The SoundHouse is one of Leicester's best-loved dedicated live-music venues, a roughly 200-capacity club at 28 Southampton Street (LE1 1SJ) in the Castle area. It welcomes a mix of local and touring artists across a wide range of genres — rock, indie, acoustic and more — with a busy gig calendar that runs well into 2026 (acts booked from spring through to Space's October 2026 tour date). It also runs one of the city's best-loved open-mic nights every Tuesday. With a regular programme of original-music gigs and a strong grassroots ethos, it's a cornerstone of the Leicester scene.
Leicester · Every Tuesday · Free
The SoundHouse Leicester Open Mic
Leicester open mic at The SoundHouse Leicester — listed on Google Places. Schedule below pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
Next night: Tue 17 Nov. Kick-off 19:00, sign-up from 19:30. 12-minute slots. Free entry.
Nearby open micsUpdated 13 November 2026
At a glance
Checked 23 Sept 202619:00
Kick-off
Tuesdays
sign-up from 19:30Tuesdays
| Night | Every Tuesday |
| Sign-up | 19:30 walk-in |
| Slot | 12 min |
| Entry | Free · 18+ |
| Backline | PA provided |
01 — Inside the room
4 photosPhotos: Google
194
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 |
| Website | thesoundhouseleicester.co.uk |
The check
| Status | Verified running |
| Last checked | 23 Sept 2026 |
| Checked against | Web listing |
03 — The night
Every TuesdayHow the night runs
19:00
Kick-off
TuesdaysRunning order
19:00 Kick-off· 12-minute slots
23:30 Venue closes
04 — Find The SoundHouse Leicester
LeicesterGetting there
28 Southampton St,
Leicester LE1 1SJ
Leicester LE1 1SJ
The nearest station is Leicester (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
LeicesterAbout the night
The Soundhouse on Southampton Street runs one of Leicester's best loved and longest-running open mic nights, every Tuesday from 7pm, hosted by Mike Howard-Ahern. It's an informal, pub-like room but with proper professional sound and lighting run by experienced in-house technicians, so you'll sound your best whatever you bring. Free to play and free to watch, with a friendly mix of local regulars and the occasional touring act passing through.
The SoundHouse is one of Leicester's best-loved dedicated live-music venues, a roughly 200-capacity club at 28 Southampton Street (LE1 1SJ) in the Castle area. It welcomes a mix of local and touring artists across a wide range of genres — rock, indie, acoustic and more — with a busy gig calendar that runs well into 2026 (acts booked from spring through to Space's October 2026 tour date). It also runs one of the city's best-loved open-mic nights every Tuesday. With a regular programme of original-music gigs and a strong grassroots ethos, it's a cornerstone of the Leicester scene.
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Leicester · Every Tuesday
The SoundHouse Leicester Open Mic
Leicester open mic at The SoundHouse Leicester — listed on Google Places. Schedule below pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
- Tuesday
- Open mic night
- Apr 2026
- Listed since
- 23 Sept
- Last verified
- Free
- Entry
- 12 min
- Slot length
- Verified
- Listing status
Run a Leicester open mic? List it free — reviewed before it goes live
Last updated: 13 November 2026
The SoundHouse Leicester Open Mic — Quick Facts
The SoundHouse Leicester Open Mic runs on Tuesdays at The SoundHouse Leicester in Leicester, starting at 19:00 with sign-up from 19:30. Below: when it runs, sign-up and slots, the stage kit and how to get there.
Open mic status Last verified 23 Sept 2026
How sure we are
Verified active
Checked against the venue’s own listing See The SoundHouse Leicester’s venue page →
Music starts around 19:00. It's walk-in sign-up, with the list opening at 19:30 - arrive early to get a slot. Slots run about 12 minutes. A PA is listed; check what else is on stage before you bring a band.
Next nightTue 17 Nov · 19:00Starts in 4d 11h 21m
Age18+
Sign-upWalk-in on the night
BacklinePA provided
Sound engineerAsk the venue
Directory statusVerified active
Member votes0 to get the venue on GigXchange
Websitethesoundhouseleicester.co.uk
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.
