The Emperor is a friendly real-ale pub on Hills Road in Cambridge, within easy walking distance of the railway station and the city centre. It pairs cask and keg beers with a modern Latin American tapas menu, plus darts, a pool table, board games and giant Jenga. Music is a regular fixture: live bands play at the weekend, Thursday evenings host an open-mic session from 8.30pm, and alternate-month Wednesdays bring comedy nights. The upstairs function room — available for hire and used for gigs — holds 40-45 seated or 65-70 standing, giving an intimate, well-sized stage room for grassroots acts.
Cambridge · Every Thursday · No fee listed
The Emperor Open Mic
21 Hills Road's thursday open mic.
Next night: Thu 19 Nov. Kick-off 20:30. No fee listed.
Nearby open micsUpdated 13 November 2026
At a glance
Checked 17 Oct 202620:30
Kick-off
Thursdays
sign-up on the nightThursdays
| Night | Every Thursday |
| Sign-up | Walk-in |
| Slot | Ask the host |
| Entry | No fee listed · all ages |
| Backline | PA provided |
01 — Inside the room
4 photosPhotos: Google
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0 members voted to bring the venue onto GigXchange02 — The details
Before you goEverything you need to know
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| Capacity | – |
| Performer types | Musicians |
The check
| Status | Being verified |
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03 — The night
Every ThursdayHow the night runs
20:30
Kick-off
ThursdaysRunning order
20:30 Kick-off
23:00 Venue closes
04 — Find The Emperor
21 Hills RoadGetting there
21 Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 1NW
The nearest station is Cambridge (rail station), about 10 minutes' walk away.
05 — What's on stage
1 provided · 6 TBC| PA system | Provided |
| Drum kit | TBC |
| Guitar amp | TBC |
| Bass amp | TBC |
| Keys / keyboard | TBC |
| Vocal mics | TBC |
| In-house engineer | TBC |
06 — About
21 Hills Road, CambridgeAbout the night
The Emperor is a friendly real-ale pub on Hills Road in Cambridge that runs an open mic every Thursday evening, kicking off at 8:30pm. It's an easy-going, music-loving local — think fantastic local bands at the weekend, the odd comedy night, and a relaxed welcome for anyone wanting to get up and play on a Thursday. Free to come along.
The Emperor is a friendly real-ale pub on Hills Road in Cambridge, within easy walking distance of the railway station and the city centre. It pairs cask and keg beers with a modern Latin American tapas menu, plus darts, a pool table, board games and giant Jenga. Music is a regular fixture: live bands play at the weekend, Thursday evenings host an open-mic session from 8.30pm, and alternate-month Wednesdays bring comedy nights. The upstairs function room — available for hire and used for gigs — holds 40-45 seated or 65-70 standing, giving an intimate, well-sized stage room for grassroots acts.
Played here before?One tap
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What you get | 01 | Correct the day, time and sign-up |
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| 04 | Update backline and capacity |
21 Hills Road · Every Thursday
The Emperor Open Mic
21 Hills Road's thursday open mic.
- Thursday
- Open mic night
- May 2026
- Listed since
- 17 Oct
- Last checked
- No fee
- Entry
- —
- Sign-up time
- Community
- Listing status
Run a Cambridge open mic? List it free — reviewed before it goes live
Last updated: 13 November 2026
The Emperor Open Mic — Quick Facts
The Emperor Open Mic runs on Thursdays at The Emperor in Cambridge, starting at 20:30. Below: when it runs, sign-up and slots, the stage kit and how to get there.
Open mic status Last checked 17 Oct 2026
How sure we are
Partly verified
Music starts around 20:30. Sign-up is on the night - get there early to get a slot. There is a PA listed - ask what else is on stage before you load in.
