The James Street Tavern is a Victorian-style bar at 47-48 James Street in east Oxford (OX4 1EU), reborn as one of the city's top music pubs after a major refurbishment in March 2019. It serves French-style bar food, well-kept real ales and cocktails, with a 100-seat secret terrace at the rear. Live music runs every Friday and Saturday, with a weekly open mic and further live music on Sundays — events cover most days of the week, making it a dependable grassroots stage for Oxford performers.
Oxford · Every Sunday · No fee listed
James St. Tavern Open Mic
Oxford open mic at James St. Tavern — listed on Google Places. Schedule below pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
Next night: Sun 15 Nov. Kick-off 14:30, sign-up from 19:30. 12-minute slots. No fee listed.
Nearby open micsUpdated 13 November 2026
At a glance
Checked 6 Nov 202614:30
Kick-off
Sundays
sign-up from 19:30Sundays
| Night | Every Sunday |
| Sign-up | 19:30 walk-in |
| Slot | 12 min |
| Entry | No fee listed · 18+ |
| Backline | PA provided |
01 — Inside the room
4 photosPhotos: Google
155
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 | 6 Nov 2026 |
| Checked against | Web listing |
03 — The night
Every SundayHow the night runs
14:30
Kick-off
SundaysRunning order
14:30 Kick-off· 12-minute slots
18:00 Last songs
23:00 Venue closes
04 — Find James St. Tavern
OxfordGetting there
38 James St,
Oxford OX4 1EU
Oxford OX4 1EU
The nearest station is Oxford (rail station), about 1.5 miles away - a taxi or bus is the easier last leg.
05 — What's on stage
3 provided · 4 TBC| PA system | Provided |
| Drum kit | TBC |
| Guitar amp | Provided |
| Bass amp | TBC |
| Keys / keyboard | Provided |
| Vocal mics | TBC |
| In-house engineer | TBC |
06 — About
OxfordAbout the night
The James St. Tavern is a traditional Oxford pub with a great real-ale selection and a proper little stage with good lights and acoustics. Its music open mic runs every Sunday afternoon from 2:30pm to 6pm, with a top house PA plus a guitar and keyboard provided, welcoming everything from acoustic and folk to blues, jazz and funk. The pub also hosts a separate weekly comedy open mic, 'You Should've Been Here Last Week', on Thursdays.
The James Street Tavern is a Victorian-style bar at 47-48 James Street in east Oxford (OX4 1EU), reborn as one of the city's top music pubs after a major refurbishment in March 2019. It serves French-style bar food, well-kept real ales and cocktails, with a 100-seat secret terrace at the rear. Live music runs every Friday and Saturday, with a weekly open mic and further live music on Sundays — events cover most days of the week, making it a dependable grassroots stage for Oxford performers.
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Oxford · Every Sunday
James St. Tavern Open Mic
Oxford open mic at James St. Tavern — listed on Google Places. Schedule below pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
- Sunday
- Open mic night
- Apr 2026
- Listed since
- 6 Nov
- Last verified
- No fee
- Entry
- 12 min
- Slot length
- Verified
- Listing status
Run a Oxford open mic? List it free — reviewed before it goes live
Last updated: 13 November 2026
James St. Tavern Open Mic — Quick Facts
James St. Tavern Open Mic runs on Sundays at James St. Tavern in Oxford, starting at 14:30 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 6 Nov 2026
How sure we are
Verified active
Checked against the venue’s own listing See James St. Tavern’s venue page →
Music starts around 14:30, finishing about 18:00. Sign-up is on the night from 19:30 - get there early to get a slot. Slots run about 12 minutes - room for roughly 17 acts. There is a PA listed - ask what else is on stage before you load in.
