The Dorset has stood on the corner of Gardner Street and North Road in the heart of Brighton's North Laine since 1819, serving food, ale and wine amid the colour of the lanes. It runs regular music events — open mics and DJ nights — with live music held upstairs in the evenings, while in summer the lively crowd spills onto pedestrianised Gardner Street around banquet tables and benches. A traditional yet buzzing North Laine pub that pairs pub-classic food and Sunday roasts with an easygoing live-music and open-mic programme.
North Laine · Every Monday · Free
The Dorset Open Mic
North Laine's monday open mic.
Open mic at a glance The Dorset · Brighton
Monday
Open mic night
May 2026
Listed since
30 Jul
Last verified
Free
Entry
—
Sign-up time
Community
Listing status
Run a Brighton open mic? List it free — verified within 48 hours
Last updated: 3 June 2026
The Dorset Open Mic — Quick Facts
We need your help verifying thisWas this open mic on recently?10 seconds, no signup
The Details
Everything you need before you turn up
DayMonday
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 DorsetNorth Laine
Brighton BN1 1YB
North Laine, Brighton — 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
PA system provided
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 Brighton this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About The Dorset
About This Open Mic
Every Monday in North Laine, Brighton
Kicks off at 20:00
Free entry for performers and audience
Slot length — we’re on it, no info yet
PA provided — BYO instrument
Part of the Brighton open mic directory
The Night
The Dorset, a handsome pub on North Road that's been pouring since 1819, runs an open mic every week, all year round, right in the heart of Brighton's North Laine. It's a lively, sociable night that often tips into dancing or an end-of-evening jam, and the venue provides a full PA with jack and XLR leads so you can just turn up and plug in. Free to attend.
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 Dorset’s Monday night runs.
20:00Kick-off
23:00Venue closes
Every Monday Free entry
Find The Dorset
North Laine, Brighton BN1 1YB
Planning Your Monday Night
Arrive early to sign up for a slot. Entry is free and the open mic typically runs until late. A PA is provided — bring your own instrument and amp.
Part of the Brighton 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 Brighton's The Dorset open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at . Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Brighton open mic nights for alternatives.
PA + vocal mic provided. BYO instrument and amp.
Slot length varies — check with the host.
Yes — free entry for performers and audience. Most Brighton mics are free; browse the list.
Solo and duo acts work best given the gear available; ask the host before bringing a full band.
North Laine, Brighton BN1 1YB.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Brighton regulars across the Brighton open mic scene. Brighton open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
Keep up with Brighton
One email a week with live music near you. Free, and it keeps grassroots rooms full.
Help keep grassroots venues open in Brighton
—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 Brighton. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy.
See what’s on in Brighton over the next four weeks →
Booking or playing in Brighton? 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 Brighton?
Add yours to the directory free. 2-minute submission, verified within 48 hours. Reach 1,000+ Brighton musicians.
Looking for paid gigs, not open mics?