The Vaults Bar is the characterful bar of The Bull Hotel, a former coaching inn on Watling Street at 64 High Street, Stony Stratford (MK11 1AQ), in the Milton Keynes area. It keeps four well-regarded cask beers and is best known for its live music: a free Sunday acoustic session from 12:30pm that is now in its 45th year and claims to be the longest continually running music session in England, mixing English, Irish, French and American tunes and songs. The venue also hosts 'Vaultage' open-mic sessions and regular live music through the week. A house PA is provided and both originals and covers are welcome.
Milton Keynes · Every Sunday · No fee listed
The Vaults Bar Open Mic
Milton Keynes open mic at The Vaults Bar — listed on Google Places. Schedule details below are pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
Next night: Sun 15 Nov. Kick-off 12:30, sign-up from 12:30. 12-minute slots. No fee listed.
Nearby open micsUpdated 13 November 2026
At a glance
Checked 24 Sept 202612:30
Kick-off
Sundays
sign-up from 12:30Sundays
| Night | Every Sunday |
| Sign-up | 12:30 walk-in |
| Slot | 12 min |
| Entry | No fee listed · 18+ |
| Backline | PA provided |
01 — Inside the room
4 photosPhotos: Google
181
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 |
The check
| Status | Verified running |
| Last checked | 24 Sept 2026 |
| Checked against | Web listing |
03 — The night
Every SundayHow the night runs
12:30
Kick-off
SundaysRunning order
12:30 Kick-off· 12-minute slots
22:00 Venue closes
04 — Find The Vaults Bar
Stony StratfordGetting there
64 High St, Stony Stratford,
Milton Keynes MK11 1AQ
Milton Keynes MK11 1AQ
The nearest station is Wolverton (rail station), about 2 miles away - a taxi or bus is the easier last leg.
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
Stony Stratford, Milton KeynesAbout the night
The Vaults Sunday Session is a Sunday LUNCHTIME session, not an evening one - it starts at 12.30pm in the Vaults Bar behind the Bull Hotel on Stony Stratford High Street. It is now in its 46th year and claims to be the longest continually running music session in England.
How the night runs
Played around the room: everyone present gets a turn to lead a song or a tune, so there is no running order to get onto and no need to book in advance. Expect English, Irish, French and American tunes and songs, with the occasional pop song thrown in. Come early if you want a seat.
What's provided
Nothing amplified is needed - the session is played acoustically. Bring your instrument, or just your ears.
Cost
Free.
Getting there
64 High St, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes MK11 1AQ.
Photos
Four photos sourced from Google Places contributors are shown above the map.
The Vaults Bar is the characterful bar of The Bull Hotel, a former coaching inn on Watling Street at 64 High Street, Stony Stratford (MK11 1AQ), in the Milton Keynes area. It keeps four well-regarded cask beers and is best known for its live music: a free Sunday acoustic session from 12:30pm that is now in its 45th year and claims to be the longest continually running music session in England, mixing English, Irish, French and American tunes and songs. The venue also hosts 'Vaultage' open-mic sessions and regular live music through the week. A house PA is provided and both originals and covers are welcome.
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Stony Stratford · Every Sunday
The Vaults Bar Open Mic
Milton Keynes open mic at The Vaults Bar — listed on Google Places. Schedule details below are pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
- Sunday
- Open mic night
- Apr 2026
- Listed since
- 24 Sept
- Last verified
- No fee
- Entry
- 12 min
- Slot length
- Verified
- Listing status
Run a Milton Keynes open mic? List it free — reviewed before it goes live
Last updated: 13 November 2026
The Vaults Bar Open Mic — Quick Facts
The Vaults Bar Open Mic runs on Sundays at The Vaults Bar in Milton Keynes, starting at 12:30 with sign-up from 12:30. Below: when it runs, sign-up and slots, the stage kit and how to get there.
Open mic status Last verified 24 Sept 2026
How sure we are
Verified active
Checked against the venue’s own listing See The Vaults Bar’s venue page →
The night starts at 12:30. It's walk-in sign-up, with the list opening at 12:30 - arrive early to get a slot. Slots run about 12 minutes. There is a PA listed - ask what else is on stage before you load in.
Next nightSun 15 Nov · 12:30Starts in 2d 04h 52m
Age18+
Sign-upWalk-in on the night
BacklinePA provided
Sound engineerAsk the venue
Directory statusVerified active
Member votes0 to get the venue on GigXchange
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.
