The International Bar is a Victorian pub on Wicklow Street, a minute off Grafton Street, that has been a working performance house for decades. The basement holds Ireland's first and longest-running comedy club (the Comedy Cellar, going since 1988, plus the Cheeky Monkey club on Mondays), and the upstairs room is where the music lives: the Circle Sessions, an unplugged Monday-night open mic for songs, poetry and spoken word in slots of five minutes or under, currently hosted by Tadhg Horan and Hans Kohn and starting around 8pm. Expect a packed, listening room rather than a stage-and-PA set-up - it bills itself as an open mic without a mic. Plays, poetry nights and the 1916 walking tour fill the rest of the week.
Dublin · Every Monday · Free
The International Bar Open Mic
The Circle Sessions - Monday-night acoustic open mic upstairs at Dublin's International Bar, music and poetry, five minutes each
Open mic at a glance The International Bar · Dublin
Monday
Open mic night
Aug 2026
Listed since
29 Aug
Last verified
Free
Entry
—
Sign-up time
Verified
Listing status
Run a Dublin open mic? List it free — verified within 48 hours
Last updated: 29 August 2026
The International Bar Open Mic — Quick Facts
The Circle Sessions - Monday-night acoustic open mic upstairs at Dublin's International Bar, music and poetry, five minutes each
✓ Verified activeLast verified
The Details
Everything you need before you turn up
DayMonday
Start20:00
Sign-up walk-in
Slot length–
EntryFree · all ages
Capacity–
Performer typesMusic · Poetry
Sound engineerBYO / hire on the night
View on map
Where
The International Bar23 Wicklow St
Dublin D02 VH59
Dublin — check venue website for parking and nearest station.
Highlights
Free entry for all
Walk-in sign-up
Music, Poetry welcome
How do you rate this open mic?One tap, no sign-up required.
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About The International Bar
About This Open Mic
Every Monday in Dublin
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 Dublin open mic directory
The Night
The International Bar on Wicklow Street is one of Dublin's great performance pubs - Ireland's longest-running comedy club is in the basement and the upstairs room has hosted a Monday open mic for well over a decade. The current night is the Circle Sessions, an anything-goes acoustic open mic for songs, poetry and spoken word in slots of five minutes or under, hosted by Tadhg Horan and Hans Kohn. It starts around 8pm every Monday. An "open mic without a mic" - unplugged, unpretentious and packed with regulars.
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 International Bar’s Monday night runs.
20:00Kick-off
Every Monday Free entry
Find The International Bar
23 Wicklow St, Dublin D02 VH59
Planning Your Monday 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 Dublin 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 Dublin's The International Bar open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at . Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Dublin 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 Dublin mics are free; browse the list.
Solo and duo acts work best given the gear available; ask the host before bringing a full band.
23 Wicklow St, Dublin D02 VH59.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Dublin regulars across the Dublin open mic scene. Dublin open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
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