Ruskins is a live music bar in the centre of Kendals nightlife area on Stricklandgate, serving local ales, whisky and an extensive wine list. It runs a regular programme of live performances from touring and local artists, alongside weekly jam, quiz and pool nights. Its free Wednesday Acoustic Jam Night is open to all musicians.
Town Centre · Every Wednesday · Free
Ruskins Bar Open Mic
Town Centre's wednesday open mic.
Open mic at a glance Ruskins Bar · Kendal
Wednesday
Open mic night
Aug 2026
Listed since
06 Aug
Last verified
Free
Entry
—
Sign-up time
Verified
Listing status
Run a Kendal open mic? List it free — verified within 48 hours
Last updated: 6 August 2026
Ruskins Bar Open Mic — Quick Facts
✓ Verified activeLast verified
The Details
Everything you need before you turn up
DayWednesday
Start21:00
Sign-up walk-in
Slot length–
EntryFree · all ages
Capacity–
Performer typesMusic
Sound engineerBYO / hire on the night
View on map
Where
Ruskins Bar12-14 Stricklandgate
Town Centre
Kendal LA9 4ND
Town Centre, Kendal — 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
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.
What’s on in Kendal this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About Ruskins Bar
About This Open Mic
Every Wednesday in Town Centre, Kendal
Kicks off at 21:00
Free entry for performers and audience
Slot length — we’re on it, no info yet
Gear & backline — we’re on it, no info yet
Part of the Kendal open mic directory
The Night
Free weekly Acoustic Jam Night at Ruskins Bar in central Kendal, every Wednesday from 9pm. The venue's own listing says all musicians are welcome. Ruskins also runs a second open floor night, Open Mic Night: The Sunday Edition, covering music, stand up and poetry at 8pm, but only a single Sunday date was listed at the time of checking, so its recurrence is unconfirmed.
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 Ruskins Bar’s Wednesday night runs.
21:00Kick-off
00:30Venue closes
Every Wednesday Free entry
Find Ruskins Bar
12-14 Stricklandgate, Town Centre, Kendal LA9 4ND
Planning Your Wednesday Night
Arrive early to sign up for a slot. Entry is free and the open mic typically runs until late. Bring your own gear.
Part of the Kendal 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 Kendal's Ruskins Bar open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at . Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Kendal open mic nights for alternatives.
BYO PA, mics and instruments.
Slot length varies — check with the host.
Yes — free entry for performers and audience. Most Kendal mics are free; browse the list.
Solo and duo acts work best given the gear available; ask the host before bringing a full band.
12-14 Stricklandgate, Town Centre, Kendal LA9 4ND.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Kendal regulars across the Kendal open mic scene. Kendal open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
Keep up with Kendal
One email a week with live music near you. Free, and it keeps grassroots rooms full.
Help keep grassroots venues open in Kendal
—A UK venue stops hosting live music every 5 days — and turning up is what keeps a room open. Get a free weekly email of gigs in Kendal. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy.
See what’s on in Kendal over the next four weeks →
Booking or playing in Kendal? 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.
Run an open mic in Kendal?
Add yours to the directory free. 2-minute submission, verified within 48 hours. Reach 1,000+ Kendal musicians.
Looking for paid gigs, not open mics?