Next nightSun 15 Nov · 14:30Starts in 2d 06h 51m
Age18+
Sign-upWalk-in on the night
BacklinePA provided
Sound engineerAsk the venue
Directory statusVerified active
Member votes0 to get the venue on GigXchange
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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
Starts14:30until 18:00
Sign-up19:30Walk-in
Slots12minutes eachRoom for about 17 acts
What’s on in Oxford this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About This Open Mic
The James St. Tavern is a traditional Oxford pub with a great real-ale selection and a proper little stage with good lights and acoustics. Its music open mic runs every Sunday afternoon from 2:30pm to 6pm, with a top house PA plus a guitar and keyboard provided, welcoming everything from acoustic and folk to blues, jazz and funk. The pub also hosts a separate weekly comedy open mic, 'You Should've Been Here Last Week', on Thursdays.
What's on stage — equipment and backline at this venue, verified regularly.
PA systemProvided
Drum kitTBC
Guitar ampProvided
Bass ampTBC
Keys / keyboardProvided
Vocal micsTBC
In-house engineerTBC
The Night at a Glance
How James St. Tavern’s Sunday night runs.
Next nightSun 15 Nov · 14:30Starts in 2d 06h 51m
Kick-off14:30Every Sunday
Music ends18:00Last act finishes
Sign-up opens19:30Walk-in on the night
Venue closes23:00The listed closing time
Slots12minutes eachroom for about 17 acts
How often
Every Sunday
Coming up
Sun 15 Nov · Sun 22 Nov · Sun 29 Nov
Kit
James St. Tavern provides a PA system, a guitar amp and keys — check the rest with the venue.
First time here?
Arrive for 19:30 to get your name on the list, tune up before you go on, and plan a set that fits 12 minutes.
Find James St. Tavern
38 James St, Oxford OX4 1EU
Address38 James St
AreaOxford
PostcodeOX4 1EU
DirectionsOpen in Google Maps →
Getting there
The nearest station is Oxford (rail station), about 1.5 miles away - a taxi or bus is the easier last leg. You'll find James St. Tavern in Oxford; OX4 1EU is the postcode for sat-nav and ride apps. Check the venue's website for parking and the nearest station.
Open mics nearby
The Eagle Tavern, The Royal Blenheim, The Harcourt Arms and The White Hart, Wolvercote
Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport (Open Government Licence).
Planning Your Sunday Night
Be there by 19:30 to put your name down. The open mic runs until about 18:00. James St. Tavern provides a PA system, a guitar amp and keys — 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 Oxford live music scene.
Common Questions
9 questions people ask before going to Oxford's James St. Tavern open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 19:30. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Oxford open mic nights for alternatives.
James St. Tavern provides a PA system, a guitar amp and keys — check the rest with the venue.
12 minutes per act — typically 3 songs solo.
No entry fee is listed for James St. Tavern's open mic - most open mics are free to play and to watch, but check with the venue before you go. Browse Oxford open mics.
Ask the host before bringing a full band — solo and duo acts are the usual open-mic format.
38 James St, Oxford OX4 1EU.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Oxford regulars across the Oxford open mic scene. Oxford open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
The nearest station is Oxford (rail station), about 1.5 miles away - a taxi or bus is the easier last leg. For sat-nav and taxis, the postcode is OX4 1EU. (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 Oxford open mics.
Venues Near James St. Tavern
No other gigs are listed at James St. Tavern in the GigXchange directory yet — these are the rooms around it, their size, kit and live nights.
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James St. Tavern open mic in brief. The James St. Tavern open mic runs every Sunday from 14:30 (no fee listed); sign-up opens 19:30 and slots run about 12 minutes. James St. Tavern’s 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 Oxford are listed by day.
Booking or playing in Oxford? 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 Oxford open mics
All ›After paid gigs rather than open mics? See Oxford gigs or check the going rate.
10 — Venues near James St. Tavern
All ›More rooms near James St. Tavern: The Library, The Mad Hatter, The Royal Blenheim, The Wheatsheaf, Blenheim Palace, Cornbury Park, Cowley Workers Social Club, Isis Farmhouse, Joe's Bar & Grill, JoJo's and Jude The Obscure.
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