How to Find Comedy Open Mics Anywhere: The Complete Guide

The quickest way to find a comedy open mic in any city is to ask the comedians at the last one. The second quickest is to know where comics post them: local Facebook and Instagram groups, listing sites such as Badslava, and the calendars of clubs and improv theatres. This guide shows you how to use all of them, gives a starting point in the major alternative comedy cities, and explains the etiquette that keeps you welcome.

You won't find a list of specific weekly mics here, and that's deliberate. Mics start, move, change night and quietly die all the time; any list goes out of date within months. What lasts is knowing how to find the current ones.

The tools that actually work

1. Facebook groups

Many cities have a Facebook group for local comedians, often named something like "[City] Comedy Open Mics" or "[City] Stand-Up Comedians." Hosts post their mics, cancellations and new rooms there. Search for your city plus "open mic comedy" and join the most active group. Facebook is unfashionable, but for open mics it's still where much of the information lives.

2. Instagram

Mic hosts and venues increasingly post their weekly mics as Instagram stories and posts. Follow local comedians, venues and comedy accounts. A mic's Instagram is usually the best way to check it's still running this week.

3. Badslava

Badslava is a long-running open mic listing site organised by city and category, including comedy. It's useful for getting a sense of what exists in a city, especially when you're travelling, but listings depend on hosts updating them, so confirm before you go.

4. Comedy club and improv theatre websites

Many clubs run new-talent nights, bringer shows or weekly mics, and many improv theatres host open stand-up or "jam" nights. Check the calendars of the clubs and theatres in your city.

5. Eventbrite and local listings

Some mics, especially "mic plus show" hybrids and audience-facing new-act nights, are listed on Eventbrite or in local listings. Search your city with "open mic comedy."

6. Other comedians

Nothing beats this. Go to one mic, watch the whole thing, and talk to people afterwards. Comedians share where the good mics are, which ones have actual audiences, and which hosts run a fair list. Many cities also have group chats and Discord servers for local comics that you'll hear about once you're around.

Types of open mic

List or sign-up mic

You put your name on a list on arrival and go up in that order. Arrive early for a good spot.

Bucket or lottery mic

Names go in a bucket and are drawn at random. Fairer to latecomers, frustrating if your name never comes out.

Online sign-up

Slots are booked in advance through a form or app, often within minutes of opening. Common at busy city mics.

Pay-to-play mic

You pay a small fee or buy a drink for your slot, which is how the venue or host justifies the room. Common in New York.

Bringer show

You get a spot if you bring a set number of paying guests. Often held at clubs and sold as a showcase; many comedians avoid them once they have alternatives.

New-act night or showcase mic

A booked or semi-booked show for newer comedians with a real audience. Harder to get on, much more useful when you do.

Themed or alt mic

Mics that encourage experimental material, characters, music or multimedia. The natural home for alternative comedy.

Where to start in the major alt comedy cities

The venues below are long-established comedy rooms and institutions, chosen because they have been around for years and are good places to start building a picture of a scene. Not all of them run open mics; some host shows to watch, classes or new-talent nights. Use them as starting points, and check each one's current programme before going.

New York City

The biggest and most competitive mic scene in the US, with mics every night across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, many in bars and many charging a small fee. For alternative comedy, follow Brooklyn venues such as Union Hall and The Bell House, and Caveat on the Lower East Side. The Upright Citizens Brigade returned to Manhattan with a new theatre in 2024, and improv theatres such as the Magnet Theater are hubs for sketch and improv performers. Our history of Luna Lounge covers the alt scene's roots.

Los Angeles

LA's scene is spread out and industry-heavy, with mics in coffee shops, bars and theatres across the city. Long-standing landmarks include The Comedy Store on Sunset, Largo at the Coronet and Dynasty Typewriter for alternative shows, UCB for improv and sketch, and The Groundlings for character work. See our histories of Largo and Uncabaret.

