The Merchant is a lively Irish bar on Eastborough in Scarborough, a multi-levelled single-room pub with an upstairs function room close to the South beach. It's the home of Scarborough Folk Club and hosts a regular Thursday open-mic night, drawing a diverse range of local singers and musicians. Live music runs throughout the week alongside a celebrated whisky and Guinness selection.
Town Centre · Every Thursday · Free
The Merchant Open Mic
Scarborough's Thursday-night free open mic at 27-29 Eastborough.
Open mic at a glance The Merchant · Scarborough
Thursday
Open mic night
May 2026
Listed since
15 Jul
Last verified
Free
Entry
12 min
Slot length
Verified
Listing status
Run a Scarborough open mic? List it free — verified within 48 hours
Last updated: 15 July 2026
The Merchant Open Mic — Quick Facts
Scarborough's Thursday-night free open mic at 27-29 Eastborough.
✓ Verified activeLast verified
The Details
Everything you need before you turn up
DayThursday
Start20:30
Sign-up20:00 walk-in
Slot length12 min
EntryFree · 18+
Capacityc. 80 standing
Performer typesMusic
Sound engineerBYO / hire on the night
View on map
Where
The Merchant27-29 Eastborough
Town Centre
Scarborough YO11 1NG
Town Centre, Scarborough — check venue website for parking and nearest station.
Contact
Walk-in sign-up only
No advance booking
Host: in-house team
Highlights
Free entry for all
PA system provided
Walk-in sign-up
Music welcome
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 and we'll re-verify within 48 hours.
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About The Merchant
About This Open Mic
Every Thursday in Town Centre, Scarborough
Kicks off at 20:30, sign-up from 20:00
Free entry for performers and audience
12-minute slots
PA provided — BYO instrument
Part of the Scarborough open mic directory
The Night
The Merchant is an Irish bar in Scarborough's old town. Open mic night runs regularly.
Sign-up process Walk-in from 8pm.
Getting there 27-29 Eastborough, YO11 1NG. 10 minutes from Scarborough Rail.
The venue 18+. Capacity c. 80.
What's on stage — equipment and backline at this venue, verified regularly.
PA + monitors
Drum kit
Guitar amp
Bass amp
Keys / keyboard
2 vocal mics
In-house engineer
The Night at a Glance
How The Merchant’s Thursday night runs.
20:00Sign-up
20:30Kick-off
23:30Last songs
00:00Venue closes
Every Thursday 12-min slots Free entry
Find The Merchant
27-29 Eastborough, Town Centre, Scarborough YO11 1NG
Planning Your Thursday Night
Arrive by 20:00 to sign up for a slot. Entry is free and the open mic typically runs until 23:30. A PA is provided — bring your own instrument and amp.
Part of the Scarborough live music scene.
What should you charge for paid gigs?Most open mic musicians are ready for paid work sooner than they think. Check live UK rates by role, city, and venue size.
Try the Rate CalculatorCommon Questions
Seven things people ask before turning up at Scarborough's The Merchant open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 20:00. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Scarborough open mic nights for alternatives.
PA + vocal mic provided. BYO instrument and amp.
12 minutes per act — typically 3 songs solo.
Yes — free entry for performers and audience. Most Scarborough mics are free; browse the list.
Solo and duo acts work best given the gear available; ask the host before bringing a full band.
27-29 Eastborough, Town Centre, Scarborough YO11 1NG.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Scarborough regulars across the Scarborough open mic scene. Scarborough open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
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