The Cumberland Arms is a much-loved traditional pub in the heart of Newcastle's Ouseburn Valley, overlooking the Ouseburn from James Place Street (NE6 1LD). It is one of the homes of folk sessions in Newcastle, with a wide range of traditional music and singing in the back bar most nights, and a programme of ticketed gigs, comedy and theatre upstairs. The 2026 calendar already lists touring acts such as Lily Seabird (1 September) and Dani Larkin (6 November), typically starting at 7:30pm. A genuine grassroots music venue, it pairs cask ales and real cider with a packed events diary across folk, acoustic and indie.
Newcastle · Monthly on Tuesdays · Free
The Cumberland Arms Open Mic
Newcastle open mic at The Cumberland Arms — 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 Cumberland Arms · Newcastle
Tuesday
Open mic night
Apr 2026
Listed since
03 Sept
Last verified
Free
Entry
12 min
Slot length
Verified
Listing status
Run a Newcastle open mic? List it free — verified within 48 hours
Last updated: 3 September 2026
The Cumberland Arms Open Mic — Quick Facts
Newcastle open mic at The Cumberland Arms — listed on Google Places. Schedule details below are pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
✓ Verified activeLast verified
The Details
Everything you need before you turn up
DayTuesday
Start20:00
Sign-up19:30 walk-in
Slot length12 min
EntryFree · 18+
Capacity–
Performer typesMusicians
Sound engineerBYO / hire on the night
View on map
Where
The Cumberland ArmsJames Pl St
Newcastle NE6 1LD
Newcastle — check venue website for parking and nearest station.
Highlights
Free entry for all
PA system provided
Walk-in sign-up
Musicians welcome
How do you rate this open mic?One tap, no sign-up required.
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About The Cumberland Arms
About This Open Mic
Monthly on Tuesdays in Newcastle
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 Newcastle open mic directory
The Night
The Cumberland Arms is a much-loved independent pub above the Ouseburn Valley, a home for folk, traditional music, dance, comedy and poetry rather than a conventional sign-up open mic. What the pub's own events page lists is a week of participatory sessions. The Tuesday slot is the Global Music Session on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesdays from 8pm onwards, open to players of any tradition who want to join in. If you want to sing or play your own material, the Jam Session on the 1st and 3rd Sunday from 8pm is the closest thing to a classic open mic here.
The full weekly pattern
- 1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesdays, 8pm: Global Music Session - 2nd Tuesday, 8pm: Come All Ye singing session - 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 1pm to 3pm: Ukes4Fun ukulele session - Every Wednesday, 8pm: Mostly Irish Session - 2nd and 4th Thursdays, 8pm: Old Time Music Session - Every Friday, 8pm: An Crúiscín Làn Irish session - 1st Sunday, 2pm to 5pm: Ballad Club - 1st and 3rd Sunday, 8pm: Jam Session
There is also an occasional Let 'Em Speak FLINTA comedy open mic (next listed Tuesday 27 October 2026, 7:30pm, free).
Sign-up process
Sessions are join-in rather than sign-up: bring your instrument and ask whoever is leading. No fee is published.
Getting there
James Place Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle upon Tyne NE6 1LD, up the bank on the Byker side of the valley, a short walk from The Cluny and the other Ouseburn venues.
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 Cumberland Arms’s Tuesday night runs.
19:30Sign-up
20:00Kick-off
23:00Venue closes
Monthly on Tuesdays 12-min slots Free entry
Find The Cumberland Arms
James Pl St, Newcastle NE6 1LD
Planning Your Tuesday 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 Newcastle 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 Newcastle's The Cumberland Arms open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 19:30. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Newcastle 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 Newcastle mics are free; browse the list.
Solo and duo acts work best given the gear available; ask the host before bringing a full band.
James Pl St, Newcastle NE6 1LD.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Newcastle regulars across the Newcastle open mic scene. Newcastle open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
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