The Johnson Arms is a historic two-room local pub at 59 Abbey Street in Dunkirk/Lenton, Nottingham (NG7 2NZ), standing on the bank of the River Leen since the 1860s (originally the Abbey Tavern) and opposite the Queen's Medical Centre near the University of Nottingham. It retains original etched windows and a green-tiled frontage, with a fabulous garden, six cask ales and eleven keg lines, plus homemade pizzas. It hosts an open mic night every Saturday from 8pm where all styles of music are welcome — guitars, vocals or new material — drawing a friendly mix of students and locals.
Nottingham · Every other Thursday · No fee listed
Johnson Arms Open Mic
Nottingham open mic at Johnson Arms — listed on Google Places. Schedule below pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
Kick-off 20:00, sign-up from 19:30. 12-minute slots. No fee listed.
Nearby open micsUpdated 13 November 2026
At a glance
Checked 11 Nov 202620:00
Kick-off
Thursdays
sign-up from 19:30Thursdays
| Night | Every other Thursday |
| Sign-up | 19:30 walk-in |
| Slot | 12 min |
| Entry | No fee listed · 18+ |
| Backline | PA provided |
01 — Inside the room
4 photosPhotos: Google
140
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 | 11 Nov 2026 |
| Checked against | Venue website |
03 — The night
Every other ThursdayHow the night runs
Every other Thursday
Check the date before you goRunning order
19:30 Sign-up· Walk-in
20:00 Kick-off· 12-minute slots
23:00 Venue closes
04 — Find Johnson Arms
DunkirkGetting there
59 Abbey St, Dunkirk,
Nottingham NG7 2NZ
Nottingham NG7 2NZ
The nearest station is Queens Medical Centre (tram stop), about 5 minutes' walk away.
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
Dunkirk, NottinghamAbout the night
Johnson Arms is listed on Google Places as hosting open mic nights in Nottingham. 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
59 Abbey St, Dunkirk, Nottingham NG7 2NZ.
Photos
Four photos sourced from Google Places contributors are shown above the map.
The Johnson Arms is a historic two-room local pub at 59 Abbey Street in Dunkirk/Lenton, Nottingham (NG7 2NZ), standing on the bank of the River Leen since the 1860s (originally the Abbey Tavern) and opposite the Queen's Medical Centre near the University of Nottingham. It retains original etched windows and a green-tiled frontage, with a fabulous garden, six cask ales and eleven keg lines, plus homemade pizzas. It hosts an open mic night every Saturday from 8pm where all styles of music are welcome — guitars, vocals or new material — drawing a friendly mix of students and locals.
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Dunkirk · Every other Thursday
Johnson Arms Open Mic
Nottingham open mic at Johnson Arms — listed on Google Places. Schedule below pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
- Thursday
- Open mic night
- Apr 2026
- Listed since
- 11 Nov
- Last verified
- No fee
- Entry
- 12 min
- Slot length
- Verified
- Listing status
Run a Nottingham open mic? List it free — reviewed before it goes live
Last updated: 13 November 2026
Johnson Arms Open Mic — Quick Facts
Johnson Arms Open Mic runs on Thursdays (fortnightly) at Johnson Arms in Nottingham, starting at 20:00 with sign-up from 19:30. Below: when it runs, sign-up and slots, the stage kit and how to get there.
Open mic status Last verified 11 Nov 2026
How sure we are
Verified active
Checked against the venue’s own listing See Johnson Arms’s venue page →
The night starts at 20:00. Sign-up is on the night from 19:30 - get there 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.
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.
NightThursdayEvery other Thursday
Starts20:00start time
Sign-up19:30Walk-in
Slots12minutes each
What’s on in Nottingham this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About This Open Mic
Johnson Arms is listed on Google Places as hosting open mic nights in Nottingham. 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
59 Abbey St, Dunkirk, Nottingham NG7 2NZ.
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 systemProvided
Drum kitTBC
Guitar ampTBC
Bass ampTBC
Keys / keyboardTBC
Vocal micsTBC
In-house engineerTBC
The Night at a Glance
How Johnson Arms’s Thursday night runs.
Sign-up opens19:30Walk-in on the night
Kick-off20:00Every other Thursday
Venue closes23:00The listed closing time
Slots12minutes each
How often
Every other Thursday
Getting there
Dunkirk, Nottingham, NG7 2NZ - the map is below.
Kit
Johnson Arms provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
First time here?
Get there by 19:30 for a slot, have your instrument tuned before your turn and keep to about 12 minutes.
Find Johnson Arms
59 Abbey St, Dunkirk, Nottingham NG7 2NZ
Address59 Abbey St, Dunkirk
AreaDunkirk, Nottingham
PostcodeNG7 2NZ
DirectionsOpen in Google Maps →
Getting there
The nearest station is Queens Medical Centre (tram stop), about 5 minutes' walk away. Johnson Arms is in Dunkirk, Nottingham — use NG7 2NZ for sat-nav, taxis and ride apps. Check the venue's website for parking and the nearest station before you set off.
Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport (Open Government Licence).
Planning Your Thursday Night
Be there by 19:30 to put your name down. Johnson Arms 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 Nottingham live music scene.
Common Questions
9 questions people ask before going to Nottingham's Johnson Arms open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 19:30. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Nottingham open mic nights for alternatives.
Johnson Arms provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
12 minutes per act — typically 3 songs solo.
No entry fee is listed for Johnson Arms's open mic - most open mics are free to play and to watch, but check with the venue before you go. Browse Nottingham open mics.
Ask the host before bringing a full band — solo and duo acts are the usual open-mic format.
59 Abbey St, Dunkirk, Nottingham NG7 2NZ.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Nottingham regulars across the Nottingham open mic scene. Nottingham open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
The nearest station is Queens Medical Centre (tram stop), about 5 minutes' walk away. For sat-nav and taxis, the postcode is NG7 2NZ. (Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport, Open Government Licence.)
Sign-up is walk-in on the night, from 19:30, so you do not need to book ahead. GigXchange doesn't publish venue phone numbers or emails. Browse other Nottingham open mics.
Venues Near Johnson Arms
No other gigs are listed at Johnson Arms in the GigXchange directory yet — these are the rooms around it, their size, kit and live nights.
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Johnson Arms open mic in brief. The Johnson Arms open mic runs every other Thursday from 20:00 (no fee listed); sign-up opens 19:30 and slots run about 12 minutes. Johnson Arms’ venue page has its kit and capacity if you want to come back with a full band. For another night this week, the open mics near Nottingham are listed by day.
Booking or playing in Nottingham? 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 Nottingham open mics
All ›After paid gigs rather than open mics? See Nottingham gigs or check the going rate.
10 — Venues near Johnson Arms
All ›More rooms near Johnson Arms: Canvas Mansfield, Colwick Country Park, Colwick Park, Cross Keys - Nottingham, Das Kino, George Street WMC, GHOST Nottingham, Gilt, Hand & Heart, Hole In The Wall and Ilkeston Town FC.
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