LAST UPDATED: August 2024
This is a list of currently active stand-up comedy open mic nights running in London.
I try to keep it up to date, but nights sometimes start up or shut down without me noticing, so please let me know if there’s wrong or missing information.
Some important notes:
- To book a spot you will need to apply via the night’s website or Facebook page. Some nights use booking forms, others just ask you to email, and sometimes they only accept booking requests at specific times when they are ready – they’re all different, read their pages.
- You’re very unlikely to get walk-in spots (where you just show up and sign up on the night without pre-booking) anywhere at the moment, except for Lion’s Den Comedy Car Crash.
- A lot of nights will post about last minute spots on their Facebook pages, if they have dropouts.
- The nights marked “Bringer” will require you to take a friend along to join the audience on the night as a condition of performing. The nights which are not bringers will still be very appreciative if you can take any number of friends along – it all helps support the venue, the night, and the scene.
- If you’re struggling to find a bringer for your gig, try this Facebook group.
- A lot of the nights are now using the Gig Gag app for bookings, so I recommend getting an account.
| Name | Venue | Nights | Link | Notes |
| We Are Funny Project | Farr’s School of Dancing, 19 Dalston Lane, London E8 3DF – Map | Tuesday Wednesday | WAFP FB Page | One of London’s longest running open mic nights. Popular with both newbies and established acts trying out new material. Each night features a professional headliner, so there’s usually a good audience. |
| G&B Comedy | Sun, Mon, Tues: The Star of Kings, 126 York Way, London, N1 0AX – Map Tues: The Albany, 240 Great Portland Street, W1W 5QU; – Map Weds: Arch1, Cranberry Lane, E16 4BJ – Map | Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday | G&B Comedy FB Page | Bringer. A popular, well established new act/new material night, now running five shows a week at venues across London. Sundays are afternoon shows, starting 3.30pm Uses a BYOB (Be Your Own Bringer) policy – which means if you go to a show as an audience member, you don’t have to bring a friend on the night when you perform. Also offers up to 40 longer (7,8,10 min) non-bringer spots for more experienced acts each week. |
| Whole Lotta Comedy | Waggon and Horses, 1 Surbiton Hill Rd, Surbiton KT6 4TW – Map | First Sunday of the Month | Whole Lotta Comedy FB Page | A winner is chosen each month, and in December they can enter the Surbiton Comedian of the Year to win a cash prize (currently £150). They also run a gig in Windsor on the last Sunday of the month. |
| LOLipops Comedy | Tues: The White Hart, SE1 0UG – Map Thurs: The Ship 68 Borough Rd, London SE1 1DX – Ma | Tuesday Thursday | LOLipops Act Booking Group | Tuesday is a couple of one-hour long open mic shows, running at 6:30pm and 8pm. Thursday is one show running from 7.30 pm – 9.30pm |
| Ding Dong Gong Show | Big Belly Comedy Club Southbank, Unit 6 & 7, 30 Stamford St, London SE1 9LQ – Map | Saturday | Ding Dong Gong Show website | A gong-show at Big Belly Comedy Club, with a twist. As well as audience members being able to red-card acts off the stage, a panel of judges will give acts their feedback. The upside is that the best acts win a paid spot at one of the club’s pro-nights. |
| Comedy Virgins | Cavendish Arms 128 Hartington Road Stockwell SW8 2HJ – Map | Monday Tuesday Wednesday | Comedy Virgins FB Page | Bringer. Popular, long running night, ideal for newbies. Almost every aspiring standup in London has been on stage here. |
| Lion’s Den | Bar Rumba, 36 Shaftesbury Ave, London W1D 7EP – Map | Tuesday | Lion’s Den FB Page | A popular, long-running new act/material night in the West End. No need to book – just sign up on the door between 5:30pm and 6:30pm to get a spot. First come, first served. |
| Rising Star Comedy Club | The Old Crown, 33 New Oxford St, London WC1A 1BH – Map | Monday Tuesday | Rising Star FB Page | Bringer. Another popular, well established night which often draws a good audience. You can avoid having to bring somebody with you, if you attend as an audience member on another night before your spot. |
| The Blackout | Up The Creek, 302 Creek Rd, Greenwich, SE10 9SW – Map | Thursday | Up the Creek Web Page Beat the Blackout Page | A gong show where the aim is to last a full five minutes without the audience kicking you off the stage. Email/Call for a spot. |
| Gigl Comedy | Ye Olde Rose & Crown, Walthamstow, London, E17 4SA – Map | Friday | Gigl Instagram Page Gigl Linktree | 5/10 min spot new material night. Signup via link on the Instagram page. |
| Comedy Cabin RAW | Hoxton Cabin, 132 Kingsland Road, Hoxton E2 8DP – Map | Wednesday Saturday | Comedy Cabin Booking Page | Regular comedy nights throughout the week, but Wednesday and Saturday (early evening) are RAW new act/material nights. You can book a spot through the FB page. More info about the club here. |
| Monkey Business | Heroica Live, 37 Chalk Farm Rd, London NW1 8AJ – Map | Thursday Sunday | Monkey Business New Act Info | Camden based comedy club with regular new act/new material nights. |
| King Gong | The Comedy Store, 1a Oxendon St, London SW1Y 4EE – Map | Last Monday of every month | King Gong Web Page | Monthly Gong Show at London’s best known comedy club. It’s the easiest way for an open-mic act to perform in front of a large audience, but it’s an ordeal. The audience is encouraged to heckle from the beginning of your set, and only the best acts survive the full five minutes without getting gonged off. |
| Pink Peach Comedy | Hanworth Naval Club, 15 park road, Feltham, United Kingdom – Map | Thursday | Pink Peach Facebook Page | Book spots via the GigGag app, or through the FB page. |
| Poplar Union Comedy | Poplar Union, Cottal Street, London, E14 6TL – Map | Wednesday | Poplar Union Comedy GigGag Page | Book spots through the GigGag page. |
| Compulsive Comedy | Carlton Tavern, NW6 5EU – Map | Monday | Booking Group | Bringer. |
| TNT Comedy | The Vine, 86 Highgate Rd, London NW5 1PB – Map | Tuesday | TNT Comedy FB Page | Bringer. Spots between 5-10 minutes, depending on experience. |
| Cuddles for Troubles | The Trinity, 202 Borough High Street SE1 1JX – Map | Friday | Cuddles for Troubles FB Page | Bringer. |
| Joker Comedy | The Bolton, 326 Earls Ct Rd, London, SW5 9BQ – Map | Wednesday Thursday | Joker Comedy FB Page | Bringer. Spots between 5-10 minutes, depending on experience. |
| Freedom Fridge | The Rose & Crown, 71-73 Torriano Avenue, Kentish Town, London, NW5 2SG – Map | Thursday | Freedom Fridge Website FB Page | Bringer. |
| Quinntessential Comedy | Quinn’s Pub, 65 Kentish Town Road, NW1 8NY, London – Map | Thursday | Quinntessential Comedy FB Page | Bringer. Runs every second Thursday. |
| Comedy Bandits | The Railway Tavern, 18 Clapham High Street, London, SW4 7UR – Map | Thursday | Comedy Bandits Booking Page | Bringer. |