Buffer Stops is the real-ale bar on the platform at Rawtenstall station, the northern terminus of the heritage East Lancashire Railway. It pours five cask ales and a real cider on handpump alongside locally sourced pies, and pulls in railway visitors by day and a regular crowd of locals in the evening.
Wednesday is open mic night, listed on the railway's own Buffer Stops page, and the bar stays open from noon until 11pm that day. It is free and walk-in, so singers and acoustic players can simply turn up with an instrument. No start time is published, so get there early in the evening to put your name down, and check with the bar first if you are travelling any distance.
Buffer Stops is a real-ale bar in the converted station cafe on the platform at Rawtenstall, the northern terminus of the heritage East Lancashire Railway. Trains pull in a few feet from the door, and the bar has become a fixture of the Rossendale music scene.
The open mic runs every Wednesday evening and is free and walk-in. Buffer Stops is the home of the Rossendale Acoustic Club, and a full PA is provided - just bring your instrument. The night draws a loyal crowd of acoustic players, singers and folk musicians from across the valley.
The railway setting, cask ales and a genuinely supportive room make it one of the more distinctive open mic venues in Lancashire.
Buffer Stops is a real-ale bar in the converted station cafe on the platform at Rawtenstall, the northern terminus of the heritage East Lancashire Railway. Trains pull in a few feet from the door, and the bar has become a fixture of the Rossendale music scene.
The open mic runs every Wednesday evening and is free and walk-in. Buffer Stops is the home of the Rossendale Acoustic Club, and a full PA is provided - just bring your instrument. The night draws a loyal crowd of acoustic players, singers and folk musicians from across the valley.
The railway setting, cask ales and a genuinely supportive room make it one of the more distinctive open mic venues in Lancashire.
More open mic nights in Rossendale: Robin Hood Inn, Royal British Legion (Astley Bridge and District) Club Limited, Doffcocker Inn and 5 more - day and sign-up where listed.
Buffer Stops is the real-ale bar on the platform at Rawtenstall station, the northern terminus of the heritage East Lancashire Railway. It pours five cask ales and a real cider on handpump alongside locally sourced pies, and pulls in railway visitors by day and a regular crowd of locals in the evening.
Wednesday is open mic night, listed on the railway's own Buffer Stops page, and the bar stays open from noon until 11pm that day. It is free and walk-in, so singers and acoustic players can simply turn up with an instrument. No start time is published, so get there early in the evening to put your name down, and check with the bar first if you are travelling any distance.
Equipment and backline at this venue — what's on stage, verified regularly.
PA systemProvided
Drum kitTBC
Guitar ampTBC
Bass ampTBC
Keys / keyboardTBC
Vocal micsTBC
In-house engineerTBC
The Night at a Glance
How Buffer Stops’s Wednesday night runs.
Sign-up opensTBCNot confirmed yet
Kick-offTBCNot confirmed yet
Music endsTBCNot confirmed yet
Venue closes23:00The listed closing time
How often
Every Wednesday
Coming up
Wed 18 Nov · Wed 25 Nov · Wed 2 Dec
Kit
Buffer Stops 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.
Buffer Stops is in Rawtenstall, Rossendale — use BB4 6AG for sat-nav, taxis and ride apps. Check the venue's website for parking and the nearest station before you set off.
What should you charge for paid gigs? 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 Rossendale live music scene.
Common Questions
8 things people want to know before Rossendale's Buffer Stops open mic.
Buffer Stops provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
Slot length varies — check with the host.
No entry fee is listed for Buffer Stops's open mic - most open mics are free to play and to watch, but check with the venue before you go. Browse Rossendale open mics.
Ask the host before bringing a full band — solo and duo acts are the usual open-mic format.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Rossendale regulars across the Rossendale open mic scene. Rossendale 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 Rossendale open mics.
Venues Near Buffer Stops
No other gigs are listed at Buffer Stops in the GigXchange directory yet — these are the rooms around it, their size, kit and live nights.
More live music venues: Blind Tiger, Champness Hall, Doffcocker Inn and 9 more - size, kit and live nights where listed.
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Buffer Stops open mic in brief. The Buffer Stops open mic runs every Wednesday (no fee listed). Buffer Stops’ venue page has its kit and capacity if you want to come back with a full band. The open mics near Rossendale are listed by day, for another night this week.
Booking or playing in Rossendale? 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.
