Hootananny is Inverness's best-known live-music institution, at 67 Church Street in the city centre (IV1 1ES). It's an award-winning ceilidh bar — named Scotland's Best Live Music Venue in 2019 and repeatedly Inverness's Pub of the Year — built around authentic Scottish folk and trad sessions, with live music every single day of the year. The building runs across three live-music rooms and two bars: the main floor hosts traditional sessions and ceilidh dances, while upstairs ('Mad Hatters' / the Glow Bar cocktail lounge) adds contemporary acts. There's superb Thai food on site and rooms to stay upstairs. A full in-house backline and sound engineer support both folk sessions and louder contemporary bills, making it an accessible, well-equipped stage for trad players and touring acts alike.
Inverness · Every Tuesday · No fee listed
Inverness's Tuesday-night free open mic at 67 Church Street, IV1 1ES — Scottish folk pub, full backline, in-house engineer, 12-minute slots.
Next night: Tue 17 Nov. Kick-off 21:00, sign-up from 20:30. 12-minute slots. No fee listed.
Nearby open micsUpdated 13 November 2026
Tuesdays
| Night | Every Tuesday |
| Sign-up | 20:30 walk-in |
| Slot | 12 min |
| Entry | No fee listed · 18+ |
| Backline | Full backline |
| Capacity | c. 200 standing |
| Performer types | Musicians |
| Website | hootananny.co.uk |
| Status | Being verified |
No sign-up. We review corrections within 7 days.
City Centre, Inverness IV1 1ES
The nearest station is Inverness (rail station), about 5 minutes' walk away.
| PA system | Provided |
| Drum kit | Provided |
| Guitar amp | Provided |
| Bass amp | Provided |
| Keys / keyboard | Bring your own |
| 3 vocal mics | Provided |
| In-house engineer | Provided |
Hootananny is Inverness's flagship Scottish folk pub. Tuesday open mic — folk leaning, full backline available.
180 minutes, 15 acts at 12 minutes.
Sign-up process
Sheet at the bar at 8:30pm. Walk-in.
Getting there
67 Church Street, IV1 1ES. 6 minutes from Inverness Rail.
The venue
Multi-floor Scottish folk pub. 18+. Capacity c. 200. Late licence.
Hootananny is Inverness's best-known live-music institution, at 67 Church Street in the city centre (IV1 1ES). It's an award-winning ceilidh bar — named Scotland's Best Live Music Venue in 2019 and repeatedly Inverness's Pub of the Year — built around authentic Scottish folk and trad sessions, with live music every single day of the year. The building runs across three live-music rooms and two bars: the main floor hosts traditional sessions and ceilidh dances, while upstairs ('Mad Hatters' / the Glow Bar cocktail lounge) adds contemporary acts. There's superb Thai food on site and rooms to stay upstairs. A full in-house backline and sound engineer support both folk sessions and louder contemporary bills, making it an accessible, well-equipped stage for trad players and touring acts alike.
One tap. It tells the next act what to expect.
| 01 | Correct the day, time and sign-up |
| 02 | Edit your profile and photos |
| 03 | Receive artist enquiries |
| 04 | Update backline and capacity |
Hootananny Open Mic
Inverness's Tuesday-night free open mic at 67 Church Street, IV1 1ES — Scottish folk pub, full backline, in-house engineer, 12-minute slots.
- Tuesday
- Open mic night
- Apr 2026
- Listed since
- 6 Nov
- Last checked
- No fee
- Entry
- 12 min
- Slot length
- Community
- Listing status
Last updated: 13 November 2026
Hootananny Open Mic — Quick Facts
Hootananny Open Mic runs on Tuesdays at Hootananny in Inverness, starting at 21:00 with sign-up from 20:30. Below: when it runs, sign-up and slots, the stage kit and how to get there.
The night starts at 21:00 and runs to about 00:00. Sign-up is on the night from 20:30 - get there early to get a slot. Each act gets about 12 minutes, so the night holds around 15 acts. Full backline is listed, so you can travel light - bring your instrument, pedals and breakables.
What’s on in Inverness this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About This Open Mic
Hootananny is Inverness's flagship Scottish folk pub. Tuesday open mic — folk leaning, full backline available.
180 minutes, 15 acts at 12 minutes.
Sign-up process
Sheet at the bar at 8:30pm. Walk-in.
Getting there
67 Church Street, IV1 1ES. 6 minutes from Inverness Rail.
The venue
Multi-floor Scottish folk pub. 18+. Capacity c. 200. Late licence.
What's on stage — equipment and backline at this venue, verified regularly.
The Night at a Glance
How Hootananny’s Tuesday night runs.
Every Tuesday
Tue 17 Nov · Tue 24 Nov · Tue 1 Dec
Hootananny provides a PA system, 3 vocal mics, a drum kit, a guitar amp, a bass amp and an in-house sound engineer; bring your own keys.
Get there by 20:30 for a slot, have your instrument tuned before your turn and keep to about 12 minutes.
Find Hootananny
67 Church Street, City Centre, Inverness IV1 1ES
The nearest station is Inverness (rail station), about 5 minutes' walk away. Hootananny is in City Centre, Inverness — use IV1 1ES for sat-nav, taxis and ride apps. Check the venue's website for parking and the nearest station before you set off.
The Bandstand, Suie Bar, Glachbeg Croft Folk Club and Nairn Community and Arts Centre
Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport (Open Government Licence).
Planning Your Tuesday Night
Be there by 20:30 to put your name down. The open mic runs until about 00:00. Full backline is provided — just bring your instrument and pedals.
What should you charge for a paid gig? Most open mic musicians are ready sooner than they think — try the Rate Calculator for live UK rates by role, city and venue size. A night in the Inverness live music scene.
Common Questions
9 things people ask before turning up at Inverness' Hootananny open mic.
What’s On at Hootananny
The gigs coming up at Hootananny besides the open mic, from the GigXchange directory — each one links its listing.
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Hootananny open mic in brief. The Hootananny open mic runs every Tuesday from 21:00 (no fee listed); sign-up opens 20:30 and slots run about 12 minutes. Coming back with a full band? Hootananny’s venue page has its kit and capacity listed. The open mics near Inverness are listed by day, for another night this week.
Booking or playing in Inverness? 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.
Want paid gigs instead of open mics? See Inverness gigs or check the going rate.
Rooms near Hootananny: An Seomar, An Talla Mhòr Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Eden Court Inverness., Elgin Town Hall, Encore, ETH @Elgin Community Centre, Fochabers Public Institute, Forres Town Hall, Ironworks, Johnny Foxes, Nairn Community and Arts Centre and Northern Meeting Park.
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Run an open mic in Inverness?
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