Edinburgh · 32 open mic nights · 6 nights a week

Open Mic Nights in Edinburgh

Every open mic in Edinburgh - when it runs, how to sign up, what kit is there.

97% of them list no entry fee; 3 have a full backline. Re-checked on a rolling cycle.

Nearby

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Tonight List your night

Updated 13 November 2026

At a glance

Edinburgh

Open mic
nights

listed in Edinburgh

In detail

7 days from Fri 13 Nov	at least 28
Nights of the week	6 of 7
No fee listed	97% of nights
Full backline	3 nights
Open-Mic Score	77 /100

01 — Find a night

34 nights

Pick your night

When

Day

Has

Type

City

Sort

MONTHFri Kick-off19:30 The Alcove @ Teviot RowBristo Place · EdinburghNo feeHouse PAMonthly

Captain's BarOld Town · EdinburghNo feeHouse PA 21:00Tonight

Bannerman's BarEdinburghNo feeHouse PA 15:00Sun

Biddy MulligansEdinburghNo feeHouse PA 20:00Sun

The Auld HundredEdinburghNo feeHouse PA 20:00Sun

The BothyLeith · EdinburghNo feeHouse PA 20:00Sun

The Canons' GaitEdinburghNo feeHouse PA 19:00Mon

Monkey Barrel ComedyEdinburghNo feeHouse PA 20:00Mon

The Stand Comedy ClubEdinburghPaidHouse PA 20:00Mon

Pilgrim BarEdinburghNo feeHouse PA 20:30Mon

02 — The scene

Open-Mic Score

Out of
100

Strong — affordability and choice lead the mix, with room to grow on coverage.

Ranked against UK cities (0-100)

Choice	92
Schedule fixed scale	86
Coverage	21
Affordability fixed scale	97
Backline	69
Walk-in fixed scale	91

03 — By night

Nights listed

Edinburgh's week

01	Wednesday	11 nights
02	Monday	5 nights
03	Tuesday	5 nights
04	Thursday	5 nights
05	Sunday	4 nights
06	Friday Tonight	2 nights

04 — More of Edinburgh

Beyond the list

Featured open micBannerman's BarEdinburgh · Sun nights
Popular nightsSandy Bell's
The Bothy
Biddy Mulligans
The Auld Hundred

This month

Added	0
Removed	0
Verified	0
Re-verified	6

Also in Edinburgh

Edinburgh gigsBooked slots, by date
What's on this weekEvery gig over the next seven days
Edinburgh venuesThe rooms behind the nights
Edinburgh music sceneVenues, rates, guides and gigs

05 — Other cities

90 cities

Nights elsewhere

Glasgow Aberdeen Newcastle

All cities, A–ZNights

Aberdeen18 Aberystwyth7 Accrington8 Aldershot14

Basildon12 Bath13 Bedford10 Belfast18 Billericay4 Birmingham18 Blackburn5 Blackpool22 Boston9 Bournemouth16 Bradford19 Brighton45 Bristol35 Broxbourne8

Cambridge17 Cardiff34 Carlisle9 Chelmsford8 Cheltenham19 Cirencester7 Coventry19 Crawley13

Derby16 Derry6 Doncaster12 Dublin1 Dundee20 Durham10

Egham11 Epsom10 Exeter24

Farnborough4

Glasgow44 Gloucester13 Grimsby8

Hastings15 Hereford21 High Wycombe12 Horley3 Hull18

Inverness11 Ipswich16

Leeds34 Leicester18 Lincoln14 Liverpool27 London70 Luton7

Maidstone9 Manchester59 Margate16 Middlesbrough11 Milton Keynes10

Newcastle25 Newquay10 Newry5 Northampton14 Norwich20 Nottingham32

Oxford23

Peterborough12 Plymouth14 Portsmouth17 Preston17

Rawtenstall12 Reading17

Scarborough11 Sheffield38 Southampton28 Stockton-on-Tees8 Stoke-on-Trent19 Sunderland13 Sutton12 Swansea22 Swindon12

Telford15 Tunbridge Wells9

Waterlooville11 Watford12 Welshpool2 Weymouth12 Woking14 Wolverhampton23 Worthing1 Wrexham18

York27

Live music on stage: a band under the lights

Edinburgh Open Mics

Open Mic Nights in Edinburgh

32 open mic nights across Leith, Old Town, Southside, Rose Street + more — part of the wider UK open mic directory. Re-verified on a rolling cycle.

