Monkey Barrel Comedy at 9-12 Blair Street in Edinburgh's Old Town is a stand-up comedy club, not a live-music venue. It runs seven nights a week with stand-up, tours, sketch and improv, and has been Chortle's 'Scotland's Best Comedy Venue' since 2020. The Barrel Bar serves pizza and drinks before shows. As a comedy-only programme, it does not host live music, open mic music nights or band bookings.
Edinburgh · Every Monday · No fee listed
Monkey Barrel Comedy Open Mic
Edinburgh open mic at Monkey Barrel Comedy — listed on Google Places. Schedule below pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
Next night: Mon 16 Nov. Kick-off 20:00, sign-up from 19:00. 5-minute slots. No fee listed.
Nearby open micsUpdated 13 November 2026
At a glance
Checked 20 Aug 202620:00
Kick-off
Mondays
sign-up from 19:00Mondays
| Night | Every Monday |
| Sign-up | 19:00 walk-in |
| Slot | 5 min |
| Entry | No fee listed · 18+ |
| Backline | PA provided |
01 — Inside the room
4 photosPhotos: Google
197
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 | Comedians |
| Website | monkeybarrelcomedy.com |
The check
| Status | Verified running |
| Last checked | 20 Aug 2026 |
| Checked against | Web listing |
03 — The night
Every MondayHow the night runs
20:00
Kick-off
MondaysRunning order
19:00 Sign-up· Walk-in
20:00 Kick-off· 5-minute slots
23:00 Last songs
00:00 Venue closes
04 — Find Monkey Barrel Comedy
EdinburghGetting there
9-12 Blair St,
Edinburgh EH1 1QR
Edinburgh EH1 1QR
The nearest station is Edinburgh (rail station), about 5 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
EdinburghAbout the night
Free For All is Monkey Barrel's famous comedy open mic — a fast, no-nonsense night where every comic can grab five minutes on stage just by showing up, at the club's home at 9-12 Blair Street in Edinburgh's Old Town. Doors open 7pm, show at 8pm with an approx 11pm finish.
Getting a spot
Register in person between 7pm and 8pm. If your name is called and you're in the room, you've got 5 minutes — no questions asked; if you're not in the room, you miss out. There are no breaks, just back-to-back stand-up all night, and every show is steered by two experienced hosts, so you'll see a mix of brand-new, developing and established acts.
Worth knowing
Completely free and unticketed for audience and acts alike, with table service throughout and the bar open through the night. The age guideline is 16+ — under-18s must be out of the venue by 11pm (under-16s by 10pm) due to licensing. In August the club switches to Edinburgh Fringe programming, so Free For All shifts around — the Fringe 2026 edition ran as a late-night slot — before the regular Monday-evening pattern resumes.
Monkey Barrel Comedy at 9-12 Blair Street in Edinburgh's Old Town is a stand-up comedy club, not a live-music venue. It runs seven nights a week with stand-up, tours, sketch and improv, and has been Chortle's 'Scotland's Best Comedy Venue' since 2020. The Barrel Bar serves pizza and drinks before shows. As a comedy-only programme, it does not host live music, open mic music nights or band bookings.
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Edinburgh · Every Monday
Monkey Barrel Comedy Open Mic
Edinburgh open mic at Monkey Barrel Comedy — listed on Google Places. Schedule below pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
- Monday
- Open mic night
- Apr 2026
- Listed since
- 20 Aug
- Last verified
- No fee
- Entry
- 5 min
- Slot length
- Verified
- Listing status
Run a Edinburgh open mic? List it free — reviewed before it goes live
Last updated: 13 November 2026
Monkey Barrel Comedy Open Mic — Quick Facts
Monkey Barrel Comedy Open Mic runs on Mondays at Monkey Barrel Comedy in Edinburgh, starting at 20:00 with sign-up from 19:00. Below: when it runs, sign-up and slots, the stage kit and how to get there.
Open mic status Last verified 20 Aug 2026
How sure we are
Verified active
Checked against the venue’s own listing See Monkey Barrel Comedy’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 19:00 - arrive early to get a slot. Each act gets about 5 minutes, so the night holds around 36 acts. A PA is listed; check what else is on stage before you bring a band.
Next nightMon 16 Nov · 20:00Starts in 3d 11h 56m
Age18+
Sign-upWalk-in on the night
Who playsComedians
BacklinePA provided
Sound engineerAsk the venue
Directory statusVerified active
Member votes0 to get the venue on GigXchange
Websitemonkeybarrelcomedy.com
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.
