Every Sunday in Sailortown, Belfast
Kicks off at 19:00, sign-up from 20:30
Free entry for performers and audience
12-minute slots
PA provided — BYO instrument
Part of the Belfast open mic directory
Sailortown · Every Sunday · Free
The American Bar Open Mic
Belfast's Wednesday-night free folk open mic at 67-69 Dock Street, BT15 1HW — historic dockside pub, PA + guitar amp, 12-minute slots.
Open mic at a glance The American Bar · Belfast
Sunday
Open mic night
Apr 2026
Listed since
03 Jun
Last verified
Free
Entry
12 min
Slot length
Verified
Listing status
Last updated: 19 Jun 2026
The American Bar Open Mic — Quick Facts
Belfast's Wednesday-night free folk open mic at 67-69 Dock Street, BT15 1HW — historic dockside pub, PA + guitar amp, 12-minute slots.
The Details
Everything you need before you turn up
DaySunday
Start19:00
Sign-up20:30 walk-in
Slot length12 min
EntryFree · 18+
Capacity~70 standing
Performer typesMusic · Folk
Sound engineerBYO / hire on the night
Where
The American Bar67-69 Dock Street
Sailortown
Belfast BT15 1HW
Sailortown, Belfast — 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, Folk 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
The American Bar is a historic dockside pub in Sailortown, Belfast, and a genuine grassroots music hub on the Maritime Mile. Its weekly open mic runs every Sunday from 7pm in the cosy upstairs room, hosted by guitar maestro David Browne Murray — covers and originals both welcome. The bar also runs a monthly poetry open mic ('Invited To The Mic', first Thursday at 7pm) plus regular folk and trad sessions, so there's a stage going most weeks.
Sign-up process
Turn up and put your name down on the night.
Getting there
67-69 Dock Street, Belfast BT15 1HW.
About The American Bar
The American Bar has stood on the corner of Dock Street in historic Sailortown, Belfast (BT15 1HW) since 1860 — a former dockers' and sailors' bar that is now one of the city's best-loved grassroots music venues, with a standing capacity of around 50. It bills itself as a bar for artists and musicians, weirdos and outcasts, workers, poets and dog walkers, and since 2021 has been home to The Grateful Bread bakery. The music runs deep across the week: a free Wednesday-night folk open mic with 12-minute slots, Thursday folk nights, Friday open-mic sessions and Saturday-afternoon blues. A PA and vocal mics are provided; performers bring their own instruments and amps. A characterful, fiercely independent home for folk, blues and trad in Belfast.
Planning Your Sunday Night
Arrive by 20:30 to sign up for a slot. Entry is free and the open mic typically runs until 00:00. A PA is provided — bring your own instrument and amp.
Part of the Belfast 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.
Try the Rate CalculatorFind The American Bar
67-69 Dock Street, Sailortown, Belfast BT15 1HW
Common Questions
Seven things people ask before turning up at Belfast's The American Bar open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 20:30. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Belfast 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 Belfast mics are free; browse the list.
Solo and duo acts work best given the gear available; ask the host before bringing a full band.
67-69 Dock Street, Sailortown, Belfast BT15 1HW.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Belfast regulars across the Belfast open mic scene. Belfast open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
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