77/ 100

Edinburgh Open-Mic Score

StrongAffordability and choice lead the mix, with room to grow on coverage.

Choice92

Schedule86

Coverage21

Affordability97

Backline69

Walk-in91

What's on tonight? Filter the Edinburgh listings by night

32 open mic nights across Leith, Old Town, Southside, Rose Street + more
6 nights a week have at least one
97% list no entry fee
3 with full backline
Venue, sign-up time, slot length and fee per card
Re-verified on a rolling cycle

Find out more Join free

Ready for a booked slot? Edinburgh's upcoming gigs, sorted by date

One-off gigs at indie venues and community stages
Sorted by date, refreshed continuously
Free and ticketed shows
Every gig links its venue

Find out more Join free

Capacity, backline and booking contacts for Edinburgh venues

Grassroots venues, pubs and stages
Backline and tech specs where known
Re-verified on a rolling cycle
Claim your venue to keep it current

Find out more Join free

Everything the Edinburgh scene has beyond the open mics

City guide: venues, promoters and bookers
Local rate benchmarks before you quote
How to get gigs in the city
Members near you on GigXchange

Find out more Join free

Reach Edinburgh musicians, comedians and poets looking for stage time

2-minute submission — no account needed
Reviewed before it goes live
Free — no listing fee
Corrections and closure reports welcome

Find out more

97% of Edinburgh open mics list no entry fee — check the night, sign up, play

Last updated: 13 November 2026

32 Open Mic Nights Across Edinburgh

At least 28 open mic nights are on in and around Edinburgh in the 7 days from Fri 13 Nov; the other 4 run less often or on dates that vary, so check their listing. 32 open mic nights (14 verified) are running in and around Edinburgh, from venues like Bannerman's Bar, and 3 offer a full backline. Wednesday and Monday are the busiest. Every listing shows when we last checked it. Open mics are one layer of the Edinburgh circuit — see what’s on in Edinburgh over the next four weeks for the ticketed bills at the same venues.

open mic nights listed in Edinburgh

30 of 32 take walk-in sign-up on the night · 1 list an entry fee
3 venues offer full backline (drum kit, guitar amp, bass amp, mics)
Spread across 6 different nights of the week
Music + comedy + poetry — filter by type below

32
Open mic nights: 6
Nights a week: 97%
No fee listed: 3
Full backline: 13 Nov
Last updated

What’s on in Edinburgh this week — or see what’s on across the UK.

By Day of the Week

32 open mic nights are listed in Edinburgh, across 6 nights of the week. Pick a night, see what's on. Each card shows venue, sign-up time, slot length, fee and backline.

Showing 25–34 of 34 · page 3 of 3

Scottish trad · iconic

Next Wed 18 NovStarts 21:00

Sign-up20:30
Slots12 min
EntryNo fee listed
PAProvided
Backline—
Open toMusicians

Next Thu 19 NovStarts 20:00

Sign-up19:30
Slots12 min
EntryNo fee listed
PAProvided
Backline—
Open toMusicians

Next Thu 19 NovStarts 20:00

Sign-up—
Slots—
EntryNo fee listed
PAProvided
Backline—
Open toMusicians

Starts 20:00

Sign-up19:30
Slots12 min
EntryNo fee listed
PAProvided
Backline—
Open toMusicians

Next Thu 19 NovStarts 21:00

Sign-up19:30
Slots12 min
EntryNo fee listed
PAProvided
Backline—
Open toMusicians

Next Thu 19 NovStarts 21:00

Sign-up20:30
Slots12 min
EntryNo fee listed
PAProvided
Backline—
Open toMusicians

View details›

MONTH

Fri

The Alcove @ Teviot Row

Bristo Place

Starts 19:30

Sign-up19:00
Slots10 min
EntryNo fee listed
PAProvided
Backline—
Open toMusicians, Poets

View details›

Folk-leaning · tiny room

Next Fri 13 NovStarts 21:00

Sign-up20:30
Slots12 min
EntryNo fee listed
PAProvided
Backline—
Open toMusicians

Starts 19:00

Sign-up18:30
Slots5 min
EntryNo fee listed
PAProvided
Backline—
Open toPoets

Starts 20:00

Sign-up19:30
Slots—
EntryNo fee listed
PAProvided
Backline—
Open toMusicians

View details›

Venues in Edinburgh

118 grassroots music venues are listed in Edinburgh, including rooms that host these open mics and the places to play once you are ready for a gig. Each card opens the venue's own page with its capacity, kit and what is on.

