Open Mind is a town-centre café and arts bar on English Street in Carlisle, doubling as an art gallery and creative space. It hosts open-mic sessions, live performers and DJs in an intimate, free-entry setting, alongside craft beers, cocktails and board games. A welcoming, arty hub for grassroots music in the city.
Carlisle · Dates vary · No fee listed
Open Mind Open Mic
75 English Street's thursday open mic. 10-min slots.
Kick-off 20:00, sign-up from 19:30. 10-minute slots. No fee listed.
Nearby open micsUpdated 13 November 2026
At a glance
Checked 24 Aug 202620:00
Kick-off
Thursdays
sign-up from 19:30Thursdays
| Night | Dates vary |
| Sign-up | 19:30 walk-in |
| Slot | 10 min |
| Entry | No fee listed · 18+ |
| Backline | PA provided |
01 — Inside the room
4 photosPhotos: Google
168
page views on GigXchange. Is it your night?
0 members voted to bring the venue onto GigXchange02 — The details
Before you goEverything you need to know
0
Member votes
votes to get this venue on GigXchange
| Capacity | – |
| Performer types | Musicians · Poets |
The check
| Status | Verified running |
| Last checked | 24 Aug 2026 |
| Checked against | Music directory |
03 — The night
Dates varyHow the night runs
This night is irregular
Check the date before you goRunning order
19:30 Sign-up· Walk-in
20:00 Kick-off· 10-minute slots
23:00 Last songs
02:00 Venue closes
04 — Find Open Mind
75 English StreetGetting there
75 English Street, Carlisle CA3 8LQ
The nearest station is Carlisle (rail station), about 5 minutes' walk away.
05 — What's on stage
2 provided · 5 TBC| PA system | Provided |
| Drum kit | TBC |
| Guitar amp | TBC |
| Bass amp | TBC |
| Keys / keyboard | TBC |
| 1 vocal mic | Provided |
| In-house engineer | TBC |
06 — About
75 English Street, CarlisleAbout the night
Open Mind is a creative arts bar and cafe right in the centre of Carlisle on English Street, hosting open mic sessions alongside its art gallery and other arty events. It's a genuinely welcoming, bohemian spot for music and spoken word, open Thursday to Sunday. Sessions are posted on their Facebook page rather than fixed to one weekly slot, so check there for the next night before heading down.
Open Mind is a town-centre café and arts bar on English Street in Carlisle, doubling as an art gallery and creative space. It hosts open-mic sessions, live performers and DJs in an intimate, free-entry setting, alongside craft beers, cocktails and board games. A welcoming, arty hub for grassroots music in the city.
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75 English Street · Dates vary
Open Mind Open Mic
75 English Street's thursday open mic. 10-min slots.
- Thursday
- Open mic night
- Jun 2026
- Listed since
- 24 Aug
- Last verified
- No fee
- Entry
- 10 min
- Slot length
- Verified
- Listing status
Run a Carlisle open mic? List it free — reviewed before it goes live
Last updated: 13 November 2026
Open Mind Open Mic — Quick Facts
Open Mind Open Mic runs on dates that vary at Open Mind in Carlisle, starting at 20:00 with sign-up from 19:30. Below: when it runs, sign-up and slots, the stage kit and how to get there.
Open mic status Last verified 24 Aug 2026
How sure we are
Verified active
Checked against the venue’s own listing See Open Mind’s venue page →
The night starts at 20:00 and runs to about 23:00. It's walk-in sign-up, with the list opening at 19:30 - arrive early to get a slot. Slots run about 10 minutes - room for roughly 18 acts. There is a PA listed - ask what else is on stage before you load in.
Age18+
Sign-upWalk-in on the night
Who playsMusicians · Poets
BacklinePA provided
Sound engineerAsk the venue
Directory statusVerified active
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.
NightVariesdates vary
Starts20:00until 23:00
Sign-up19:30Walk-in
Slots10minutes eachRoom for about 18 acts
What’s on in Carlisle this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About This Open Mic
Open Mind is a creative arts bar and cafe right in the centre of Carlisle on English Street, hosting open mic sessions alongside its art gallery and other arty events. It's a genuinely welcoming, bohemian spot for music and spoken word, open Thursday to Sunday. Sessions are posted on their Facebook page rather than fixed to one weekly slot, so check there for the next night before heading down.
Equipment and backline at this venue — what's on stage, verified regularly.
PA systemProvided
Drum kitTBC
Guitar ampTBC
Bass ampTBC
Keys / keyboardTBC
1 vocal micProvided
In-house engineerTBC
The Night at a Glance
How Open Mind’s Thursday night runs.
Sign-up opens19:30Walk-in on the night
Kick-off20:00Dates vary
Music ends23:00Last act finishes
Venue closes02:00The listed closing time
Slots10minutes eachroom for about 18 acts
How often
Dates vary
Getting there
75 English Street, Carlisle, CA3 8LQ - the map is below.
Kit
Open Mind provides a PA system and 1 vocal mic — check the rest with the venue.
First time here?
Get there by 19:30 for a slot, have your instrument tuned before your turn and keep to about 10 minutes.
Find Open Mind
75 English Street, Carlisle CA3 8LQ
Area75 English Street, Carlisle
PostcodeCA3 8LQ
DirectionsOpen in Google Maps →
Getting there
The nearest station is Carlisle (rail station), about 5 minutes' walk away. Open Mind is in 75 English Street, Carlisle — use CA3 8LQ 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
Kirkgate Centre, Royal Oak, Scotby, The Pocket Cafe Bar and Drovers Rest
Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport (Open Government Licence).
Planning Your Thursday Night
Arrive by 19:30 to sign up for a slot. The open mic runs until about 23:00. Open Mind provides a PA system and 1 vocal mic — check the rest with the venue.
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Common Questions
9 questions people ask before going to Carlisle's Open Mind open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 19:30. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Carlisle open mic nights for alternatives.
Open Mind provides a PA system and 1 vocal mic — check the rest with the venue.
10 minutes per act — typically 3 songs solo.
No entry fee is listed for Open Mind's open mic - most open mics are free to play and to watch, but check with the venue before you go. Browse Carlisle open mics.
Ask the host before bringing a full band — solo and duo acts are the usual open-mic format.
Open Mind is in 75 English Street, Carlisle CA3 8LQ. Get directions, or see the other Carlisle open mics.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Carlisle regulars across the Carlisle open mic scene. Carlisle open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
The nearest station is Carlisle (rail station), about 5 minutes' walk away. For sat-nav and taxis, the postcode is CA3 8LQ. (Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport, Open Government Licence.)
Sign-up is walk-in on the night, from 19:30, so you do not need to book ahead. GigXchange doesn't publish venue phone numbers or emails. Browse other Carlisle open mics.
Venues Near Open Mind
No other gigs are listed at Open Mind in the GigXchange directory yet — these are the rooms around it, their size, kit and live nights.
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Open Mind open mic in brief. The Open Mind open mic runs dates vary from 20:00 (no fee listed); sign-up opens 19:30 and slots run about 10 minutes. Coming back with a full band? Open Mind’s venue page has its kit and capacity listed. The open mics near Carlisle are listed by day, for another night this week.
Booking or playing in Carlisle? 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 Carlisle open mics
All ›Looking for paid gigs, not open mics? See Carlisle gigs or check the going rate.
10 — Venues near Open Mind
All ›More rooms near Open Mind: Spinners Arms, The Brickyard, The Crafty Baa, The Drunken Duck, The John Peel Theatre, The Kirkgate Centre, The Lodge Arts Collective, The Pocket Cafe Bar, The Sands Centre, The Source and Upfront Arts.
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