The Castle Hotel Open Mic

Name: Open Mic at The Castle Hotel
Location: The Castle Hotel

The Castle Hotel Open Mic — Quick Facts

Northern Quarter's Tuesday-night free open mic at 66 Oldham Street, M4 1LE — back-room stage, full backline, in-house engineer, 12-minute slots.

✓ Verified active Last verified 28 Apr 2026 Source: thecastlehotel.info + venue confirmation

The Details

Everything you need before you turn up

DayTuesday

Start8pm

Sign-up7:30pm walk-in

Slot length12 min

EntryFree · 18+

Capacity~120 standing

Performer typesMusic

Sound engineerIn-house, included

Where

The Castle Hotel 66 Oldham Street
Northern Quarter
Manchester M4 1LE

Contact

Walk-in sign-up only
No advance booking
Host: in-house team

Highlights

Free entry

Full backlineIn-house engineer

Music18+Walk-in

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

PA + monitors

Drum kit

Guitar amp

Bass amp

Keys / keyboard

3 vocal mics

In-house engineer

The Castle Hotel is one of the Northern Quarter's most-loved music pubs. The back room is a dedicated gig space with a proper stage, drum kit and engineer — not just a corner with a PA.

180 minutes, 15 acts at 12 minutes. Manchester's open-mic scene is competitive and the standard here is consistently high. Expect a mix of solo songwriters, duos, and short full-band sets.

Sign-up process

Sheet at the back-room bar at 7:30pm. Walk-in only — first 12 confirmed, last 3 conditional.

Getting there

66 Oldham Street, M4 1LE. 5 minutes from Manchester Piccadilly. Free city-centre buses (1, 2, 3) stop on Oldham Street.

The venue

Front bar (real ale focus) and a separate back room for music. 18+. Capacity ~120 in the back room. Pub food until 9pm; cask selection is one of the city's best.

Common Questions

Seven things people ask before turning up at Manchester's The Castle Hotel open mic.

How do I sign up to play at The Castle Hotel open mic?

Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 7:30pm. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. Backup options if you don't get on: other Manchester open mics the same week.

What backline does The Castle Hotel provide?

Full backline: drum kit, guitar amp, bass amp, vocal mics, plus an in-house sound engineer. Bring your own instrument and pedals. Want a similar setup elsewhere? Filter the open mic directory by “Full backline”.

How long is a slot at The Castle Hotel open mic?

12 minutes per act — typically 3 songs solo or 4 for a band.

Is The Castle Hotel open mic free?

Yes — free entry for performers and audience. Most Manchester mics are free; browse the list.

Can I bring a band to The Castle Hotel open mic?

Yes — full bands welcome and the backline is set up for it. Once you've played a few of these, see our guide on how to get paid gigs in Manchester.

Where is The Castle Hotel?

66 Oldham Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester M4 1LE.

What's the audience like on a Tuesday night?

Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Manchester regulars who turn up across the Manchester live music scene. Manchester open mic crowds tend to listen attentively — this isn't a chatter-over-the-music kind of night.