The Cellar Bar occupies a historic cellar space beneath Bedford's High Street (75 High St, MK40 1NE), directly opposite the Faces Monument, carefully refurbished to blend original architectural features with modern design. It's an underground live-music venue and cocktail bar — a fabulous location for intimate gigs, expertly mixed drinks and a buzzing late-night atmosphere, with a rotating selection of premium craft beers and guest ales. The programme is busy and varied: regular free and low-cost ticketed events spanning karaoke, comedy, drag, tribute and original acts, plus separate adult and under-18 open-mic sessions showcasing mixed-genre live music from both local Bedford musicians and visiting players. An in-house PA supports both originals and covers.
Bedford · Every Sunday · No fee listed
Weekly open mic night in Bedford with full backline provided.
Next night: Sun 15 Nov. Kick-off 19:30, sign-up from 19:00. 10-minute slots. No fee listed.
Nearby open micsUpdated 13 November 2026
Sundays
| Night | Every Sunday |
| Sign-up | 19:00 walk-in |
| Slot | 10 min |
| Entry | No fee listed · 18+ |
| Backline | PA provided |
| Capacity | – |
| Performer types | Musicians |
| Website | thecellarbarbedford.co.uk |
| Status | Verified running |
| Last checked | 18 Oct 2026 |
| Checked against | Venue website |
Bedford MK40 1NE
The nearest station is Bedford St Johns (rail station), about 15 minutes' walk away.
| PA system | Provided |
| Drum kit | Provided |
| Guitar amp | Provided |
| Bass amp | Provided |
| Keys / keyboard | Bring your own |
| 2 vocal mics | Provided |
| In-house engineer | TBC |
The Cellar Bar at 75 High Street is a dedicated live music bar in the middle of Bedford, and its open session these days is Jam Night, every Sunday from 7:30pm to 10:30pm. All musicians are welcome to get up and play, and the kit is a proper step up from most pub nights: the bar has a PA, a full backline and drums, plus house bass and guitar you can use, so you can travel light. The old Wednesday open mic no longer appears in the bar's listings, which now run Jam Night on Sundays and karaoke on Thursdays (9pm to 1am). The bar has also run a Junior Open Mic for young musicians on occasional Sunday afternoons (5pm to 7:30pm, with the same PA, backline, drum kit and house guitars); none was listed for late 2026 when we checked, so keep an eye on the Cellar Bar's what's-on page. Under-18s are welcome in the bar until 9pm.
The Cellar Bar occupies a historic cellar space beneath Bedford's High Street (75 High St, MK40 1NE), directly opposite the Faces Monument, carefully refurbished to blend original architectural features with modern design. It's an underground live-music venue and cocktail bar — a fabulous location for intimate gigs, expertly mixed drinks and a buzzing late-night atmosphere, with a rotating selection of premium craft beers and guest ales. The programme is busy and varied: regular free and low-cost ticketed events spanning karaoke, comedy, drag, tribute and original acts, plus separate adult and under-18 open-mic sessions showcasing mixed-genre live music from both local Bedford musicians and visiting players. An in-house PA supports both originals and covers.
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The Cellar Bar Open Mic
Weekly open mic night in Bedford with full backline provided. Starts at 19:30.
- Sunday
- Open mic night
- May 2026
- Listed since
- 18 Oct
- Last verified
- No fee
- Entry
- 10 min
- Slot length
- Verified
- Listing status
Last updated: 13 November 2026
The Cellar Bar Open Mic — Quick Facts
The Cellar Bar Open Mic runs on Sundays at The Cellar Bar in Bedford, starting at 19:30 with sign-up from 19:00. Weekly open mic night in Bedford with full backline provided. Below: when it runs, sign-up and slots, the stage kit and how to get there.
Music starts around 19:30, finishing about 22:30. Sign-up is on the night from 19:00 - get there early to get a slot. Slots run about 10 minutes - room for roughly 18 acts. There is a PA listed - ask what else is on stage before you load in.
What’s on in Bedford this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About This Open Mic
The Cellar Bar at 75 High Street is a dedicated live music bar in the middle of Bedford, and its open session these days is Jam Night, every Sunday from 7:30pm to 10:30pm. All musicians are welcome to get up and play, and the kit is a proper step up from most pub nights: the bar has a PA, a full backline and drums, plus house bass and guitar you can use, so you can travel light. The old Wednesday open mic no longer appears in the bar's listings, which now run Jam Night on Sundays and karaoke on Thursdays (9pm to 1am). The bar has also run a Junior Open Mic for young musicians on occasional Sunday afternoons (5pm to 7:30pm, with the same PA, backline, drum kit and house guitars); none was listed for late 2026 when we checked, so keep an eye on the Cellar Bar's what's-on page. Under-18s are welcome in the bar until 9pm.
Equipment and backline at this venue — what's on stage, verified regularly.
The Night at a Glance
How The Cellar Bar’s Sunday night runs.
Every Sunday
Sun 15 Nov · Sun 22 Nov · Sun 29 Nov
The Cellar Bar provides a PA system, 2 vocal mics, a drum kit, a guitar amp and a bass amp; bring your own keys — check the rest with the venue.
Get there by 19:00 for a slot, have your instrument tuned before your turn and keep to about 10 minutes.
Find The Cellar Bar
75 High St, Bedford MK40 1NE
The nearest station is Bedford St Johns (rail station), about 15 minutes' walk away. The Cellar Bar is in Bedford — use MK40 1NE for sat-nav, taxis and ride apps. Check the venue's website for parking and the nearest station before you set off.
Brewpoint Taproom & Brewery, The Castle, The Wellington Arms and The Eagle Bookshop
Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport (Open Government Licence).
Planning Your Sunday Night
Get there by 19:00 to sign up for a slot. The open mic runs until about 22:30. The Cellar Bar provides a PA system, 2 vocal mics, a drum kit, a guitar amp and a bass amp; bring your own keys — check the rest with the venue.
What should you charge for paid gigs? Most open mic musicians are ready sooner than they think — try the Rate Calculator for live UK rates by role, city and venue size. In the wider Bedford live music scene.
Common Questions
9 things people want to know before Bedford's The Cellar Bar open mic.
Venues Near The Cellar Bar
No other gigs are listed at The Cellar Bar in the GigXchange directory yet — these are the rooms around it, their size, kit and live nights.
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The Cellar Bar open mic in brief. The Cellar Bar open mic runs every Sunday from 19:30 (no fee listed); sign-up opens 19:00 and slots run about 10 minutes. Coming back with a full band? The Cellar Bar’s venue page has its kit and capacity listed. For a different night this week, the open mics near Bedford are listed by day.
Booking or playing in Bedford? The GX Index publishes what UK gigs actually pay, by city, band size and venue type, and the GX Index reports set out the methodology and the sample behind every figure. Both are free to read and free to cite.
Keep exploring: the UK gig directory for what's coming up, the venue directory for rooms that book live music, the open mic finder for recurring stage time, and what's on across the UK this week. The blog covers pricing, contracts and getting booked, and about GigXchange explains who runs it and why. Something not right on this page? Tell us — or start on the home page.
Looking for paid gigs, not open mics? See Bedford gigs or check the going rate.
More rooms near The Cellar Bar: The Wellington Arms, Bedford Corn Exchange, Esquires Bedford, St John's Arms, The Bedford Arms, The Castle, The Flower Pot and The Rufus Centre.
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