The Wig and Pen is a 300-year-old town-centre pub at 19 St Giles' Street, Northampton, with a long L-shaped bar added some 150 years ago. It brings a diverse range of live music every week of the year: DJs on Friday and Saturday, and Sunday shows pairing an acoustic set in the afternoon with a headline band in the early evening (bands typically finishing before 8pm). It has a house PA and welcomes both originals and covers across mixed, acoustic and DJ-led styles. Open Mon-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri 11am-1am, Sat 11am-2am, Sun noon-9pm.
Northampton · Every other Wednesday · No fee listed
The Wig and Pen Open Mic
St Giles Street's wednesday open mic.
Kick-off 20:00. No fee listed.
Nearby open micsUpdated 13 November 2026
At a glance
Checked 24 Oct 202620:00
Kick-off
Wednesdays
sign-up on the nightWednesdays
| Night | Every other Wednesday |
| Sign-up | Walk-in |
| Slot | Ask the host |
| Entry | No fee listed · all ages |
| Backline | PA provided |
01 — Inside the room
4 photosPhotos: Google
196
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0 members voted to bring the venue onto GigXchange02 — The details
Before you goEverything you need to know
0
Member votes
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| Capacity | – |
| Performer types | Musicians |
The check
| Status | Verified running |
| Last checked | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Checked against | Venue website |
03 — The night
Every other WednesdayHow the night runs
Every other Wednesday
Check the date before you goRunning order
20:00 Kick-off
22:00 Venue closes
04 — Find The Wig and Pen
St Giles StreetGetting there
St Giles Street, Northampton
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
St Giles Street, NorthamptonAbout the night
The Wig and Pen is a traditional, history-steeped freehouse on St Giles Street in the heart of Northampton town centre, with live music programmed throughout the year. Its open mic runs fortnightly on Wednesday evenings from 8pm and is genuinely all-welcome - whether you want to showcase your own songs or just soak up some of Northampton's best local talent. Entry is free; turn up, add your name and play.
Dates
The pub publishes the whole year's open mic dates on a poster on its What's On page - every other Wednesday, with 2026's run finishing on 2 and 16 December - so check there for the next night.
The Wig and Pen is a 300-year-old town-centre pub at 19 St Giles' Street, Northampton, with a long L-shaped bar added some 150 years ago. It brings a diverse range of live music every week of the year: DJs on Friday and Saturday, and Sunday shows pairing an acoustic set in the afternoon with a headline band in the early evening (bands typically finishing before 8pm). It has a house PA and welcomes both originals and covers across mixed, acoustic and DJ-led styles. Open Mon-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri 11am-1am, Sat 11am-2am, Sun noon-9pm.
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St Giles Street · Every other Wednesday
The Wig and Pen Open Mic
St Giles Street's wednesday open mic. Starts at 20:00.
- Wednesday
- Open mic night
- May 2026
- Listed since
- 24 Oct
- Last verified
- No fee
- Entry
- —
- Sign-up time
- Verified
- Listing status
Run a Northampton open mic? List it free — reviewed before it goes live
Last updated: 13 November 2026
The Wig and Pen Open Mic — Quick Facts
The Wig and Pen Open Mic runs on Wednesdays (fortnightly) at The Wig and Pen in Northampton, starting at 20:00. Below: when it runs, sign-up and slots, the stage kit and how to get there.
Open mic status Last verified 24 Oct 2026
How sure we are
Verified active
Checked against the venue’s own listing See The Wig and Pen’s venue page →
The night starts at 20:00. Sign-up is on the night - get there early to get a slot. There is a PA listed - ask what else is on stage before you load in.
AgeAll ages
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.
NightWednesdayEvery other Wednesday
Starts20:00start time
Sign-upWalk-insign-up
SlotsTBCslot lengthNot confirmed yet
What’s on in Northampton this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About This Open Mic
The Wig and Pen is a traditional, history-steeped freehouse on St Giles Street in the heart of Northampton town centre, with live music programmed throughout the year. Its open mic runs fortnightly on Wednesday evenings from 8pm and is genuinely all-welcome - whether you want to showcase your own songs or just soak up some of Northampton's best local talent. Entry is free; turn up, add your name and play.
Dates
The pub publishes the whole year's open mic dates on a poster on its What's On page - every other Wednesday, with 2026's run finishing on 2 and 16 December - so check there for the next night.
The kit on stage — equipment and backline at this venue, verified regularly.
PA systemProvided
Drum kitTBC
Guitar ampTBC
Bass ampTBC
Keys / keyboardTBC
Vocal micsTBC
In-house engineerTBC
The Night at a Glance
How The Wig and Pen’s Wednesday night runs.
Kick-off20:00Every other Wednesday
Venue closes22:00The listed closing time
How often
Every other Wednesday
Getting there
St Giles Street, Northampton - the map is below.
Kit
The Wig and Pen provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
First time here?
Arrive early to get your name on the list, tune up before you go on.
Find The Wig and Pen
St Giles Street, Northampton
AreaSt Giles Street, Northampton
DirectionsOpen in Google Maps →
Getting there
You'll find The Wig and Pen in St Giles Street, Northampton. Check the venue's website for parking and the nearest station.
Open mics nearby
Shipmans, The Artichoke Inn, Althorp Coaching Inn and The Artizan
Planning Your Wednesday Night
Arrive early to get your name down. The Wig and Pen 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. Part of the Northampton live music scene.
Common Questions
8 things people want to know before Northampton's The Wig and Pen open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Northampton open mic nights for alternatives.
The Wig and Pen provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
Slot length varies — check with the host.
No entry fee is listed for The Wig and Pen's open mic - most open mics are free to play and to watch, but check with the venue before you go. Browse Northampton open mics.
Ask the host before bringing a full band — solo and duo acts are the usual open-mic format.
The Wig and Pen is in St Giles Street, Northampton. Get directions, or see the other Northampton open mics.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Northampton regulars across the Northampton open mic scene. Northampton open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
Sign-up is walk-in on the night, so you do not need to book ahead. GigXchange doesn't publish venue phone numbers or emails. Browse other Northampton open mics.
Venues Near The Wig and Pen
No other gigs are listed at The Wig and Pen in the GigXchange directory yet — these are the rooms around it, their size, kit and live nights.
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See what’s on in Northampton over the next four weeks →
The Wig and Pen open mic in brief. The Wig and Pen open mic runs every other Wednesday from 20:00 (no fee listed). Coming back with a full band? The Wig and Pen’s venue page has its kit and capacity listed. For another night this week, the open mics near Northampton are listed by day.
Booking or playing in Northampton? 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 Northampton open mics
All ›After paid gigs rather than open mics? See Northampton gigs or check the going rate.
10 — Venues near The Wig and Pen
All ›More rooms near The Wig and Pen: Olde England, Olde Red Lion, Roadmender, Royal and Derngate, Shipmans, Stanford Hall, The Artichoke Inn, The Artizan, The Bell, Addington, The Black Prince and The Charles Bradlaugh.
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