The Cock Tavern is a traditional High Street pub in Chipping Ongar that has been refurbished under new management, serving real ales and home-cooked food. It hosts The Acoustic Jukebox open mic on the second Thursday of each month, with PA and mics provided and a house guitarist on hand to back most songs. Under-18s are welcome to perform before 9pm, making it a friendly, family-inclusive grassroots night.
Chipping Ongar · Every 2nd Thursday of the month · No fee listed
The Cock Tavern Open Mic
Chipping Ongar's Acoustic Jukbox Open Mic on the second Thursday of each month at 218 High Street, CM5 9AB.
Next night: Thu 10 Dec. Kick-off 20:00, sign-up from 19:30. 12-minute slots. No fee listed.
Nearby open micsUpdated 13 November 2026
At a glance
Checked 30 Sept 202620:00
Kick-off
Thursdays
sign-up from 19:30Thursdays
| Night | Every 2nd Thursday of the month |
| Sign-up | 19:30 walk-in |
| Slot | 12 min |
| Entry | No fee listed · all ages |
| Backline | PA provided |
01 — Inside the room
4 photosPhotos: Google
212
page views on GigXchange. Is it your night?
0 members voted to bring the venue onto GigXchange02 — The details
Before you goEverything you need to know
0
Member votes
votes to get this venue on GigXchange
| Capacity | c. 50 standing |
| Performer types | Musicians |
The check
| Status | Verified running |
| Last checked | 30 Sept 2026 |
| Checked against | Music directory |
03 — The night
Every 2nd Thursday of the monthHow the night runs
20:00
Kick-off
ThursdaysRunning order
19:30 Sign-up· Walk-in
20:00 Kick-off· 12-minute slots
22:30 Last songs
23:00 Venue closes
04 — Find The Cock Tavern
Town CentreGetting there
218 High Street,
Town Centre, Chipping Ongar CM5 9AB
Town Centre, Chipping Ongar CM5 9AB
05 — What's on stage
2 provided · 5 TBC| PA system | Provided |
| Drum kit | TBC |
| Guitar amp | TBC |
| Bass amp | TBC |
| Keys / keyboard | TBC |
| 2 vocal mics | Provided |
| In-house engineer | TBC |
06 — About
Town Centre, Chipping OngarAbout the night
The Cock Tavern, a traditional real-ale pub on Chipping Ongar's High Street, hosts the Acoustic Jukebox Open Mic on the second Thursday of every month, 8pm till 10:30pm. There's a lovely twist that sets it apart: a resident guitarist is on hand who can accompany pretty much any song you'd like to sing, so even singers without an instrument can take the stage (message ahead if you want an accompanist). PA and mics are provided, and under-18s are welcome to perform before 9pm, making it one of the more family-friendly mics in rural Essex.
The Cock Tavern is a traditional High Street pub in Chipping Ongar that has been refurbished under new management, serving real ales and home-cooked food. It hosts The Acoustic Jukebox open mic on the second Thursday of each month, with PA and mics provided and a house guitarist on hand to back most songs. Under-18s are welcome to perform before 9pm, making it a friendly, family-inclusive grassroots night.
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Town Centre · Every 2nd Thursday of the month
The Cock Tavern Open Mic
Chipping Ongar's Acoustic Jukbox Open Mic on the second Thursday of each month at 218 High Street, CM5 9AB.
- Thursday
- Open mic night
- May 2026
- Listed since
- 30 Sept
- Last verified
- No fee
- Entry
- 12 min
- Slot length
- Verified
- Listing status
Run a Chipping Ongar open mic? List it free — reviewed before it goes live
Last updated: 13 November 2026
The Cock Tavern Open Mic — Quick Facts
The Cock Tavern Open Mic runs on the 2nd Thursday of the month at The Cock Tavern in Chipping Ongar, starting at 20:00 with sign-up from 19:30. Below: when it runs, sign-up and slots, the stage kit and how to get there.
Open mic status Last verified 30 Sept 2026
How sure we are
Verified active
Checked against the venue’s own listing See The Cock Tavern’s venue page →
Music starts around 20:00, finishing about 22:30. Sign-up is on the night from 19:30 - get there early to get a slot. Slots run about 12 minutes - room for roughly 12 acts. A PA is listed; check what else is on stage before you bring a band.