NightSundayEvery SundayNext: Sun 15 Nov
Starts12:30start time
Sign-up12:30Walk-in
Slots12minutes each
What’s on in Milton Keynes this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About This Open Mic
The Vaults Sunday Session is a Sunday LUNCHTIME session, not an evening one - it starts at 12.30pm in the Vaults Bar behind the Bull Hotel on Stony Stratford High Street. It is now in its 46th year and claims to be the longest continually running music session in England.
How the night runs
Played around the room: everyone present gets a turn to lead a song or a tune, so there is no running order to get onto and no need to book in advance. Expect English, Irish, French and American tunes and songs, with the occasional pop song thrown in. Come early if you want a seat.
What's provided
Nothing amplified is needed - the session is played acoustically. Bring your instrument, or just your ears.
Cost
Free.
Getting there
64 High St, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes MK11 1AQ.
Photos
Four photos sourced from Google Places contributors are shown above the map.
Equipment and backline at this venue — what's on stage, verified regularly.
PA systemProvided
Drum kitTBC
Guitar ampTBC
Bass ampTBC
Keys / keyboardTBC
Vocal micsTBC
In-house engineerTBC
The Night at a Glance
How The Vaults Bar’s Sunday night runs.
Next nightSun 15 Nov · 12:30Starts in 2d 04h 52m
Sign-up opens · Kick-off12:30Walk-in on the night
Venue closes22:00The listed closing time
Slots12minutes each
How often
Every Sunday
Coming up
Sun 15 Nov · Sun 22 Nov · Sun 29 Nov
Kit
The Vaults Bar provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
First time here?
Get there by 12:30 for a slot, have your instrument tuned before your turn and keep to about 12 minutes.
Find The Vaults Bar
64 High St, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes MK11 1AQ
Address64 High St, Stony Stratford
AreaStony Stratford, Milton Keynes
PostcodeMK11 1AQ
DirectionsOpen in Google Maps →
Getting there
The nearest station is Wolverton (rail station), about 2 miles away - a taxi or bus is the easier last leg. The Vaults Bar is in Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes — use MK11 1AQ 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
Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport (Open Government Licence).
Planning Your Sunday Night
Be there by 12:30 to put your name down. The Vaults Bar provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
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What should you charge for a paid gig? Most open mic musicians are ready sooner than they think — try the Rate Calculator for live UK rates by role, city and venue size. In the wider Milton Keynes live music scene.
Common Questions
9 things people ask before turning up at Milton Keynes' The Vaults Bar open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 12:30. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Milton Keynes open mic nights for alternatives.
The Vaults Bar provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
12 minutes per act — typically 3 songs solo.
No entry fee is listed for The Vaults Bar's open mic - most open mics are free to play and to watch, but check with the venue before you go. Browse Milton Keynes open mics.
Ask the host before bringing a full band — solo and duo acts are the usual open-mic format.
64 High St, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes MK11 1AQ.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Milton Keynes regulars across the Milton Keynes open mic scene. Milton Keynes open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
The nearest station is Wolverton (rail station), about 2 miles away - a taxi or bus is the easier last leg. For sat-nav and taxis, the postcode is MK11 1AQ. (Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport, Open Government Licence.)
Sign-up is walk-in on the night, from 12:30, so you do not need to book ahead. GigXchange doesn't publish venue phone numbers or emails. Browse other Milton Keynes open mics.
Venues Near The Vaults Bar
No other gigs are listed at The Vaults Bar in the GigXchange directory yet — these are the rooms around it, their size, kit and live nights.
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The Vaults Bar open mic in brief. The Vaults Bar open mic runs every Sunday from 12:30 (no fee listed); sign-up opens 12:30 and slots run about 12 minutes. Coming back with a full band? The Vaults Bar’s venue page has its kit and capacity listed. The open mics near Milton Keynes are listed by day, for another night this week.
Booking or playing in Milton Keynes? 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 Milton Keynes open mics
All ›Looking for paid gigs, not open mics? See Milton Keynes gigs or check the going rate.
10 — Venues near The Vaults Bar
All ›More rooms near The Vaults Bar: MK11, Revolución de Cuba Milton Keynes, Silverstone Circuit, The Countryman, The Craufurd Arms, The Crooked Crow Bar, The Dukes, The Heath Inn, The National Bowl, The Rose and Crown and The Stables.
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