The Fifth Hants Volunteer Arms is a traditional two-bar street-corner local on Albert Road (74, PO5 2SL) in Southsea, Portsmouth — at the junction with Napier Road, and the founding home of the local CAMRA branch. Known for its cask ales, pub food, jukebox and darts, both bars have bare wooden floorboards and the public bar now hosts regular live music, making the pub a social hub of the Albert Road community. It books bands regularly and welcomes both original acts and covers, with a PA in place for performers.
Southsea, Portsmouth · Every Sunday · Free
The Fifth Hants Volunteer Arms Open Mic
Portsmouth open mic at The Fifth Hants Volunteer Arms — listed on Google Places. Schedule below pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
Open mic at a glance The Fifth Hants Volunteer Arms · Southsea
Sunday
Open mic night
Apr 2026
Listed since
06 Sept
Last verified
Free
Entry
12 min
Slot length
Closed
Listing status
Run a Southsea open mic? List it free — verified within 48 hours
Last updated: 3 June 2026
The Fifth Hants Volunteer Arms Open Mic — Quick Facts
Portsmouth open mic at The Fifth Hants Volunteer Arms — listed on Google Places. Schedule below pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
We’ve marked this as closedSeen it running recently?Checked · 10 seconds, no signup
The Details
Everything you need before you turn up
DaySunday
Start17:00
Sign-up19:30 walk-in
Slot length12 min
EntryFree · 18+
Capacity–
Performer typesMusic
Sound engineerBYO / hire on the night
View on map
Where
The Fifth Hants Volunteer Arms74 Albert Rd, Southsea, Portsmouth
Southsea, Portsmouth
Southsea PO5 2SL
Southsea, Portsmouth, Southsea — 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.
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About The Fifth Hants Volunteer Arms
About This Open Mic
Every Sunday in Southsea, Portsmouth, Southsea
Kicks off at 17:00, sign-up from 19:30
Free entry for performers and audience
12-minute slots
PA provided — BYO instrument
Part of the Southsea open mic directory
The Night
The Fifth Hants Volunteer Arms is a two-bar street-corner local on Albert Road in Southsea - the pub where the local CAMRA branch was founded - whose public bar hosted regular live music. Its open mic ran every Sunday from 5pm to 8pm, free to play and free to watch, with acoustic, rock, blues, folk, jazz and rap acts all welcome.
Current status
The pub closed suddenly in August 2026 and is being marketed for a new landlord (CAMRA, 9 August 2026 - Portsmouth News). The open mic is not running while the pub is shut. We keep the listing live because the Fifth Hants has reopened before - it changed hands in January 2025 and reopened under new management on 4 April 2025 - and we will update this page as soon as a new operator restarts it.
Getting there
74 Albert Road, Southsea, Portsmouth PO5 2SL - a short walk from Fratton station.
What's on stage — equipment and backline at this venue, verified regularly.
PA + monitors
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
Vocal mics
In-house engineer
The Night at a Glance
How The Fifth Hants Volunteer Arms’s Sunday night runs.
19:30Sign-up
17:00Kick-off
20:00Last songs
02:00Venue closes
Every Sunday 12-min slots Free entry
Find The Fifth Hants Volunteer Arms
74 Albert Rd, Southsea, Portsmouth, Southsea, Portsmouth, Southsea PO5 2SL
Planning Your Sunday Night
Arrive by 19:30 to sign up for a slot. Entry is free and the open mic typically runs until 20:00. A PA is provided — bring your own instrument and amp.
Part of the Southsea 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 CalculatorCommon Questions
Seven things people ask before turning up at Southsea's The Fifth Hants Volunteer Arms open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 19:30. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Southsea 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 Southsea mics are free; browse the list.
Solo and duo acts work best given the gear available; ask the host before bringing a full band.
74 Albert Rd, Southsea, Portsmouth, Southsea, Portsmouth, Southsea PO5 2SL.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Southsea regulars across the Southsea open mic scene. Southsea open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
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