NightMondayEvery MondayNext: Mon 16 Nov
Starts20:00until 23:00
Sign-up19:00Walk-in
Slots5minutes eachRoom for about 36 acts
What’s on in Edinburgh this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About This Open Mic
Free For All is Monkey Barrel's famous comedy open mic — a fast, no-nonsense night where every comic can grab five minutes on stage just by showing up, at the club's home at 9-12 Blair Street in Edinburgh's Old Town. Doors open 7pm, show at 8pm with an approx 11pm finish.
Getting a spot
Register in person between 7pm and 8pm. If your name is called and you're in the room, you've got 5 minutes — no questions asked; if you're not in the room, you miss out. There are no breaks, just back-to-back stand-up all night, and every show is steered by two experienced hosts, so you'll see a mix of brand-new, developing and established acts.
Worth knowing
Completely free and unticketed for audience and acts alike, with table service throughout and the bar open through the night. The age guideline is 16+ — under-18s must be out of the venue by 11pm (under-16s by 10pm) due to licensing. In August the club switches to Edinburgh Fringe programming, so Free For All shifts around — the Fringe 2026 edition ran as a late-night slot — before the regular Monday-evening pattern resumes.
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 Monkey Barrel Comedy’s Monday night runs.
Next nightMon 16 Nov · 20:00Starts in 3d 11h 56m
Sign-up opens19:00Walk-in on the night
Kick-off20:00Every Monday
Music ends23:00Last act finishes
Venue closes00:00The listed closing time
Slots5minutes eachroom for about 36 acts
How often
Every Monday
Coming up
Mon 16 Nov · Mon 23 Nov · Mon 30 Nov
Kit
Monkey Barrel Comedy provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
First time here?
Get there by 19:00 for a slot, have your instrument tuned before your turn and keep to about 5 minutes.
Find Monkey Barrel Comedy
9-12 Blair St, Edinburgh EH1 1QR
Address9-12 Blair St
AreaEdinburgh
PostcodeEH1 1QR
DirectionsOpen in Google Maps →
Getting there
The nearest station is Edinburgh (rail station), about 5 minutes' walk away. You'll find Monkey Barrel Comedy in Edinburgh; EH1 1QR is the postcode for sat-nav and ride apps. Check the venue's website for parking and the nearest station.
Open mics nearby
Bannerman's Bar, The Bothy, Biddy Mulligans and The Auld Hundred
Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport (Open Government Licence).
Planning Your Monday Night
Be there by 19:00 to put your name down. The open mic runs until about 23:00. Monkey Barrel Comedy provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
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Common Questions
9 things people want to know before Edinburgh's Monkey Barrel Comedy open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 19:00. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Edinburgh open mic nights for alternatives.
Monkey Barrel Comedy provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
5 minutes per act — typically 1 songs solo.
No entry fee is listed for Monkey Barrel Comedy's open mic - most open mics are free to play and to watch, but check with the venue before you go. Browse Edinburgh open mics.
Ask the host before bringing a full band — solo and duo acts are the usual open-mic format.
9-12 Blair St, Edinburgh EH1 1QR.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Edinburgh regulars across the Edinburgh open mic scene. Edinburgh open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
The nearest station is Edinburgh (rail station), about 5 minutes' walk away. For sat-nav and taxis, the postcode is EH1 1QR. (Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport, Open Government Licence.)
Sign-up is walk-in on the night, from 19:00, so you do not need to book ahead. GigXchange doesn't publish venue phone numbers or emails - the venue's own website is linked on this page. Browse other Edinburgh open mics.
Venues Near Monkey Barrel Comedy
No other gigs are listed at Monkey Barrel Comedy in the GigXchange directory yet — these are the rooms around it, their size, kit and live nights.
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Monkey Barrel Comedy open mic in brief. The Monkey Barrel Comedy open mic runs every Monday from 20:00 (no fee listed); sign-up opens 19:00 and slots run about 5 minutes. Monkey Barrel Comedy’s venue page has its kit and capacity if you want to come back with a full band. For another night this week, the open mics near Edinburgh are listed by day.
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09 — More Edinburgh open mics
All ›Looking for paid gigs, not open mics? See Edinburgh gigs or check the going rate.
10 — Venues near Monkey Barrel Comedy
All ›More rooms near Monkey Barrel Comedy: Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh Corn Exchange, Footlights Bar and Grill, Home Bar, Kitty O'Shea's Edinburgh, Malones Edinburgh, Pilgrim Bar, Puffin' Rooms, Red Rocks, Rose & Crown and Shoogly Peg.
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