The Rising Sun Arts Centre is a long-running, volunteer-run grass-roots arts venue housed in a historic building at 30 Silver Street in central Reading (RG1 2ST), with a standing capacity of around 120. A committed platform for local artists week after week, it programmes everything from intimate acoustic sessions to full-band showcases and collaborative nights. Regular fixtures include the weekly Artist Link Up — a live-performance-and-networking session for rappers, singers, producers, DJs, dancers and musicians — plus the monthly Dreading Slam poetry competition and the annual Here Comes The Sun multi-stage festival. An Independent Venue Week participant, it remains one of Reading's key spaces for original and emerging music.
Reading · Monthly on Sundays · No fee listed
The Rising Sun Arts Centre Open Mic
Reading open mic at The Rising Sun Arts Centre — listed on Google Places. Schedule below pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
Kick-off 19:00. 15-minute slots. No fee listed.
Nearby open micsUpdated 13 November 2026
At a glance
Checked 12 Sept 202619:00
Kick-off
Sundays
sign-up on the nightSundays
| Night | Monthly on Sundays |
| Sign-up | Walk-in |
| Slot | 15 min |
| Entry | No fee listed · 18+ |
| Backline | PA provided |
01 — Inside the room
4 photosPhotos: Google
199
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 | Being verified |
Help keep this trueOne tap
Is this night still on?
No sign-up. We review corrections within 7 days.
03 — The night
Monthly on SundaysHow the night runs
Once a month · Sundays
Check the date before you goRunning order
19:00 Kick-off· 15-minute slots
22:00 Last songs
04 — Find The Rising Sun Arts Centre
ReadingGetting there
30 Silver St,
Reading RG1 2ST
Reading RG1 2ST
The nearest station is Reading (rail station), about 20 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
ReadingAbout the night
The Rising Sun Arts Centre is a much-loved volunteer-run community arts venue on Silver Street in Reading, and its 'Sunset Sessions' open mic runs on the 2nd Sunday of every month, 7pm to 10pm. It's a friendly, inclusive room — the centre also hosts the monthly 'Dreading Slam' poetry open mic (first Sunday) and other grassroots nights — so expect a warm, supportive crowd. Entry is free; turn up to put your name down. A genuine arts-centre setting rather than a pub back room.
The Rising Sun Arts Centre is a long-running, volunteer-run grass-roots arts venue housed in a historic building at 30 Silver Street in central Reading (RG1 2ST), with a standing capacity of around 120. A committed platform for local artists week after week, it programmes everything from intimate acoustic sessions to full-band showcases and collaborative nights. Regular fixtures include the weekly Artist Link Up — a live-performance-and-networking session for rappers, singers, producers, DJs, dancers and musicians — plus the monthly Dreading Slam poetry competition and the annual Here Comes The Sun multi-stage festival. An Independent Venue Week participant, it remains one of Reading's key spaces for original and emerging music.
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Reading · Monthly on Sundays
The Rising Sun Arts Centre Open Mic
Reading open mic at The Rising Sun Arts Centre — 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
- 12 Sept
- Last checked
- No fee
- Entry
- 15 min
- Slot length
- Community
- Listing status
Run a Reading open mic? List it free — reviewed before it goes live
Last updated: 13 November 2026
The Rising Sun Arts Centre Open Mic — Quick Facts
The Rising Sun Arts Centre Open Mic runs on Sundays (monthly) at The Rising Sun Arts Centre in Reading, starting at 19:00. Below: when it runs, sign-up and slots, the stage kit and how to get there.
Open mic status Last checked 12 Sept 2026
How sure we are
Partly verified
Was this open mic on recently? · 10 seconds, no signup See The Rising Sun Arts Centre’s venue page →
The night starts at 19:00 and runs to about 22:00. It's walk-in sign-up - arrive early to get a slot. Each act gets about 15 minutes, so the night holds around 12 acts. 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 statusBeing verified
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.
NightSundayMonthly on Sundays
Starts19:00until 22:00
Sign-upWalk-insign-up
Slots15minutes eachRoom for about 12 acts
What’s on in Reading this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About This Open Mic
The Rising Sun Arts Centre is a much-loved volunteer-run community arts venue on Silver Street in Reading, and its 'Sunset Sessions' open mic runs on the 2nd Sunday of every month, 7pm to 10pm. It's a friendly, inclusive room — the centre also hosts the monthly 'Dreading Slam' poetry open mic (first Sunday) and other grassroots nights — so expect a warm, supportive crowd. Entry is free; turn up to put your name down. A genuine arts-centre setting rather than a pub back room.
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 The Rising Sun Arts Centre’s Sunday night runs.
Kick-off19:00Monthly on Sundays
Venue closes21:30The listed closing time
Music ends22:00Last act finishes
Slots15minutes eachroom for about 12 acts
How often
Monthly on Sundays
Getting there
Reading, RG1 2ST - the map is below.
Kit
The Rising Sun Arts Centre provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
First time here?
Get there early for a slot, have your instrument tuned before your turn and keep to about 15 minutes.
Find The Rising Sun Arts Centre
30 Silver St, Reading RG1 2ST
Address30 Silver St
AreaReading
PostcodeRG1 2ST
DirectionsOpen in Google Maps →
Getting there
The nearest station is Reading (rail station), about 20 minutes' walk away. The Rising Sun Arts Centre is in Reading — use RG1 2ST for sat-nav, taxis and ride apps. Check the venue's website for parking and the nearest station before you set off.
Open mics nearby
Corn Exchange, The Plough, The New Inn and Mates Rates Comedy Club
Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport (Open Government Licence).
Planning Your Sunday Night
Arrive early to get your name down. The open mic runs until about 22:00. The Rising Sun Arts Centre provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
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Common Questions
9 things people want to know before Reading's The Rising Sun Arts Centre open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Reading open mic nights for alternatives.
The Rising Sun Arts Centre provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
15 minutes per act — typically 4 songs solo.
No entry fee is listed for The Rising Sun Arts Centre's open mic - most open mics are free to play and to watch, but check with the venue before you go. Browse Reading open mics.
Ask the host before bringing a full band — solo and duo acts are the usual open-mic format.
30 Silver St, Reading RG1 2ST.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Reading regulars across the Reading open mic scene. Reading open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
The nearest station is Reading (rail station), about 20 minutes' walk away. For sat-nav and taxis, the postcode is RG1 2ST. (Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport, Open Government Licence.)
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 Reading open mics.
Venues Near The Rising Sun Arts Centre
No other gigs are listed at The Rising Sun Arts Centre in the GigXchange directory yet — these are the rooms around it, their size, kit and live nights.
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The Rising Sun Arts Centre open mic in brief. The Rising Sun Arts Centre open mic runs monthly on Sundays from 19:00 (no fee listed); slots run about 15 minutes. The Rising Sun Arts Centre’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 Reading are listed by day.
Booking or playing in Reading? 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 Reading open mics
All ›Want paid gigs instead of open mics? See Reading gigs or check the going rate.
10 — Venues near The Rising Sun Arts Centre
All ›More rooms near The Rising Sun Arts Centre: The Castle Tap, The Club Bar and Lounge, The Fisherman's Cottage, The Lyndhurst, The Old London Apprentice, ACE Space Newbury, Bier Keller, London Road Campus, McCafferty's Bar, Oakford Social Club and Pangbourne Working Mens Club.
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