The Saltgrass is a riverside pub on Ayres Quay, Hanover Place in Sunderland (SR4 6BY) that has built a reputation as one of the city's go-to spots for live music. It comes alive every Sunday evening from 6.30pm, hosting some of the biggest bands in the North East, alongside regular buskers and live sport through the week. In the summer the music moves outside into the spacious beer garden, where gigs are paired with outdoor pizza and barbecue facilities. A gastro menu runs Wednesday to Saturday and the kitchen is well known locally for its Sunday lunch. With a capacity of around 400, the Saltgrass sits comfortably in the mid-size end of Sunderland's grassroots circuit.
Sunderland · Every 1st Thursday of the month · No fee listed
The Saltgrass Open Mic
Sunderland open mic at The Saltgrass — listed on Google Places. Schedule details below are pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
Next night: Thu 3 Dec. Kick-off 19:00, sign-up from 19:30. 15-minute slots. No fee listed.
Nearby open micsUpdated 13 November 2026
At a glance
Checked 17 Sept 202619:00
Kick-off
Thursdays
sign-up from 19:30Thursdays
| Night | Every 1st Thursday of the month |
| Sign-up | 19:30 walk-in |
| Slot | 15 min |
| Entry | No fee listed · 18+ |
| Backline | PA provided |
01 — Inside the room
4 photosPhotos: Google
130
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 · Electronic artists |
The check
| Status | Verified running |
| Last checked | 17 Sept 2026 |
| Checked against | Web listing |
03 — The night
Every 1st Thursday of the monthHow the night runs
19:00
Kick-off
ThursdaysRunning order
19:00 Kick-off· 15-minute slots
22:30 Last songs
04 — Find The Saltgrass
Hanover PlGetting there
Ayres Quay, Hanover Pl,
Sunderland SR4 6BY
Sunderland SR4 6BY
The nearest station is St Peters (rail station), about 15 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
Hanover Pl, SunderlandAbout the night
The Saltgrass is a friendly riverside pub at Ayres Quay on Hanover Place, big on live music, buskers and sport. On the first Thursday of every month it hosts 'Klang' — Sunderland's only EMOM, an Electronic Music Open Mic running 7pm to 10:30pm in partnership with Stages: At The Venues. If you make electronic music and want to test it on a real crowd, this is the spot; expect synths and laptops rather than the usual acoustic guitars.
The Saltgrass is a riverside pub on Ayres Quay, Hanover Place in Sunderland (SR4 6BY) that has built a reputation as one of the city's go-to spots for live music. It comes alive every Sunday evening from 6.30pm, hosting some of the biggest bands in the North East, alongside regular buskers and live sport through the week. In the summer the music moves outside into the spacious beer garden, where gigs are paired with outdoor pizza and barbecue facilities. A gastro menu runs Wednesday to Saturday and the kitchen is well known locally for its Sunday lunch. With a capacity of around 400, the Saltgrass sits comfortably in the mid-size end of Sunderland's grassroots circuit.
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Hanover Pl · Every 1st Thursday of the month
The Saltgrass Open Mic
Sunderland open mic at The Saltgrass — 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
- 17 Sept
- Last verified
- No fee
- Entry
- 15 min
- Slot length
- Verified
- Listing status
Run a Sunderland open mic? List it free — reviewed before it goes live
Last updated: 13 November 2026
The Saltgrass Open Mic — Quick Facts
The Saltgrass Open Mic runs on the 1st Thursday of the month at The Saltgrass in Sunderland, starting at 19:00 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 17 Sept 2026
How sure we are
Verified active
Checked against the venue’s own listing See The Saltgrass’s venue page →
Music starts around 19:00, finishing about 22:30. It's walk-in sign-up, with the list opening at 19:30 - arrive early to get a slot. Each act gets about 15 minutes, so the night holds around 14 acts. A PA is listed; check what else is on stage before you bring a band.
