1381 Open Mics72 UK Cities99% Free EntryMusic · Comedy · PoetryUpdated
The most comprehensive UK open mic directory: every night searchable by city, day of the week, entry fee, backline, and performer type. We re-verify London, Manchester, Glasgow and Bristol monthly, every other city quarterly — closed nights are removed within 7 days of a reader report.
1381 weekly open mics tracked across 72 cities from London to Middlesbrough
99% free entry for performers and audience · 1 charge £2-£5
Use the Browse by City grid to jump to your city, or the Browse by Day filter to see what's on tonight. Every listing shows the venue, sign-up time, slot length and backline. The directory covers 200+ weekly nights across 30+ UK cities — or browse by region: London, Manchester, Bristol, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Brighton.
About 92% of UK open mics are free for both performers and audience. A small minority charge £2-£5 entry, usually when there's a feature act or a prize pot. Each listing on this page is tagged Free or Paid so you can filter before you travel.
Backline varies. Around 60% provide a PA and at least one vocal mic; about 35% have a full backline (drum kit, guitar amp, bass amp). Bring your own instrument and any pedals. Every listing breaks down exactly what's on stage — click "Full backline" above to filter to those venues only.
Most UK open mics use walk-in sign-up on the night, typically 30-60 minutes before the music starts. A growing minority use online sign-up via the venue's website or social media. Slots are usually 10-15 minutes or 2-3 songs. Arrive early — popular nights fill up fast. New to gigging? Read our guide on how to get your first paid gigs after a few open mic nights.
Yes — submission is free and takes 2 minutes. Use the Submit form linked from the top of the page. We review every submission within 48 hours, verify the venue is real, and add it to your city. If you run a venue, you can also claim and edit your listing once it's live — or browse the wider GigXchange platform for paid bookings via our venue tools.
Open mics are typically walk-in, free, 10-15 minute slots — great for testing material and meeting promoters. Paid gigs are booked in advance, last 30+ minutes, and require a press pack or showreel. After a few open mics, performers usually progress to support slots, then headline gigs. See our city-by-city booking guides for what venues actually pay.
We re-verify every listing at least once a quarter and re-check popular cities (London, Manchester, Glasgow, Bristol) monthly. Closed nights are removed within 7 days of a reader report. The 'Last verified' badge on each listing tells you exactly when it was last checked.
Run an open mic? List it free.
2-minute form. We verify within 48 hours. Reach 1,000+ UK musicians, comedians and poets actively looking for stage time.
