The Half Moon is a small late-night pub at 17-18 St Clement's Street in Oxford (OX4 1AB), billing itself as Oxford's only late-night Irish pub and packing live music into almost every night. It runs Oxford's longest-running free late-night open mic, hosted by compere 'Sparky, The Dangerous Poet', with all forms of music, poetry and performance welcome, a PA provided and a free drink for performers. The weekly grain is traditional Irish/English folk sessions on Monday and Sunday, jazz on Tuesday, open-mic nights on Thursday, and Oxford's rising talent every Friday and Saturday. Open daily 6pm/7pm to 2am, with an open fire, a house piano and a house guitar. An intimate room of around 200 capacity welcoming originals and covers across folk, Irish-traditional, jazz and acoustic.
Oxford · Every Thursday · No fee listed
Oxford open mic at The Half Moon — listed on Google Places. Schedule details below are pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
Next night: Thu 19 Nov. Kick-off 21:00, sign-up from 19:30. 10-minute slots. No fee listed.
Nearby open micsUpdated 13 November 2026
Thursdays
| Night | Every Thursday |
| Sign-up | 19:30 walk-in |
| Slot | 10 min |
| Entry | No fee listed · 18+ |
| Backline | PA provided |
| Capacity | – |
| Performer types | Musicians · Poets |
| Status | Being verified |
No sign-up. We review corrections within 7 days.
Oxford OX4 1AB
The nearest station is Oxford (rail station), about 1 mile away - a taxi or bus is the easier last leg.
| PA system | Provided |
| Drum kit | TBC |
| Guitar amp | TBC |
| Bass amp | TBC |
| Keys / keyboard | TBC |
| Vocal mics | TBC |
| In-house engineer | TBC |
The Half Moon on St Clement's Street is a tiny, characterful traditional pub — low ceilings, wooden tables, two snug rooms — and home to Oxford's longest-running free late-night open mic, every Thursday. Hosted by local legend 'Sparky, The Dangerous Poet', it welcomes all comers — music, poetry, performance and song — with a strong folk leaning and a crowd of friendly regulars. Entry is free and it runs late; just turn up and have a word with the host.
The Half Moon is a small late-night pub at 17-18 St Clement's Street in Oxford (OX4 1AB), billing itself as Oxford's only late-night Irish pub and packing live music into almost every night. It runs Oxford's longest-running free late-night open mic, hosted by compere 'Sparky, The Dangerous Poet', with all forms of music, poetry and performance welcome, a PA provided and a free drink for performers. The weekly grain is traditional Irish/English folk sessions on Monday and Sunday, jazz on Tuesday, open-mic nights on Thursday, and Oxford's rising talent every Friday and Saturday. Open daily 6pm/7pm to 2am, with an open fire, a house piano and a house guitar. An intimate room of around 200 capacity welcoming originals and covers across folk, Irish-traditional, jazz and acoustic.
One tap. It tells the next act what to expect.
| 01 | Correct the day, time and sign-up |
| 02 | Edit your profile and photos |
| 03 | Receive artist enquiries |
| 04 | Update backline and capacity |
The Half Moon Open Mic
Oxford open mic at The Half Moon — listed on Google Places. Schedule details below are pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
- Thursday
- Open mic night
- Apr 2026
- Listed since
- 4 Sept
- Last checked
- No fee
- Entry
- 10 min
- Slot length
- Community
- Listing status
Last updated: 13 November 2026
The Half Moon Open Mic — Quick Facts
The Half Moon Open Mic runs on Thursdays at The Half Moon in Oxford, starting at 21:00 with sign-up from 19:30. Below: when it runs, sign-up and slots, the stage kit and how to get there.
Music starts around 21:00. It's walk-in sign-up, with the list opening at 19:30 - arrive early to get a slot. Each act gets about 10 minutes. There is a PA listed - ask what else is on stage before you load in.
What’s on in Oxford this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About This Open Mic
The Half Moon on St Clement's Street is a tiny, characterful traditional pub — low ceilings, wooden tables, two snug rooms — and home to Oxford's longest-running free late-night open mic, every Thursday. Hosted by local legend 'Sparky, The Dangerous Poet', it welcomes all comers — music, poetry, performance and song — with a strong folk leaning and a crowd of friendly regulars. Entry is free and it runs late; just turn up and have a word with the host.
Equipment and backline at this venue — what's on stage, verified regularly.
The Night at a Glance
How The Half Moon’s Thursday night runs.
Every Thursday
Thu 19 Nov · Thu 26 Nov · Thu 3 Dec
The Half Moon provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
Get there by 19:30 for a slot, have your instrument tuned before your turn and keep to about 10 minutes.
Find The Half Moon
17 St Clement's St, Oxford OX4 1AB
The nearest station is Oxford (rail station), about 1 mile away - a taxi or bus is the easier last leg. You'll find The Half Moon in Oxford; OX4 1AB is the postcode for sat-nav and ride apps. Check the venue's website for parking and the nearest station.
James St. Tavern, The Eagle Tavern, The Royal Blenheim and The Harcourt Arms
Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport (Open Government Licence).
Planning Your Thursday Night
Arrive by 19:30 to sign up for a slot. The Half Moon provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
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 Oxford live music scene.
Common Questions
9 questions people ask before going to Oxford's The Half Moon open mic.
Venues Near The Half Moon
No other gigs are listed at The Half Moon in the GigXchange directory yet — these are the rooms around it, their size, kit and live nights.
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The Half Moon open mic in brief. The Half Moon open mic runs every Thursday from 21:00 (no fee listed); sign-up opens 19:30 and slots run about 10 minutes. The Half Moon’s venue page has its kit and capacity if you want to come back with a full band. The open mics near Oxford are listed by day, for another night this week.
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.
Looking for paid gigs, not open mics? See Oxford gigs or check the going rate.
More rooms near The Half Moon: Tap Social Movement, The Library, The Mad Hatter, The Royal Blenheim, The Wheatsheaf, Blenheim Palace, Cornbury Park, Cowley Workers Social Club, Isis Farmhouse, Joe's Bar & Grill and JoJo's.
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