Every Friday in Old Town, Edinburgh
Kicks off at 21:00, sign-up from 20:30
Free entry for performers and audience
12-minute slots
PA provided — BYO instrument
Part of the Edinburgh open mic directory
Old Town · Every Friday · Free
Captain's Bar Open Mic
Edinburgh's Friday-night free folk open mic at 4 South College Street, EH8 9AA — tiny Old Town pub, PA + guitar amp, 12-minute slots, late licence.
Open mic at a glance Captain's Bar · Edinburgh
Friday
Open mic night
Apr 2026
Listed since
03 Jun
Last verified
Free
Entry
12 min
Slot length
Verified
Listing status
Plan your open mic night
Check the venue, or find more open mics in Edinburgh.
Last updated: 3 June 2026
Captain's Bar Open Mic — Quick Facts
Edinburgh's Friday-night free folk open mic at 4 South College Street, EH8 9AA — tiny Old Town pub, PA + guitar amp, 12-minute slots, late licence.
The Details
Everything you need before you turn up
DayFriday
Start21:00
Sign-up20:30 walk-in
Slot length12 min
EntryFree · 18+
Capacity~40 standing
Performer typesMusic
Sound engineerBYO / hire on the night
Where
Captain's Bar4 South College Street
Old Town
Edinburgh EH8 9AA
Old Town, Edinburgh — check venue website for parking and nearest station.
Contact
Walk-in sign-up only
No advance booking
Host: in-house team
Highlights
Free entry for all
PA system provided
Walk-in sign-up
Music welcome
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 and we'll re-verify within 48 hours.
What's on Stage
Equipment and backline available at this venue. We verify and update this section regularly.
PA + monitors
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
2 vocal mics
In-house engineer
About This Open Mic
The Night
Captain's Bar is a tiny Old Town folk pub — wood-panelled, no TV, music seven nights a week. Friday is the open-mic slot and leans heavily folk and traditional, though songwriters are welcome.
~3.5 hours, ~17 acts at 12 minutes.
Sign-up process
Sheet at the bar at 8:30pm. Walk-in.
Getting there
4 South College Street, EH8 9AA. 6 minutes from Waverley.
The venue
One small room. 18+. Capacity ~40 — fills early on Fridays. Late licence.
About Captain's Bar
Captain's Bar is a tiny, 200-year-old pub on South College Street in Edinburgh's Old Town, a short walk from the National Museum of Scotland and the Festival Theatre. It is one of the city's most authentic folk-music rooms: local folk musicians gather here for tunes and songs almost every night, with gentle, largely unamplified sessions. The space seats only about 28, and the whole pub falls silent for a great singer or comes alive with blazing fiddles. Contemporary and traditional material is encouraged and visiting musicians are warmly welcomed — early-evening sessions take an open format where anyone can step in with a song.
Planning Your Friday Night
Arrive by 20:30 to sign up for a slot. Entry is free and the open mic typically runs until 00:30. A PA is provided — bring your own instrument and amp.
Part of the Edinburgh live music scene.
What should you charge for paid gigs?Most open mic musicians are ready for paid work sooner than they think. Check live UK rates by role, city, and venue size.
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4 South College Street, Old Town, Edinburgh EH8 9AA
Common Questions
Seven things people ask before turning up at Edinburgh's Captain's Bar open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 20:30. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Edinburgh open mic nights for alternatives.
PA + vocal mic provided. BYO instrument and amp.
12 minutes per act — typically 3 songs solo.
Yes — free entry for performers and audience. Most Edinburgh mics are free; browse the list.
Solo and duo acts work best given the gear available; ask the host before bringing a full band.
4 South College Street, Old Town, Edinburgh EH8 9AA.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Edinburgh regulars across the Edinburgh open mic scene. Edinburgh open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
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