Sketchy Beats Cafe is a non-profit, community-run arts space at 208 Great Junction Street in Leith, Edinburgh, that opened in October 2015 after a crowdfunding campaign. Built as an open platform for creatives of any kind, it's free for anyone in the community to organise their own events, and over the years members have run live hip-hop nights, poetry slams, live music jams, art exhibitions, life-drawing sessions and charity fundraiser gigs. Its Thursday-night jam sessions are a regular draw, welcoming musicians of every skill level — from people who've never played outside their bedroom to seasoned performers — across a broad mix of genres, originals and covers. Affordable, accessible and genuinely grassroots.
Edinburgh · Every other Wednesday · No fee listed
Sketchy Beats Cafe Open Mic
Edinburgh open mic at Sketchy Beats Cafe — listed on Google Places. Schedule below pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
Kick-off 19:00, sign-up from 18:30. 10-minute slots. No fee listed.
Nearby open micsUpdated 13 November 2026
At a glance
Checked 25 Aug 202619:00
Kick-off
Wednesdays
sign-up from 18:30Wednesdays
| Night | Every other Wednesday |
| Sign-up | 18:30 walk-in |
| Slot | 10 min |
| Entry | No fee listed · 18+ |
| Backline | PA provided |
01 — Inside the room
4 photosPhotos: Google
120
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 |
| Website | sites.google.com |
The check
| Status | Verified running |
| Last checked | 25 Aug 2026 |
| Checked against | Ticket listing |
03 — The night
Every other WednesdayHow the night runs
Every other Wednesday
Check the date before you goRunning order
18:30 Sign-up· Walk-in
19:00 Kick-off· 10-minute slots
23:00 Last songs
04 — Find Sketchy Beats Cafe
LeithGetting there
208 Great Jct St, Leith,
Edinburgh EH6 5LW
Edinburgh EH6 5LW
The nearest station is Ocean Terminal (tram stop), about 10 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 |
| 2 vocal mics | Provided |
| In-house engineer | TBC |
06 — About
Leith, EdinburghAbout the night
Sketchy Beats is a non-profit, donation-based arts cafe on Great Junction Street in Leith, and its open mic runs every other Wednesday from 7pm with an 11pm curfew. The night is run by the Sad Song Club, an open mic that celebrates sadness, so songs, poems and other miserable art are all welcome, with original material preferred but covers fine. You get a generous 10 minutes on stage plus a free performer badge, and entry is pay-by-donation (cash or PayPal). The room provides a PA, microphones and cables, so you only need to bring your instrument. Sign-up is on the night (Open Mic Edinburgh says from 6:30pm, the Sad Song Club's own 2026 Eventbrite says from 7pm). A warm, inclusive community space where money is never meant to be an obstacle.
Sketchy Beats Cafe is a non-profit, community-run arts space at 208 Great Junction Street in Leith, Edinburgh, that opened in October 2015 after a crowdfunding campaign. Built as an open platform for creatives of any kind, it's free for anyone in the community to organise their own events, and over the years members have run live hip-hop nights, poetry slams, live music jams, art exhibitions, life-drawing sessions and charity fundraiser gigs. Its Thursday-night jam sessions are a regular draw, welcoming musicians of every skill level — from people who've never played outside their bedroom to seasoned performers — across a broad mix of genres, originals and covers. Affordable, accessible and genuinely grassroots.
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Leith · Every other Wednesday
Sketchy Beats Cafe Open Mic
Edinburgh open mic at Sketchy Beats Cafe — listed on Google Places. Schedule below pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
- Wednesday
- Open mic night
- Apr 2026
- Listed since
- 25 Aug
- Last verified
- No fee
- Entry
- 10 min
- Slot length
- Verified
- Listing status
Run a Edinburgh open mic? List it free — reviewed before it goes live
Last updated: 13 November 2026
Sketchy Beats Cafe Open Mic — Quick Facts
Sketchy Beats Cafe Open Mic runs on Wednesdays (fortnightly) at Sketchy Beats Cafe in Edinburgh, starting at 19:00 with sign-up from 18:30. Below: when it runs, sign-up and slots, the stage kit and how to get there.
