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Bristol's Open Mic Nights

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Bristol's Open Mic Nights Scene

Bristol is home to some great open mic nights, both in the centre, along Gloucester road and in the Bristolian suburbs. As in most citys, open mic nights in Bristol are most commonly found on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in live music pubs. Like quiz nights, open mic gigs provide a cheap way for venues to entertain on the quieter nights of the week. True or not, it's a pleasant surprise to find some of Bristol's best live music at the smallest open mic night. Whats on at open mics is of course hit and miss however it's rare to go to an open mic in Bristol and find a high crap to quality ratio. Even if acoustic music and singer-songwriters aren't your thing some open mics can still be worth a look.

So that's the run-down of weekly open mic nights in Bristol. As you can see there's an open mic night pretty much every weeknight somewhere on Gloucester road, making this a great place to start. If you want to play at an open mic night click the name of the Bristol venue above for contact details. It's also worth mentioning that it's a rarity to find an open mic that isn't free entry so it's always a tempting option if you need some free live music in Bristol! If you think we're missing an open mic event or our information is out-of-date, please contact us with correct whats on info.

Are open mic nights a way to get signed?

Bristol’s vast range of music-focused pubs (the Old England, Stag and Hounds, The Rope Walk) has given rise to a thriving open mic ‘scene’. Maybe the most democratic of gigs, these anything-goes events could be in danger of moving off into directionless jazz noodlings. But they foster an open attitude that feeds into Bristol’s loose jam band scene and encourage the mentality of ‘playing well with others’ And who knows, Bristol’s eager eyed talent scouts or PRS for music representatives might be at the next open mic night.

Buy tickets for open mic nights events in Bristol

What our editors say

“Molsky digs deep to transport audiences to another time and place, with his authentic feel for and the unearthing of almost-forgotten rarities from the Southern Appalachian songbook. Molsky seduces audiences with a combination of rhythmic and melodic virtuosity and relaxed conversational wit – a uniquely humanistic, downhome approach that can make Carnegie Hall feel like a front porch or intimate jam session.”
From: Bruce Molsky

“Stuart will be joining the house trio for double guitar hardbop mayhem. The house band will perform a set of standards with a sprinkling of Stuarts originals before welcoming guets to join for a jam session in set 2.”
From: Stuart Or + Jam session

“This stripped back monthly Monday evening open mic night invites musicians of all abilities to celebrate live music together, whether by way of flexing your instrumental skills, showcasing new material, freeform improv or playing a beloved old standard/cover.”
From: Unplugged

“Sophie Holliday on drums and Barney Williams on Guitar, Bass; the pair met at the town open mic and were immediately sold on writing together - Bag Of Cats was born. With the storming success of their first music video 'Better Music', Bag Of Cats are now working on their debut album under the same title. Their energetic and genre-hopping style is sure to get your feet moving and head banging.”
From: The Barefoot Bandit + Bag Of Cats

“(Soma, Black Shrine) Two songs are made from their weekly jam session in Tokyo. The band leader, Gotoh usually records the session and shares it with (Masahito aka Bin and Ikuma) the other two members. After listening to the jam recording, they each get inspired by the flow of sounds and find a connection to the outside world. In the following week and with their own understanding, they try to recreate the (essence of the) jam.”
From: DHIDALAH + DIRTY NIPS