Next nightThu 19 Nov · 20:30Starts in 6d 12h 53m
AgeAll ages
Sign-upWalk-in on the night
BacklinePA provided
Sound engineerAsk the venue
Directory statusBeing verified
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 ThursdayNext: Thu 19 Nov
Starts20:30start time
Sign-upWalk-insign-up
SlotsTBCslot lengthNot confirmed yet
What’s on in Cambridge this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About This Open Mic
The Emperor is a friendly real-ale pub on Hills Road in Cambridge that runs an open mic every Thursday evening, kicking off at 8:30pm. It's an easy-going, music-loving local — think fantastic local bands at the weekend, the odd comedy night, and a relaxed welcome for anyone wanting to get up and play on a Thursday. Free to come along.
What's on stage — equipment and backline at this venue, verified regularly.
PA systemProvided
Drum kitTBC
Guitar ampTBC
Bass ampTBC
Keys / keyboardTBC
Vocal micsTBC
In-house engineerTBC
The Night at a Glance
How The Emperor’s Thursday night runs.
Next nightThu 19 Nov · 20:30Starts in 6d 12h 53m
Kick-off20:30Every Thursday
Venue closes23:00The listed closing time
How often
Every Thursday
Coming up
Thu 19 Nov · Thu 26 Nov · Thu 3 Dec
Kit
The Emperor provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
First time here?
Arrive early to get your name on the list, tune up before you go on.
Find The Emperor
21 Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 1NW
Area21 Hills Road, Cambridge
PostcodeCB2 1NW
DirectionsOpen in Google Maps →
Getting there
The nearest station is Cambridge (rail station), about 10 minutes' walk away. The Emperor is in 21 Hills Road, Cambridge — use CB2 1NW 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
Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport (Open Government Licence).
Planning Your Thursday Night
Arrive early to get your name down. The Emperor provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
The scene Live music in Cambridgethe venues, the gigs and where it happensGet gigs How to get gigs in Cambridgepay, venues that book, how to pitchBands Find a band in Cambridgeacts to book or play alongsideGigs Upcoming gigs in Cambridgeevery listing, sorted by dateArtists Browse artist profilesfind acts to play or collaborate withOpen mics UK Open Mic Finderfree stage time, night by night
What should you charge for a paid gig? Most open mic musicians are ready sooner than they think — try the Rate Calculator for live UK rates by role, city and venue size. A night in the Cambridge live music scene.
Common Questions
9 things people ask before turning up at Cambridge's The Emperor open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Cambridge open mic nights for alternatives.
The Emperor provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
Slot length varies — check with the host.
No entry fee is listed for The Emperor's open mic - most open mics are free to play and to watch, but check with the venue before you go. Browse Cambridge open mics.
Ask the host before bringing a full band — solo and duo acts are the usual open-mic format.
The Emperor is in 21 Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 1NW. Get directions, or see the other Cambridge open mics.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Cambridge regulars across the Cambridge open mic scene. Cambridge open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
The nearest station is Cambridge (rail station), about 10 minutes' walk away. For sat-nav and taxis, the postcode is CB2 1NW. (Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport, Open Government Licence.)
Sign-up is walk-in on the night, so you do not need to book ahead. GigXchange doesn't publish venue phone numbers or emails. Browse other Cambridge open mics.
Venues Near The Emperor
No other gigs are listed at The Emperor 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 Cambridge over the next four weeks →
The Emperor open mic in brief. The Emperor open mic runs every Thursday from 20:30 (no fee listed). Coming back with a full band? The Emperor’s venue page has its kit and capacity listed. The open mics near Cambridge are listed by day, for another night this week.
Booking or playing in Cambridge? 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 Cambridge open mics
All ›Looking for paid gigs, not open mics? See Cambridge gigs or check the going rate.
10 — Venues near The Emperor
All ›More rooms near The Emperor: Arts Club Cambridge, Earls of Beaconsfield, Golden Hind, Hidden Rooms, High Lodge, Thetford Forest, Hot Numbers Coffee, Kiki, La Raza, MASH, Panton Arms and Six Bells.
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