The Jailor's Barrel (formerly The Robert Gillow) sits at 64 Market Street in Lancaster, Lancashire, a short walk from the railway station. Converted from a retail unit in 2007 — keeping its big curved shopfront windows — and refurbished in contemporary style in 2016, it offers a wide range of quality cask ales, lagers, wines and spirits, plus a quiet upstairs room open to the public. Live music is a regular fixture: bands on Friday nights showcasing local talent, an open-mic on the first Thursday of each month, and folk, blues and jazz nights, alongside a monthly comedy night and weekly quiz. With a small standing capacity of around 80, it's a welcoming grassroots Lancaster stage for original acts and covers alike.
64 Market Street · Every 1st Thursday of the month · Free
The Jailor's Barrel Open Mic
64 Market Street's thursday open mic.
Open mic at a glance The Jailor's Barrel · Lancaster
Thursday
Open mic night
May 2026
Listed since
29 Jul
Last verified
Free
Entry
—
Sign-up time
Verified
Listing status
Run a Lancaster open mic? List it free — verified within 48 hours
Last updated: 29 July 2026
The Jailor's Barrel Open Mic — Quick Facts
✓ Verified activeLast verified
The Details
Everything you need before you turn up
DayThursday
Start20:00
Sign-up walk-in
Slot length–
EntryFree · all ages
Capacity–
Performer typesMusic
Sound engineerBYO / hire on the night
View on map
Where
The Jailor's Barrel64 Market Street
Lancaster
64 Market Street, Lancaster — 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 Lancaster this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About The Jailor's Barrel
About This Open Mic
Every 1st Thursday of the month in 64 Market Street, Lancaster
Kicks off at 20:00
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 Lancaster open mic directory
The Night
The Jailor's Barrel is a contemporary bar on Market Street in the centre of Lancaster (a former shop with grand curved windows), and it runs an open mic on the first Thursday of every month. It's part of a friendly local-talent music programme that also includes live bands on Friday nights and a monthly comedy club. Free to come along and play. The exact start time isn't published, so check ahead — but turn up early to be sure of a slot.
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 Jailor's Barrel’s Thursday night runs.
20:00Kick-off
23:00Venue closes
Every 1st Thursday of the month Free entry
Find The Jailor's Barrel
64 Market Street, Lancaster
Planning Your Thursday 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 Lancaster 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 Lancaster's The Jailor's Barrel open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at . Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Lancaster 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 Lancaster mics are free; browse the list.
Solo and duo acts work best given the gear available; ask the host before bringing a full band.
64 Market Street, Lancaster.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Lancaster regulars across the Lancaster open mic scene. Lancaster open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
Keep up with Lancaster
One email a week with live music near you. Free, and it keeps grassroots rooms full.
Help keep grassroots venues open in Lancaster
—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 Lancaster. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy.
See what’s on in Lancaster over the next four weeks →
Booking or playing in Lancaster? 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 Lancaster?
Add yours to the directory free. 2-minute submission, verified within 48 hours. Reach 1,000+ Lancaster musicians.
Looking for paid gigs, not open mics?