The Frog and Bucket is Manchester's best-known alternative comedy club, running since 1994 at 102 Oldham Street in the Northern Quarter. This is a comedy venue rather than a live-music room — its programme is built around stand-up, not bands. The legendary Monday-night 'Beat the Frog' is a brutal, free five-minute open-mic competition that launched stars including Jason Manford and Sarah Millican; weekend shows (Thursday-Sunday) feature established circuit comedians, with a late-night DJ after the main weekend bills. Capacity around 250, with a cabaret-style room and bar. Winner of Chortle's Best Northern Comedy Venue (2023/24 and 2024/25). Note: the open mic here is for comedians, not musicians.
Manchester · Every Monday · Free
Frog and Bucket Comedy Club Open Mic
Manchester open mic at Frog and Bucket Comedy Club — listed on Google Places. Schedule below pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
Open mic at a glance Frog and Bucket Comedy Club · Manchester
Monday
Open mic night
Apr 2026
Listed since
10 Aug
Last verified
Free
Entry
5 min
Slot length
Verified
Listing status
Run a Manchester open mic? List it free — verified within 48 hours
Last updated: 10 August 2026
Frog and Bucket Comedy Club Open Mic — Quick Facts
Manchester open mic at Frog and Bucket Comedy Club — listed on Google Places. Schedule below pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
✓ Verified activeLast verified
The Details
Everything you need before you turn up
DayMonday
Start20:00
Sign-up19:30
Slot length5 min
EntryFree · 18+
Capacity–
Performer typesComedy
Sound engineerBYO / hire on the night
View on map
Where
Frog and Bucket Comedy Club102 Oldham St
Manchester M4 1LJ
Manchester — check venue website for parking and nearest station.
Highlights
Free entry for all
PA system provided
Sign-up via online
Comedy 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 Manchester this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About Frog and Bucket Comedy Club
About This Open Mic
Every Monday in Manchester
Kicks off at 20:00, sign-up from 19:30
Free entry for performers and audience
5-minute slots
PA provided — BYO instrument
Part of the Manchester open mic directory
The Night
The Frog & Bucket in the Northern Quarter runs 'Beat the Frog' — its legendary amateur stand-up night, every single Monday from 8pm. Up to 15 acts try to survive five minutes on stage without being carded off by the audience; last the full five and you've 'Beaten the Frog'. It's a comedy open mic (Peter Kay, John Bishop and Johnny Vegas all cut their teeth here), entry is a few pounds, and you sign up to perform via beatthefrog.co.uk.
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 Frog and Bucket Comedy Club’s Monday night runs.
19:30Sign-up
20:00Kick-off
23:00Venue closes
Every Monday 5-min slots Free entry
Find Frog and Bucket Comedy Club
102 Oldham St, Manchester M4 1LJ
Planning Your Monday 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 Manchester 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 Manchester's Frog and Bucket Comedy Club open mic.
Sign-up via online. See all Manchester open mic nights.
PA + vocal mic provided. BYO instrument and amp.
5 minutes per act — typically 1 songs solo.
Yes — free entry for performers and audience. Most Manchester mics are free; browse the list.
Solo and duo acts work best given the gear available; ask the host before bringing a full band.
102 Oldham St, Manchester M4 1LJ.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Manchester regulars across the Manchester open mic scene. Manchester open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
Keep up with Manchester
One email a week with live music near you. Free, and it keeps grassroots rooms full.
Help keep grassroots venues open in Manchester
—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 Manchester. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy.
See what’s on in Manchester over the next four weeks →
Booking or playing in Manchester? 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 Manchester?
Add yours to the directory free. 2-minute submission, verified within 48 hours. Reach 1,000+ Manchester musicians.
Looking for paid gigs, not open mics?