The Castle is a 19th-century, family-run traditional inn at 17 Newnham Street in the Castle Quay quarter of Bedford (MK40 3JR), close to the River Ouse and the Cecil Higgins Museum. It runs an open-mic night every Monday, monthly Irish folk sessions and live music most weekends, alongside home-cooked food, traditional Sunday roasts and six regularly changing cask ales. There's an enclosed courtyard for summer and five en-suite guest rooms named after British castles. A welcoming PA-equipped pub stage for Bedford's folk, acoustic and covers performers.
17 Newnham St · Every Monday · Free
The Castle Open Mic
Bedford open mic at The Castle — listed on Google Places. Schedule details below are pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
Open mic at a glance The Castle · Bedford
Monday
Open mic night
Apr 2026
Listed since
03 Jun
Last verified
Free
Entry
12 min
Slot length
Verified
Listing status
Run a Bedford open mic? List it free — verified within 48 hours
Last updated: 3 June 2026
The Castle Open Mic — Quick Facts
Bedford open mic at The Castle — listed on Google Places. Schedule details below are pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
✓ Verified activeLast verified
The Details
Everything you need before you turn up
DayMonday
Start19:30
Sign-up19:30 walk-in
Slot length12 min
EntryFree · 18+
Capacity–
Performer typesMusic
Sound engineerBYO / hire on the night
View on map
Where
The CastleThe Castle, 17 Newnham St
17 Newnham St
Bedford MK40 3JR
17 Newnham St, Bedford — check venue website for parking and nearest station.
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.
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About The Castle
About This Open Mic
Every Monday in 17 Newnham St, Bedford
Kicks off at 19:30
Free entry for performers and audience
12-minute slots
PA provided — BYO instrument
Part of the Bedford open mic directory
The Night
The Castle is a friendly real-ale pub on Newnham Street in Bedford that runs one of Bedfordshire's best-regarded open mics every Monday, hosted by local talent and roughly 8:30pm to 11pm. The room's acoustics suit acoustic acts beautifully and it has a warm, community feel. Free to play — turn up, sign on and enjoy a proper local night.
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 Castle’s Monday night runs.
19:30Sign-up
19:30Kick-off
23:00Last songs
Every Monday 12-min slots Free entry
Find The Castle
The Castle, 17 Newnham St, 17 Newnham St, Bedford MK40 3JR
Planning Your Monday Night
Arrive by 19:30 to sign up for a slot. Entry is free and the open mic typically runs until 23:00. A PA is provided — bring your own instrument and amp.
Part of the Bedford live music scene.
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Try the Rate CalculatorCommon Questions
Seven things people ask before turning up at Bedford's The Castle open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 19:30. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Bedford 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 Bedford mics are free; browse the list.
Solo and duo acts work best given the gear available; ask the host before bringing a full band.
The Castle, 17 Newnham St, 17 Newnham St, Bedford MK40 3JR.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Bedford regulars across the Bedford open mic scene. Bedford open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
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