The Vortex Jazz Club at 11 Gillett Square, Dalston (N16 8AZ) is one of London's most respected independent jazz venues, hosting live performances seven nights a week and programming around 400 shows a year. The booking is deliberately wide-ranging — straightahead, big-band, contemporary, piano trio, vocal, free-improvisation, world-music, Gypsy/East European and folk-orientated jazz all feature, balancing the avant-garde with more accessible sounds. It's home to Mopomoso, the UK's longest-running improv night (fourth Sunday of the month), and supports emerging local talent alongside established international artists. The intimate room seats/stands around 120, with a house piano, full backline and an in-house sound engineer. Contact: 020 3337 0993, info@vortexjazz.co.uk.
Vortex Jazz Club Open Mic
Dalston's Sunday-night free jazz jam at 11 Gillett Square, N16 8AZ — flagship jazz venue, full backline including piano, 10-minute slots.
Last updated: 3 June 2026
Vortex Jazz Club Open Mic — Quick Facts
Dalston's Sunday-night free jazz jam at 11 Gillett Square, N16 8AZ — flagship jazz venue, full backline including piano, 10-minute slots.
Everything you need before you turn up
Where
Vortex Jazz Club11 Gillett Square
Dalston
London N16 8AZ
Dalston, London — check venue website for parking and nearest station.
Highlights
What’s on in London this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About Vortex Jazz Club
About This Open Mic
The Night
The Vortex is one of London's flagship working jazz clubs — paid bills most nights, Sunday late-jam is the open session. House piano and rhythm section drop in to back any singer or instrumentalist who steps up.
c. 2.5 hours, 15 acts at 10 minutes — though the format is loose; players form ad-hoc combos.
Sign-up process
Sheet at the bar at 9pm. Walk-in.
Getting there
11 Gillett Square, N16 8AZ. 6 minutes from Dalston Junction (Overground).
The venue
First-floor jazz club above the square. 18+. Capacity c. 120 seated.
What's on stage — equipment and backline at this venue, verified regularly.
The Night at a Glance
How Vortex Jazz Club’s Sunday night runs.
Find Vortex Jazz Club
11 Gillett Square, Dalston, London N16 8AZ
Planning Your Sunday Night
Arrive by 21:00 to sign up for a slot. Entry is free and the open mic typically runs until 00:00. Full backline is provided — just bring your instrument and pedals.
Part of the London live music scene.
Common Questions
Seven things people ask before turning up at London's Vortex Jazz Club open mic.
Keep up with London
One email a week with live music near you. Free, and it keeps grassroots rooms full.
Help keep grassroots venues open in London
—A UK venue stops hosting live music every 5 days — and turning up is what keeps a room open. Get a free weekly email of gigs in London. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy.
See what’s on in London over the next four weeks →
Booking or playing in London? 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.
Run an open mic in London?
Add yours to the directory free. 2-minute submission, verified within 48 hours. Reach 1,000+ London musicians.
Looking for paid gigs, not open mics?