NightTuesdayEvery TuesdayNext: Tue 17 Nov
Starts19:00start time
Sign-up19:30Walk-in
Slots12minutes each
What’s on in Leicester this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About This Open Mic
The Soundhouse on Southampton Street runs one of Leicester's best loved and longest-running open mic nights, every Tuesday from 7pm, hosted by Mike Howard-Ahern. It's an informal, pub-like room but with proper professional sound and lighting run by experienced in-house technicians, so you'll sound your best whatever you bring. Free to play and free to watch, with a friendly mix of local regulars and the occasional touring act passing through.
The kit 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 The SoundHouse Leicester’s Tuesday night runs.
Next nightTue 17 Nov · 19:00Starts in 4d 11h 21m
Kick-off19:00Every Tuesday
Sign-up opens19:30Walk-in on the night
Venue closes23:30The listed closing time
Slots12minutes each
How often
Every Tuesday
Coming up
Tue 17 Nov · Tue 24 Nov · Tue 1 Dec
Kit
The SoundHouse Leicester provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
First time here?
Get there by 19:30 for a slot, have your instrument tuned before your turn and keep to about 12 minutes.
Find The SoundHouse Leicester
28 Southampton St, Leicester LE1 1SJ
Address28 Southampton St
AreaLeicester
PostcodeLE1 1SJ
DirectionsOpen in Google Maps →
Getting there
The nearest station is Leicester (rail station), about 5 minutes' walk away. The SoundHouse Leicester is in Leicester — use LE1 1SJ for sat-nav, taxis and ride apps. Check the venue's website for parking and the nearest station before you set off.
Open mics nearby
The Black Dog, The Cookie, The Western Pub and The Organ Grinder
Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport (Open Government Licence).
Planning Your Tuesday Night
Be there by 19:30 to put your name down. The SoundHouse Leicester provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
The scene Live music in Leicesterthe venues, the gigs and where it happensGet gigs How to get gigs in Leicesterpay, venues that book, how to pitchBands Find a band in Leicesteracts to book or play alongsideGigs Upcoming gigs in Leicesterevery listing, sorted by dateArtists Browse artist profilesfind acts to play or collaborate withOpen mics UK Open Mic Finderfree stage time, night by night
How much should paid gigs pay you? 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 Leicester live music scene.
Common Questions
9 things people ask before turning up at Leicester's The SoundHouse Leicester 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.
The SoundHouse Leicester provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
12 minutes per act — typically 3 songs solo.
Yes, entry to The SoundHouse Leicester's open mic was free at our last check, but check with the venue before you go. Browse Leicester open mics.
Ask the host before bringing a full band — solo and duo acts are the usual open-mic format.
28 Southampton St, Leicester LE1 1SJ.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Leicester regulars across the Leicester open mic scene. Leicester open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
The nearest station is Leicester (rail station), about 5 minutes' walk away. For sat-nav and taxis, the postcode is LE1 1SJ. (Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport, Open Government Licence.)
Sign-up is walk-in on the night, from 19:30, 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 Leicester open mics.
Venues Near The SoundHouse Leicester
No other gigs are listed at The SoundHouse Leicester in the GigXchange directory yet — these are the rooms around it, their size, kit and live nights.
08 — Keep up with Leicester
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See what’s on in Leicester over the next four weeks →
The SoundHouse Leicester open mic in brief. The SoundHouse Leicester open mic runs every Tuesday from 19:00 (free entry); sign-up opens 19:30 and slots run about 12 minutes. Coming back with a full band? The SoundHouse Leicester’s venue page has its kit and capacity listed. For another night this week, the open mics near Leicester are listed by day.
Booking or playing in Leicester? 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.
09 — More Leicester open mics
All ›Want paid gigs instead of open mics? See Leicester gigs or check the going rate.
10 — Venues near The SoundHouse Leicester
All ›More rooms near The SoundHouse Leicester: Inside No 9, Katie O'Brien's Irish Tavern, MMC Venue, Mosh, Queen of Bradgate, Sally Cinnamon's Music Venue, The Donkey, The Old Horse, The Salmon, The Shed and The Western Pub.
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