Tips for artists · 5 min read

Bristol jam nights and open mics

Where to meet other musicians, try new songs and find your next collaborator.

People often ask us how to meet other musicians in Bristol. Our answer is always the same: get out to an open mic or a jam night. It’s where producers find singers, rappers find bands and plenty of the people we record first met.

An open mic is a night where you sign up and perform a short slot on a stage that’s set up for you. A jam night is an open mic with a house band: they play, then the floor opens and people take turns to join in and improvise.

Nights change, move and stop without much notice. We checked everything here in November 2026. Before you go, check the venue’s socials or Headfirst Bristol.

Jam nights

• Family Business at The Gallimaufry, Gloucester Road. Sundays from 20:30. A hip-hop jam with a house band, hosted by MĀDŁY. Free, 18+.
• Suntrap Jam Night at The Full Moon & Attic Bar, Stokes Croft. Thursdays, about twice a month. Funk, hip hop and neo soul, hosted by Bon Suis.
• Hardgroove Jam at The Canteen, Stokes Croft. Neo soul and R&B. Check The Canteen’s listings for dates.
• Cypher Space at The Canteen, run by Beat Cleaver. Monthly. Half open mic, half live jam, for hip hop, R&B, grime and drill.
• Gravity Tuesdays at The Canteen. A Latin descarga, Cuban-style, for players who want to stretch out.
• Donut Filler Jam. Funk and soul with backline provided, now popping up at The Gallimaufry.
• Analogue Lounge at Lost Horizon, Stokes Croft. An open jazz, funk and hip-hop jam, with records afterwards.
• SpitNights at Lost Horizon. Poetry and rap over improvised jazz.
• Proper Job Sessions at Turners, Fishponds. An underground hip-hop jam.
• Soul Connection Sundays at Life 2020, Carriage Works, Stokes Croft. Reggae, soul and spoken word.

Open mics

Sundays

• The Canteen, Stokes Croft. Every Sunday, sign up from 20:30. A real piano and a full backline.
• The Jam Jar, St Pauls, close to the studio. Every Sunday from 20:00, community-run. Music and poetry.
• The Bristol Fringe, Clifton. The first Sunday of the month, from 20:00.
• Sidney & Eden. The last Sunday of the month. Spoken word and poetry.

Mondays

• The Gallimaufry, Gloucester Road. Every Monday, sign up from 20:00. Full backline, and poets and spoken word are welcome.
• Mr Wolf’s, city centre. Every Monday from 20:00.
• Cat & Wheel, Cheltenham Road. Every Monday from 20:00.
• The Louisiana, Harbourside. Every Monday from 20:00, with a full backline.
• The George and Dragon, Redfield. Every Monday.
• Old Market Assembly. One Monday a month. Music and poetry.

Thursdays and the rest of the week

• The Lamplight Open Mic at The Miners Arms, St Werburghs. Indie, folk and pop.
• The Attic Bar, Stokes Croft. Thursdays, dates vary, with a full kit.
• The Oxford, Totterdown. Thursdays from 19:00.
• Raise the Bar at The Pickle Factory. Open mic and poetry.

Making the most of it

• Get there early. Slots go fast. Sign-up is usually half an hour before it starts.
• Have two songs ready. Most slots are 10 to 15 minutes. Know what you’ll play, and how long it lasts.
• Bring your own bits. A guitar lead, a capo, spare strings, sticks. Backline means amps and a kit, not everything.
• Listen more than you play. At a jam, lock in with the band, leave space and hand it back.
• Stay for everyone else. The people still there at the end are the ones you’ll make music with. Swap Instagrams before you leave.

Missed a night that should be on here? Tell us at sam@freehousemusic.co.uk and we’ll add it.