The Exchange Bar is a relaxed, cosy bar in the heart of Leicester's Cultural Quarter, opposite the Curve Theatre at 50 Rutland Street (LE1 1RD). It occupies a Grade II-listed 1888 building — originally a printing press, later a furniture store — and has been open since 2000. The Exchange is where live music, comedy and the arts come together: it programmes great local bands across all genres alongside local DJs, plus comedy (winner of Best New Venue at the 2011 Leicester Comedy Festival Awards), swing-dance classes, quizzes and art exhibitions. Open all day from 8:30am to midnight (1am at weekends), with a PA in place for performers.
Leicester · Every Wednesday · Free
The Exchange Bar Open Mic
Leicester open mic at The Exchange Bar — 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 Exchange Bar · Leicester
Wednesday
Open mic night
Apr 2026
Listed since
03 Jun
Last verified
Free
Entry
12 min
Slot length
Verified
Listing status
Run a Leicester open mic? List it free — verified within 48 hours
Last updated: 3 June 2026
The Exchange Bar Open Mic — Quick Facts
Leicester open mic at The Exchange Bar — listed on Google Places. Schedule details below are pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
✓ Verified activeLast verified
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 Exchange Bar50 Rutland St
Leicester LE1 1RD
Leicester — check venue website for parking and nearest station.
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 Leicester this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About The Exchange Bar
About This Open Mic
Every Wednesday in Leicester
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 Leicester open mic directory
The Night
The Exchange Bar on Rutland Street, in Leicester's Cultural Quarter, runs a weekly open mic every Wednesday night hosted by Joey from T O Soul. It's a genuinely broad-church night — "all welcome from rappers to saxophonists" — so you'll hear soul, hip-hop, instrumentalists and singer-songwriters share the same stage. The bar also runs an Open Turn Table vinyl night on the first Thursday of the month, so there's a steady music scene here midweek.
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 Exchange Bar’s Wednesday night runs.
19:30Sign-up
20:00Kick-off
23:30Venue closes
Every Wednesday 12-min slots Free entry
Find The Exchange Bar
50 Rutland St, Leicester LE1 1RD
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 Leicester 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 Leicester's The Exchange Bar open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 19:30. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Leicester 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 Leicester mics are free; browse the list.
Solo and duo acts work best given the gear available; ask the host before bringing a full band.
50 Rutland St, Leicester LE1 1RD.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Leicester regulars across the Leicester open mic scene. Leicester open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
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