The Black Swan Folk Club has run for over 40 years at the Black Swan Inn, a historic 15th-century pub at 23 Peasholme Green in York (YO1 7PR), meeting in the inn's Wolfe Room. It meets every Thursday: doors at 7pm, with the music starting at 7:30pm with the MC and local performers, then two 45-minute spots from the guest. A weekly guest performer headlines most Thursdays, with a singers-and-musicians 'Come All Ye' open session roughly once every four weeks. The intimate room (around 50 capacity) is a cornerstone of the city's folk and acoustic scene, hosting top UK and international artists alongside emerging talent, and the club also promotes concerts at the National Centre for Early Music and The Crescent Club. Guest-night tickets are sold via WeGotTickets under venue 'York Black Swan'.
York · Monthly on Thursdays · No fee listed
York open mic at Black Swan Folk Club — listed on Google Places. Schedule below pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
Kick-off 19:30, sign-up from 19:30. 12-minute slots. No fee listed.
Nearby open micsUpdated 13 November 2026
Thursdays
| Night | Monthly on Thursdays |
| Sign-up | 19:30 walk-in |
| Slot | 12 min |
| Entry | No fee listed · 18+ |
| Backline | PA provided |
| Capacity | – |
| Performer types | Musicians |
| Status | Verified running |
| Last checked | 29 Oct 2026 |
| Checked against | Venue website |
York YO1 7PR
The nearest station is York (rail station), about 20 minutes' walk away.
| PA system | Provided |
| Drum kit | TBC |
| Guitar amp | TBC |
| Bass amp | TBC |
| Keys / keyboard | TBC |
| Vocal mics | TBC |
| In-house engineer | TBC |
The Black Swan Folk Club meets every Thursday at this characterful 15th-century inn on Peasholme Green, and roughly once a month it hands the evening over to an open-mic Singers' Night where any singer or musician can take a turn. Doors are at 7pm with music from 7:30pm through to about 11pm; it's a warm, attentive, folk-and-traditional crowd that actually listens. Pay on the door — there's no advance booking for these nights — and it leans acoustic, so bring your own instrument.
The Black Swan Folk Club has run for over 40 years at the Black Swan Inn, a historic 15th-century pub at 23 Peasholme Green in York (YO1 7PR), meeting in the inn's Wolfe Room. It meets every Thursday: doors at 7pm, with the music starting at 7:30pm with the MC and local performers, then two 45-minute spots from the guest. A weekly guest performer headlines most Thursdays, with a singers-and-musicians 'Come All Ye' open session roughly once every four weeks. The intimate room (around 50 capacity) is a cornerstone of the city's folk and acoustic scene, hosting top UK and international artists alongside emerging talent, and the club also promotes concerts at the National Centre for Early Music and The Crescent Club. Guest-night tickets are sold via WeGotTickets under venue 'York Black Swan'.
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Black Swan Folk Club Open Mic
York open mic at Black Swan Folk Club — listed on Google Places. Schedule below pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
- Thursday
- Open mic night
- Apr 2026
- Listed since
- 29 Oct
- Last verified
- No fee
- Entry
- 12 min
- Slot length
- Verified
- Listing status
Last updated: 13 November 2026
Black Swan Folk Club Open Mic — Quick Facts
Black Swan Folk Club Open Mic runs on Thursdays (monthly) at Black Swan Folk Club in York, starting at 19:30 with sign-up from 19:30. Below: when it runs, sign-up and slots, the stage kit and how to get there.
The night starts at 19:30 and runs to about 23:00. It's walk-in sign-up, with the list opening at 19:30 - arrive early to get a slot. Each act gets about 12 minutes, so the night holds around 17 acts. There is a PA listed - ask what else is on stage before you load in.
What’s on in York this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About This Open Mic
The Black Swan Folk Club meets every Thursday at this characterful 15th-century inn on Peasholme Green, and roughly once a month it hands the evening over to an open-mic Singers' Night where any singer or musician can take a turn. Doors are at 7pm with music from 7:30pm through to about 11pm; it's a warm, attentive, folk-and-traditional crowd that actually listens. Pay on the door — there's no advance booking for these nights — and it leans acoustic, so bring your own instrument.
The kit on stage — equipment and backline at this venue, verified regularly.
The Night at a Glance
How Black Swan Folk Club’s Thursday night runs.
Monthly on Thursdays
York, YO1 7PR - the map is below.
Black Swan Folk Club provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
Arrive for 19:30 to get your name on the list, tune up before you go on, and plan a set that fits 12 minutes.
Find Black Swan Folk Club
23 Peasholme Grn, York YO1 7PR
The nearest station is York (rail station), about 20 minutes' walk away. You'll find Black Swan Folk Club in York; YO1 7PR is the postcode for sat-nav and ride apps. Check the venue's website for parking and the nearest station.
The Milton Rooms (Studio Bar), The Hop York, Dusk and Golden Ball
Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport (Open Government Licence).
Planning Your Thursday Night
Be there by 19:30 to put your name down. The open mic runs until about 23:00. Black Swan Folk Club provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
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. A night in the York live music scene.
Common Questions
9 things people want to know before York's Black Swan Folk Club open mic.
Venues Near Black Swan Folk Club
No other gigs are listed at Black Swan Folk Club in the GigXchange directory yet — these are the rooms around it, their size, kit and live nights.
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Black Swan Folk Club open mic in brief. The Black Swan Folk Club open mic runs monthly on Thursdays from 19:30 (no fee listed); sign-up opens 19:30 and slots run about 12 minutes. Coming back with a full band? Black Swan Folk Club’s venue page has its kit and capacity listed. For another night this week, the open mics near York are listed by day.
Booking or playing in York? 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 York gigs or check the going rate.
More rooms near Black Swan Folk Club: FortyFive Vinyl Cafe, Fulford Arms, Hole In The Wall, Katie O'Brien's Irish Tavern, Kennedy's Bar & Restaurant, Lendal Cellars, Micklegate Social, Museum Street Tavern, Nola, Polymath Bar and Roman Bath.
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