Open mic status Last verified 25 Aug 2026
How sure we are
Verified active
Checked against the venue’s own listing See Sketchy Beats Cafe’s venue page →
The night starts at 19:00 and runs to about 23:00. Sign-up is on the night from 18:30 - get there early to get a slot. Each act gets about 10 minutes, so the night holds around 24 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
Websitesites.google.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.
NightWednesdayEvery other Wednesday
Starts19:00until 23:00
Sign-up18:30Walk-in
Slots10minutes eachRoom for about 24 acts
What’s on in Edinburgh this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About This Open Mic
Sketchy Beats is a non-profit, donation-based arts cafe on Great Junction Street in Leith, and its open mic runs every other Wednesday from 7pm with an 11pm curfew. The night is run by the Sad Song Club, an open mic that celebrates sadness, so songs, poems and other miserable art are all welcome, with original material preferred but covers fine. You get a generous 10 minutes on stage plus a free performer badge, and entry is pay-by-donation (cash or PayPal). The room provides a PA, microphones and cables, so you only need to bring your instrument. Sign-up is on the night (Open Mic Edinburgh says from 6:30pm, the Sad Song Club's own 2026 Eventbrite says from 7pm). A warm, inclusive community space where money is never meant to be an obstacle.
Equipment and backline at this venue — what's on stage, verified regularly.
PA systemProvided
Drum kitTBC
Guitar ampTBC
Bass ampTBC
Keys / keyboardTBC
2 vocal micsProvided
In-house engineerTBC
The Night at a Glance
How Sketchy Beats Cafe’s Wednesday night runs.
Sign-up opens18:30Walk-in on the night
Kick-off19:00Every other Wednesday
Music ends23:00Last act finishes
Slots10minutes eachroom for about 24 acts
How often
Every other Wednesday
Getting there
Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 5LW - the map is below.
Kit
Sketchy Beats Cafe provides a PA system and 2 vocal mics — check the rest with the venue.
First time here?
Get there by 18:30 for a slot, have your instrument tuned before your turn and keep to about 10 minutes.
Find Sketchy Beats Cafe
208 Great Jct St, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 5LW
Address208 Great Jct St, Leith
AreaLeith, Edinburgh
PostcodeEH6 5LW
DirectionsOpen in Google Maps →
Getting there
The nearest station is Ocean Terminal (tram stop), about 10 minutes' walk away. You'll find Sketchy Beats Cafe in Leith, Edinburgh; EH6 5LW 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 Wednesday Night
Get there by 18:30 to sign up for a slot. The open mic runs until about 23:00. Sketchy Beats Cafe provides a PA system and 2 vocal mics — check the rest with the venue.
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Common Questions
9 things people want to know before Edinburgh's Sketchy Beats Cafe open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 18:30. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Edinburgh open mic nights for alternatives.
Sketchy Beats Cafe provides a PA system and 2 vocal mics — check the rest with the venue.
10 minutes per act — typically 3 songs solo.
No entry fee is listed for Sketchy Beats Cafe'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.
208 Great Jct St, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 5LW.
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 Ocean Terminal (tram stop), about 10 minutes' walk away. For sat-nav and taxis, the postcode is EH6 5LW. (Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport, Open Government Licence.)
Sign-up is walk-in on the night, from 18:30, 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 Sketchy Beats Cafe
No other gigs are listed at Sketchy Beats Cafe in the GigXchange directory yet — these are the rooms around it, their size, kit and live nights.
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Sketchy Beats Cafe open mic in brief. The Sketchy Beats Cafe open mic runs every other Wednesday from 19:00 (no fee listed); sign-up opens 18:30 and slots run about 10 minutes. Sketchy Beats Cafe’s venue page lists its kit and capacity if you want to come back with a full band. For a different night this week, the open mics near Edinburgh are listed by day.
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09 — More Edinburgh open mics
All ›Want paid gigs instead of open mics? See Edinburgh gigs or check the going rate.
10 — Venues near Sketchy Beats Cafe
All ›More rooms near Sketchy Beats Cafe: The Bowlers Rest, Arcadia Music Cafe, Assembly Rooms, B Bar Edinburgh, Backstage at The Green Hotel, Bannermans, Barony Bar, Biddy Mulligans, Bogarts, Boston Bar New Town and Boston Bar Old Town.
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