The Copper Bar is an intimate, New York-inspired cocktail bar at 25 Swan Street in Manchester's Northern Quarter (M4 5JZ) that houses Band on the Wall's second stage. It puts on free live music every Friday and Saturday: Fridays bring 'Night Shift', a late session of new UK and international sounds blending jazz, electronic, hip-hop, psychedelic rock and alternative grooves, while Saturdays host 'La Fiesta', a live band celebrating funk, soul, Afrobeat, Latin and jazz — both running from 9pm 'til late with free entry and no advance booking. Alongside the music it serves cocktails, draught beer, wine and sourdough pizzas, with a daily happy hour until 7pm.
Northern Quarter · Every Wednesday · Free
The Copper Bar Open Mic
Manchester open mic at The Copper 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 Copper Bar · Manchester
Wednesday
Open mic night
Apr 2026
Listed since
03 Jun
Last verified
Free
Entry
12 min
Slot length
Community
Listing status
Run a Manchester open mic? List it free — verified within 48 hours
Last updated: 3 June 2026
The Copper Bar Open Mic — Quick Facts
Manchester open mic at The Copper Bar — listed on Google Places. Schedule details below are pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
We need your help verifying thisWas this open mic on recently?10 seconds, no signup
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 Copper Bar25 Swan St
Northern Quarter
Manchester M4 5JZ
Northern Quarter, Manchester — 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 Manchester this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About The Copper Bar
About This Open Mic
Every Wednesday in Northern Quarter, Manchester
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 Manchester open mic directory
The Night
The Copper Bar is listed on Google Places as hosting open mic nights in Manchester. We've verified the venue exists at the address below; the day, start time and slot length still need direct confirmation from the venue.
Getting there
25 Swan St, Manchester M4 5JZ.
Photos
Four photos sourced from Google Places contributors are shown above the map.
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 Copper Bar’s Wednesday night runs.
19:30Sign-up
20:00Kick-off
Every Wednesday 12-min slots Free entry
Find The Copper Bar
25 Swan St, Northern Quarter, Manchester M4 5JZ
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 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 The Copper Bar open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 19:30. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Manchester 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 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.
25 Swan St, Northern Quarter, Manchester M4 5JZ.
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?