The Soup Kitchen — now trading simply as SOUP since a light 2020 rebrand under the same ownership — has been a fixture of Manchester's Northern Quarter since 2010, sitting at 31-33 Spear Street (M1 1DF). It's a 200-capacity, two-floor independent built around a stripped-back basement room of decaying brick that's become one of the city's most-loved DIY music and club spaces. The downstairs stage programmes forward-thinking, up-and-coming indie and rock bands, electronica and dance acts, plus regular club nights and DJ sets. Open Wednesday through Saturday (late, with Friday running to 4am), it pairs a ground-floor café-bar with a gig and club basement, and is a genuine grassroots launchpad for emerging Manchester talent.
Northern Quarter · Every Sunday · Free
The Soup Kitchen Open Mic
Northern Quarter's Sunday-night free open mic at 31-33 Spear Street, M1 1DF — basement music venue, full backline, in-house engineer, 12-minute slots.
Open mic at a glance The Soup Kitchen · Manchester
Sunday
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 Soup Kitchen Open Mic — Quick Facts
Northern Quarter's Sunday-night free open mic at 31-33 Spear Street, M1 1DF — basement music venue, full backline, in-house engineer, 12-minute slots.
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The Details
Everything you need before you turn up
DaySunday
Start20:00
Sign-up19:30 walk-in
Slot length12 min
EntryFree · 18+
Capacityc. 150 standing
Performer typesMusic
Sound engineerIn-house, included
View on map
Where
The Soup Kitchen31-33 Spear Street
Northern Quarter
Manchester M1 1DF
Northern Quarter, Manchester — check venue website for parking and nearest station.
Highlights
Free entry for all
Full backline on stage
In-house sound engineer
Walk-in sign-up
Music welcome
How do you rate this open mic?One tap, no sign-up required.
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About The Soup Kitchen
About This Open Mic
Every Sunday in Northern Quarter, Manchester
Kicks off at 20:00, sign-up from 19:30
Free entry for performers and audience
12-minute slots
Full backline on stage
Part of the Manchester open mic directory
The Night
The Soup Kitchen is a Northern Quarter basement music venue. Sunday open mic — full backline.
180 minutes, 15 acts at 12 minutes.
Sign-up process
Sheet at the bar at 7:30pm. Walk-in.
Getting there
31-33 Spear Street, M1 1DF. 4 minutes from Piccadilly Gardens.
The venue
Basement venue. 18+. Capacity c. 150.
What's on stage — equipment and backline at this venue, verified regularly.
PA + monitors
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
3 vocal mics
In-house engineer
The Night at a Glance
How The Soup Kitchen’s Sunday night runs.
19:30Sign-up
20:00Kick-off
23:00Last songs
Every Sunday 12-min slots Free entry
Find The Soup Kitchen
31-33 Spear Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester M1 1DF
Planning Your Sunday Night
Arrive by 19:30 to sign up for a slot. Entry is free and the open mic typically runs until 23:00. Full backline is provided — just bring your instrument and pedals.
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 Soup Kitchen 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.
Full backline: drum kit, guitar amp, bass amp, vocal mics, plus an in-house sound engineer. Bring your own instrument and pedals.
12 minutes per act — typically 3 songs solo.
Yes — free entry for performers and audience. Most Manchester mics are free; browse the list.
Yes — full bands welcome and the backline is set up for it.
31-33 Spear Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester M1 1DF.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Manchester regulars across the Manchester open mic scene. Manchester open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
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