Johnny's Bar & Café is an independent live-music venue and café at 96 Queen's Road, Watford (WD17 2NX), open daily 11:00–23:00. It has a purpose-fitted basement with its own PA and equipment used for both open-mic nights and full-band performances, plus a ground-floor bar and an upstairs bar/seating area, and it's joined to Vinyl @ Johnny's, the owners' record shop. The long-running Dial Up Open Mic has been hosted here since 2010, traditionally on the first Sunday of the month (2–4pm, free entry, suggested £5 donation) — though as of mid-2026 the regularity of that specific monthly session is no longer confirmed. The venue itself remains active for live music and band bookings.
Have you played here? Was the backline info accurate? One tap, no sign-up required.
Find Johnny's Bar
96 Queen's Road, Watford, Watford, WD17 2NX
What should you charge for a gig here? Check live UK rates by role, city and venue size. Based on 3,798 verified rate observations.
Seven things people ask about booking Johnny's Bar.
PA system and vocal mics provided. BYO instruments and amps. Need a venue with full backline? Filter Watford venues by backline.
Contact the venue for genre preferences. Most Watford grassroots venues book a mix of rock, pop, folk, and acoustic acts.
Sign up free on GigXchange to view Johnny's Bar’s booking contact, fee range, and submission process. Most grassroots venues accept email submissions with a link to your music or EPK. Check current UK fee benchmarks before quoting.
Capacity data is pending for Johnny's Bar. Sign up to contribute or contact the venue directly.
Yes — Johnny's Bar hosts open mic nights. Check the listing for day, time, and signup details on the Watford Open Mic Finder.
96 Queen's Road, Watford, Watford, WD17 2NX. See the map below for directions. Browse more Watford venues nearby.
Fee ranges are available to signed-up artists on GigXchange. Grassroots venue fees in Watford vary by event type, band size, and whether the deal is a flat fee or door split. The GigXchange Rate Calculator shows current UK percentiles.
More Watford venues
Browse all grassroots venues in Watford or search the full UK directory.
