcastle, Cafe Under the Spire, Cobalt Studios, Colonel Porter's Emporium, Coquetdale Music Centre, Cowgirls And Country, Cut, (Above Tup Tup Palace), Digital, Dirty Murphys and Downcast Studios.
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