See all 118 Edinburgh venues

Edinburgh Open Mic Scene in Numbers

Counted from the 32 Edinburgh open mic nights listed: 97% have no entry fee listed, 9% have full backline and Wednesday is the busiest night. The chart shows how the week's nights split, day by day.

32
Nights listed: 6
Nights a week: 97%
No fee listed: 9%
Full backline: 100%
PA provided: Wed
Busiest night: 12 min
Typical slot: 20:00
Typical start

Open mics by night · share of the week

16%Mon

16%Tue

34%Wed

16%Thu

6%Fri

0%Sat

13%Sun

Edinburgh Open Mic FAQs

6 answers about open mics in Edinburgh, from the best nights for new performers and what is on tonight to whether they are free, which have full backline and how to get a regular slot.

What's the best open mic in Edinburgh for new performers?

Bannerman's Bar is one of the most-recommended starter mics — check the cards above for full backline + walk-in sign-up venues, which tend to be most welcoming for first-timers. For broader context, browse the UK open mic directory.

Where can I find an open mic in Edinburgh tonight?

Edinburgh has 6 different open-mic nights running across the week. Use the day filter above to see what's on tonight.

What else is on in Edinburgh besides open mics?

Open mics are the regular, low-key layer of the scene. For the ticketed and one-off bills, what’s on in Edinburgh over the next four weeks lists every grassroots gig we hold for the city — often at the same venues that host these mics. The full evergreen listing is the Edinburgh gig directory.

Are Edinburgh open mics free?

31 of the 32 open mics we list in Edinburgh list no entry fee and 1 do; most open mics are free, but check with the venue. Filter the main directory by "Free entry" for the wider list.

Which Edinburgh open mics provide a full backline?

3 of Edinburgh's 32 open mics have a full backline (drum kit, guitar amp, bass amp, mics). Filter by 'Full backline' tag to see them.

How do I get a regular slot at a Edinburgh open mic?

Show up to the same mic 4-6 weeks in a row — hosts run on consistency. Once you're known, ask the host about a featured or paid support slot. We've written a longer guide on how to get paid gigs as a UK artist.

07 — Keep up with Edinburgh

One email a week. Gigs near you.

Keep up with Edinburgh

One free email a week with upcoming grass-roots gigs and nights in Edinburgh. All it takes is your email address and town, you can unsubscribe at any time, and every reader who turns up helps keep Edinburgh's small venues open.

Help keep grassroots venues open in Edinburgh

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See what’s on in Edinburgh over the next four weeks →

How the nights run. Of the 32 running nights, 28 are weekly and 4 run less often - check the date before you go. Most start between 20:00 and 21:00. Where a slot length is listed, it is usually 12 minutes. Where a sign-up time is listed, the list usually opens around 19:30.

Who plays. Besides music, 5 take poetry and 4 take comedy. 32 list a PA, so singer-songwriters can arrive with just an instrument.

After the open mic. Ready for a paid set? The Edinburgh venue directory lists the rooms that book live music, and the GX Index shows what they pay. Want to run one? How to start an open mic night. More open mics nearby: Glasgow (44), Aberdeen (18) and Newcastle (25).

More Cities

Switch to another UK city for the same format with its own local nights, start times and sign-up details, or go back to the UK open mic finder to search every listing at once.

Run a Edinburgh open mic? List it free.

Listing an open mic is free, takes about 2 minutes and is reviewed before it goes live. It appears beside the 32 Edinburgh nights already listed, where musicians, comedians and poets look for stage time.

For Artists For Venues For Agents For Promoters For Organisers For Fans

ForArtistsGet booked. Get paid. ForVenuesFill the calendar. ForAgentsRun your roster. ForPromotersBuild the bill. ForOrganisersBook acts for your event. ForFansFind tonight’s gigs.

Run a Edinburgh open mic?

List it free. It's reviewed before it goes live; performers find you by night and kit.

Claim your venue List my night

The numbers behind this page: UK open mic statistics and every UK open mic - all from the same directory.