Next nightThu 3 Dec · 19:00Starts in 20d 11h 21m
Age18+
Sign-upWalk-in on the night
Who playsMusicians · Electronic artists
BacklinePA provided
Sound engineerAsk the venue
Directory statusVerified active
Member votes0 to get the venue on GigXchange
How do you rate this open mic?One tap, no sign-up required.
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NightThursdayEvery 1st Thursday of the monthNext: Thu 3 Dec
Starts19:00until 22:30
Sign-up19:30Walk-in
Slots15minutes eachRoom for about 14 acts
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About This Open Mic
The Saltgrass is a friendly riverside pub at Ayres Quay on Hanover Place, big on live music, buskers and sport. On the first Thursday of every month it hosts 'Klang' — Sunderland's only EMOM, an Electronic Music Open Mic running 7pm to 10:30pm in partnership with Stages: At The Venues. If you make electronic music and want to test it on a real crowd, this is the spot; expect synths and laptops rather than the usual acoustic guitars.
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 The Saltgrass’s Thursday night runs.
Next nightThu 3 Dec · 19:00Starts in 20d 11h 21m
Kick-off19:00Every 1st Thursday of the month
Sign-up opens19:30Walk-in on the night
Venue closes22:00The listed closing time
Music ends22:30Last act finishes
Slots15minutes eachroom for about 14 acts
How often
Every 1st Thursday of the month
Coming up
Thu 3 Dec · Thu 7 Jan · Thu 4 Feb
Kit
The Saltgrass provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
First time here?
Get there by 19:30 for a slot, have your instrument tuned before your turn and keep to about 15 minutes.
Find The Saltgrass
Ayres Quay, Hanover Pl, Sunderland SR4 6BY
AddressAyres Quay, Hanover Pl
AreaHanover Pl, Sunderland
PostcodeSR4 6BY
DirectionsOpen in Google Maps →
Getting there
The nearest station is St Peters (rail station), about 15 minutes' walk away. The Saltgrass is in Hanover Pl, Sunderland — use SR4 6BY for sat-nav, taxis and ride apps. Check the venue's website for parking and the nearest station before you set off.
Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport (Open Government Licence).
Planning Your Thursday Night
Arrive by 19:30 to sign up for a slot. The open mic runs until about 22:30. The Saltgrass provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
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Common Questions
9 questions people ask before going to Sunderland's The Saltgrass open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only, opens at 19:30. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Sunderland open mic nights for alternatives.
The Saltgrass 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 Saltgrass's open mic - most open mics are free to play and to watch, but check with the venue before you go. Browse Sunderland open mics.
Ask the host before bringing a full band — solo and duo acts are the usual open-mic format.
Ayres Quay, Hanover Pl, Sunderland SR4 6BY.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Sunderland regulars across the Sunderland open mic scene. Sunderland open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
The nearest station is St Peters (rail station), about 15 minutes' walk away. For sat-nav and taxis, the postcode is SR4 6BY. (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 Sunderland open mics.
Venues Near The Saltgrass
No other gigs are listed at The Saltgrass in the GigXchange directory yet — these are the rooms around it, their size, kit and live nights.
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The Saltgrass open mic in brief. The Saltgrass open mic runs every 1st Thursday of the month from 19:00 (no fee listed); sign-up opens 19:30 and slots run about 15 minutes. The Saltgrass’ venue page lists its kit and capacity if you want to come back with a full band. For another night this week, the open mics near Sunderland are listed by day.
Booking or playing in Sunderland? 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.
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09 — More Sunderland open mics
All ›Want paid gigs instead of open mics? See Sunderland gigs or check the going rate.
10 — Venues near The Saltgrass
All ›More rooms near The Saltgrass: Live Lounge, Low Lights Tavern, Pop Recs, South Shields Folk Club (South Tyneside Indoor Bowls and Social Club), STACK Seaburn, Steels Social Club, Sunderland Empire, The 3 Stories, The Bunker, The Dun Cow and The Engine Room.
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