The Old Duke is a world-famous traditional and New Orleans jazz pub on cobbled King Street in Bristol's Old City (45 King Street, BS1 4ER), housed in one of the city's oldest buildings (c.1775) and named after Duke Ellington. It stages live music every single night — jazz classics Mondays, Fridays and Sunday lunchtimes, weekend showcases on Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening, and midweek roots, blues, funk and modern soul Tuesday through Thursday — and hosts an annual Jazz Festival over the August bank holiday. With roughly 120 capacity, a full backline including piano and an in-house engineer, it's a true musicians' room. Entry is always free; a hat goes round for the band.
Old City · Every Tuesday · Free
The Old Duke Open Mic
Bristol's Monday-night free jazz open mic at 45 King Street, BS1 4ER — historic jazz pub, full backline including piano, 12-minute slots.
Open mic at a glance The Old Duke · Bristol
Tuesday
Open mic night
Apr 2026
Listed since
03 Jun
Last verified
Free
Entry
12 min
Slot length
Verified
Listing status
Run a Bristol open mic? List it free — verified within 48 hours
Last updated: 3 June 2026
The Old Duke Open Mic — Quick Facts
Bristol's Monday-night free jazz open mic at 45 King Street, BS1 4ER — historic jazz pub, full backline including piano, 12-minute slots.
✓ Verified activeLast verified
The Details
Everything you need before you turn up
DayTuesday
Start21:30
Sign-up20:30 walk-in
Slot length12 min
EntryFree · 18+
Capacityc. 120 standing
Performer typesMusic
Sound engineerIn-house, included
View on map
Where
The Old Duke45 King Street
Old City
Bristol BS1 4ER
Old City, Bristol — check venue website for parking and nearest station.
Highlights
Free entry for all
Full backline on stage
In-house sound engineer
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.
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About The Old Duke
About This Open Mic
Every Tuesday in Old City, Bristol
Kicks off at 21:30, sign-up from 20:30
Free entry for performers and audience
12-minute slots
Full backline on stage
Part of the Bristol open mic directory
The Night
The Old Duke is Bristol's legendary jazz and blues pub on King Street, with live music every single night since the 1950s. The open mic is on Tuesdays — not the trad-jazz Mondays — hosted by resident blues artist Eddie Martin, running roughly 9.30pm to 11.30pm. Admission is always free and every performer gets a free drink, so just arrive early and add your name to the list. Expect a friendly, blues-leaning room with a proper stage and decades of musical history in the walls.
What's on stage — equipment and backline at this venue, verified regularly.
PA + monitors
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
3 vocal mics
In-house engineer
The Night at a Glance
How The Old Duke’s Tuesday night runs.
20:30Sign-up
21:30Kick-off
23:30Last songs
00:00Venue closes
Every Tuesday 12-min slots Free entry
Find The Old Duke
45 King Street, Old City, Bristol BS1 4ER
Planning Your Tuesday Night
Arrive by 20:30 to sign up for a slot. Entry is free and the open mic typically runs until 23:30. Full backline is provided — just bring your instrument and pedals.
Part of the Bristol live music scene.
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Try the Rate CalculatorCommon Questions
Seven things people ask before turning up at Bristol's The Old Duke open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 20:30. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Bristol open mic nights for alternatives.
Full backline: drum kit, guitar amp, bass amp, vocal mics, plus an in-house sound engineer. Bring your own instrument and pedals.
12 minutes per act — typically 3 songs solo.
Yes — free entry for performers and audience. Most Bristol mics are free; browse the list.
Yes — full bands welcome and the backline is set up for it.
45 King Street, Old City, Bristol BS1 4ER.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Bristol regulars across the Bristol open mic scene. Bristol open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
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