Three years ago, my friend Josh and I sat down and decided the London LGBTQ community needed something. We needed a place to express. To perform. To create. To listen. To connect. So we started Queer Open Mic.
That was back in 2022. We had no idea where it would go, but we knew what we wanted it to feel like. We wanted it to be safe. We wanted it to be welcoming. We wanted people to turn up with songs, poems, guitars, jokes, and voices.
And we wanted them to leave feeling like they’d been seen and that they belong.
Fast forward to 2025 and Queer Open Mic is still going strong. In fact, it’s thriving. We now call The Cock Tavern in Kennington our home. It’s a proper south London gay bar with heart, and it’s the perfect setting for a night that is all about lifting up community voices.
Read more below.
This month we’re celebrating three years of the fabulous event. Come join us on Sunday 31 August 2025, from 5.30pm to 8.30pm, for a special third anniversary edition of Queer Open Mic. Expect the usual mix of music, poetry, comedy, and a bit of chaos. There are always a few surprises thrown in.
If you’re a performer, you can sign up through our Queer Open Mic group on Meetup, which has just shy of 1,500 members at the time of writing. So many people interested in queer creative spaces, and we’re proud to be creating it for them!
If performing isn’t your thing, come along anyway. The audience is just as much a part of what makes this night special. You’ll be entertained. You’ll probably laugh. You might cry. You’ll definitely meet lovely people. And you’ll be part of one of the most iconic little nights out London has to offer.
Thank you to everyone who’s ever stepped up to the mic, clapped from the back, shared a drink, or brought their whole heart into the room. We wouldn’t be here without you.
See you at the pub.
Extra note: in celebration of our 3rd anniversary, this month we will be sharing party treats, cake, and raffle prizes. All vegan, of course!
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