Chicago

Chicago is improv's home city: The Second City, iO and The Annoyance all run shows and classes. For stand-up, The Lincoln Lodge, which bills itself as the longest-running independent comedy showcase in the US, is a good place to see the scene's best, and The Hideout has long hosted comedy alongside music. Our Chicago comedy scene guide has more.

London

London has a deep circuit of new-act nights, mics and pub rooms. Long-running rooms include The Comedy Store, Up the Creek in Greenwich, Angel Comedy Club in Islington and Top Secret Comedy Club in Covent Garden, which has been a busy home for new acts. The UK also has national new-act competitions such as So You Think You're Funny? at the Edinburgh Fringe, the BBC New Comedy Award and the Chortle Student Comedy Award; check the organisers' sites for current entry details. Chortle's listings are a useful national resource.

Toronto

Toronto's scene centres on Comedy Bar, a multi-room venue with many alternative and indie shows, along with The Second City Toronto, Yuk Yuk's (the Canadian club chain founded in Toronto in the 1970s) and Bad Dog Theatre for improv.

Melbourne

Melbourne has a strong pub-room circuit and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, whose Raw Comedy competition for new comedians has launched many Australian careers. The Comic's Lounge is a long-running club. Local Facebook groups are especially important here.

Austin

Austin's scene grew quickly in the 2020s as comedians moved there. The Creek and the Cave relocated from New York to Austin in 2021 and runs many shows and mics; Cap City Comedy Club reopened at the Domain; and ColdTowne Theater and The Hideout Theatre anchor improv. The city also hosts the Moontower and Out of Bounds festivals.

Everywhere else

Smaller cities often have just a few mics, which makes them easier to break into. Start with the tools above, check university comedy societies, and consider starting your own mic if there isn't one. Our guide to finding or building an alt comedy community explains how.

Open mic etiquette

• Don't go over your time. When you get the light, finish your bit and get off. Running long takes time from everyone after you.
• Stay and watch. Leaving straight after your set is the most common complaint about new comics. Be the audience you want.
• Buy something if the venue is a bar or café. The room exists because the venue makes money.
• Be quiet in the back. Conversations at the back of a small room ruin sets.
• Thank the host, and don't argue about the list.
• Don't steal. Taking another comic's premise or bit is the cardinal sin of the scene.
• Respect boundaries. Mics are workshops, but harassment or targeting other comics in the room isn't "edgy." It gets you banned.

How to make the most of open mics

1. Record every set. Your phone's voice memo app is enough. Listen back for where laughs actually happen.
2. Bring a plan. Know what you're testing and in what order. Our guide to workshopping material covers how to develop bits across mics.
3. Do lots of them. Stage time is the main currency. Many comics do several mics a week.
4. Don't judge a joke by one mic. Audiences of tired comedians laugh at different things than paying crowds.
5. Move up when you're ready. Once you have a strong five minutes, look for showcase mics, new-act nights and spots on independent shows.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find a comedy open mic near me?

Search Facebook and Instagram for your city's open mic groups and accounts, check listing sites such as Badslava, look at the websites of local comedy clubs and improv theatres, and ask comedians at the first mic you go to. Comics always know where the other mics are.

Are comedy open mics free?

Many are free to perform at; some ask for a small fee or a drink purchase, and bringer shows require you to bring paying audience members. Paying a few dollars for stage time is common in big cities like New York.

How long is a set at an open mic?

Usually three to seven minutes, with five the most common. The host will tell you, and you'll often get a light when you have a minute left. Going over your time is the fastest way to annoy everyone.

What should I do at my first open mic?

Arrive early to sign up, prepare a tight set shorter than your time limit, watch the comics before you, record your set on your phone, and stay to watch others after your spot. Expect a small audience made up mostly of other comedians.

Can I just watch an open mic?

Usually, yes, and it's a good way to see how a mic works before you sign up. Some mics are very much for comedians only, so buying a drink and being an attentive audience member is appreciated.