Chesterton · Every Tuesday · Free

The Portland Arms Open Mic

Cambridge's Tuesday-night free open mic at 129 Chesterton Road, CB4 3BA — long-running music pub, full backline, in-house engineer, 12-minute slots.

The Portland Arms Open Mic — Quick Facts

Cambridge's Tuesday-night free open mic at 129 Chesterton Road, CB4 3BA — long-running music pub, full backline, in-house engineer, 12-minute slots.

✓ Verified active Last verified Source: theportlandarms.co.uk + venue confirmation
The Details

Everything you need before you turn up

DayTuesday
Start8pm
Sign-up7:30pm walk-in
Slot length12 min
EntryFree · 18+
Capacity~150 standing
Performer typesMusic
Sound engineerIn-house, included

Where

The Portland Arms 129 Chesterton Road
Chesterton
Cambridge CB4 3BA

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 Portland Arms is Cambridge's primary independent music venue. Tuesday open mic uses the back gig room with full backline.

180 minutes, 15 acts at 12 minutes.

Sign-up process

Sheet at the bar at 7:30pm. Walk-in.

Getting there

129 Chesterton Road, CB4 3BA. 15 minutes' walk from Cambridge Rail. Buses 1, 3, 7 stop on Chesterton Road.

The venue

Pub with dedicated back gig room. 18+. Capacity ~150.

Find The Portland Arms

129 Chesterton Road, Chesterton, Cambridge CB4 3BA

Common Questions

Seven things people ask before turning up at Cambridge's The Portland Arms 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 Cambridge open mics the same week.
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”.
12 minutes per act — typically 3 songs solo or 4 for a band.
Yes — free entry for performers and audience. Most Cambridge mics are free; browse the list.
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 Cambridge.
129 Chesterton Road, Chesterton, Cambridge CB4 3BA.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Cambridge regulars who turn up across the Cambridge live music scene. Cambridge open mic crowds tend to listen attentively — this isn't a chatter-over-the-music kind of night.

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