The Holy GrAle is one of Durham's foremost craft-beer bars, open since 2019 in a former board-games cafe at 57 Crossgate. The quirky, open-plan room pairs an ever-changing range of keg taps, handpulls, bottles and cans from the UK and Europe with a well-stocked bottle shop — and crucially, regular weekend live-music sessions held in its atmospheric vaulted basement. With a relaxed, knowledgeable feel, it's become a reliable grassroots spot for acoustic and small-band gigs on the city's west side.
St Margarets Garth · Every other Wednesday · Free
The Holy GrAle Open Mic
Durham open mic at The Holy GrAle — listed on Google Places. Schedule details below are pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
Open mic at a glance The Holy GrAle · Durham
Wednesday
Open mic night
Apr 2026
Listed since
03 Jun
Last verified
Free
Entry
12 min
Slot length
Community
Listing status
Run a Durham open mic? List it free — verified within 48 hours
Last updated: 3 June 2026
The Holy GrAle Open Mic — Quick Facts
Durham open mic at The Holy GrAle — listed on Google Places. Schedule details below are pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
We need your help verifying thisWas this open mic on recently?10 seconds, no signup
The Details
Everything you need before you turn up
DayWednesday
Start20:00
Sign-up19:30 walk-in
Slot length12 min
EntryFree · 18+
Capacity–
Performer typesMusic
Sound engineerBYO / hire on the night
View on map
Where
The Holy GrAle57 Crossgate, St Margarets Garth
St Margarets Garth
Durham DH1 4PR
St Margarets Garth, Durham — 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 Durham this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About The Holy GrAle
About This Open Mic
Every other Wednesday in St Margarets Garth, Durham
Kicks off at 20:00, sign-up from 19:30
Free entry for performers and audience
12-minute slots
PA provided — BYO instrument
Part of the Durham open mic directory
The Night
The Holy GrAle is listed on Google Places as hosting open mic nights in Durham. We've verified the venue exists at the address below; the day, start time and slot length still need direct confirmation from the venue.
Getting there
57 Crossgate, St Margarets Garth, Durham DH1 4PR.
Photos
Four photos sourced from Google Places contributors are shown above the map.
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 Holy GrAle’s Wednesday night runs.
19:30Sign-up
20:00Kick-off
23:00Venue closes
Every other Wednesday 12-min slots Free entry
Find The Holy GrAle
57 Crossgate, St Margarets Garth, St Margarets Garth, Durham DH1 4PR
Planning Your Wednesday Night
Arrive by 19:30 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 Durham 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 Durham's The Holy GrAle open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 19:30. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Durham open mic nights for alternatives.
PA + vocal mic provided. BYO instrument and amp.
12 minutes per act — typically 3 songs solo.
Yes — free entry for performers and audience. Most Durham mics are free; browse the list.
Solo and duo acts work best given the gear available; ask the host before bringing a full band.
57 Crossgate, St Margarets Garth, St Margarets Garth, Durham DH1 4PR.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Durham regulars across the Durham open mic scene. Durham open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
Keep up with Durham
One email a week with live music near you. Free, and it keeps grassroots rooms full.
Help keep grassroots venues open in Durham
—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 Durham. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy.
See what’s on in Durham over the next four weeks →
Booking or playing in Durham? 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 Durham?
Add yours to the directory free. 2-minute submission, verified within 48 hours. Reach 1,000+ Durham musicians.
Looking for paid gigs, not open mics?