Next nightThu 10 Dec · 20:00Starts in 27d 12h 19m
AgeAll ages
Sign-upWalk-in on the night
Capacityc. 50 standing
BacklinePA provided
Sound engineerAsk the venue
Directory statusVerified active
Member votes0 to get the venue on GigXchange
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. We review corrections within 7 days.
NightThursdayEvery 2nd Thursday of the monthNext: Thu 10 Dec
Starts20:00until 22:30
Sign-up19:30Walk-in
Slots12minutes eachRoom for about 12 acts
What’s on in Chipping Ongar this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About This Open Mic
The Cock Tavern, a traditional real-ale pub on Chipping Ongar's High Street, hosts the Acoustic Jukebox Open Mic on the second Thursday of every month, 8pm till 10:30pm. There's a lovely twist that sets it apart: a resident guitarist is on hand who can accompany pretty much any song you'd like to sing, so even singers without an instrument can take the stage (message ahead if you want an accompanist). PA and mics are provided, and under-18s are welcome to perform before 9pm, making it one of the more family-friendly mics in rural Essex.
What's on stage — equipment and backline at this venue, verified regularly.
PA systemProvided
Drum kitTBC
Guitar ampTBC
Bass ampTBC
Keys / keyboardTBC
2 vocal micsProvided
In-house engineerTBC
The Night at a Glance
How The Cock Tavern’s Thursday night runs.
Next nightThu 10 Dec · 20:00Starts in 27d 12h 19m
Sign-up opens19:30Walk-in on the night
Kick-off20:00Every 2nd Thursday of the month
Music ends22:30Last act finishes
Venue closes23:00The listed closing time
Slots12minutes eachroom for about 12 acts
How often
Every 2nd Thursday of the month
Coming up
Thu 10 Dec · Thu 14 Jan · Thu 11 Feb
Kit
The Cock Tavern provides a PA system and 2 vocal mics — check the rest with the venue.
First time here?
Get there by 19:30 for a slot, have your instrument tuned before your turn and keep to about 12 minutes.
Find The Cock Tavern
218 High Street, Town Centre, Chipping Ongar CM5 9AB
Address218 High Street
AreaTown Centre, Chipping Ongar
PostcodeCM5 9AB
DirectionsOpen in Google Maps →
Getting there
The Cock Tavern is in Town Centre, Chipping Ongar — use CM5 9AB for sat-nav, taxis and ride apps. Check the venue's website for parking and the nearest station before you set off.
Open mics nearby
Planning Your Thursday Night
Be there by 19:30 to put your name down. The open mic runs until about 22:30. The Cock Tavern provides a PA system and 2 vocal mics — check the rest with the venue.
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Common Questions
8 questions people ask before going to Chipping Ongar's The Cock Tavern open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 19:30. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Chipping Ongar open mic nights for alternatives.
The Cock Tavern provides a PA system and 2 vocal mics — check the rest with the venue.
12 minutes per act — typically 3 songs solo.
No entry fee is listed for The Cock Tavern's open mic - most open mics are free to play and to watch, but check with the venue before you go. Browse Chipping Ongar open mics.
Ask the host before bringing a full band — solo and duo acts are the usual open-mic format.
218 High Street, Town Centre, Chipping Ongar CM5 9AB.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Chipping Ongar regulars across the Chipping Ongar open mic scene. Chipping Ongar open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
Sign-up is walk-in on the night, from 19:30, so you do not need to book ahead. GigXchange doesn't publish venue phone numbers or emails. Browse other Chipping Ongar open mics.
Venues Near The Cock Tavern
No other gigs are listed at The Cock Tavern in the GigXchange directory yet — these are the rooms around it, their size, kit and live nights.
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See what’s on in Chipping Ongar over the next four weeks →
The Cock Tavern open mic in brief. The Cock Tavern open mic runs every 2nd Thursday of the month from 20:00 (no fee listed); sign-up opens 19:30 and slots run about 12 minutes. Coming back with a full band? The Cock Tavern’s venue page has its kit and capacity listed. For a different night this week, the open mics near Chipping Ongar are listed by day.
Booking or playing in Chipping Ongar? 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.
09 — More Chipping Ongar open mics
All ›After paid gigs rather than open mics? See Chipping Ongar gigs or check the going rate.
10 — Venues near The Cock Tavern
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