Berlin has open stages on most nights of the week, from tiny Kreuzberg bars to jazz clubs in Mitte. An open mic is the easiest way to get on one of them: no audition, no booking, just a few songs in front of a real audience. It’s where you test new material, get used to the stage and meet other musicians, and with so many international artists in town, many nights run in English. Want to go further and book your own concerts? You can also contact booking agents and venues directly through Groover.
The catch: a lot of the Berlin open mics listed online have closed, moved to another night or stopped. So we checked every one on this list.
Updated October 2026. Every open mic and jam session below had upcoming dates on the venue’s or organizer’s own page when we checked. Days and times change often, so look at their page before you go.
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How do open mics in Berlin work?
Most Berlin open stages are walk-in: you sign up on the night, and many venues don’t take reservations at all. Some draw the running order at random, so arriving early gets you a slot, not necessarily the first one. Slots are short, usually 2 or 3 songs (10 to 15 minutes). Entry is often free or “pay what you want”, with a hat or a suggested donation, and at ticketed jam sessions the musicians who play usually get in free. Bring cash: some venues only take cash at the bar or the door. And check the language of the night: some rooms are international and English-speaking, others are part of the German Liedermacher (songwriter) tradition.
Here are the 10 best places to play on the open mic Berlin scene, from Monday to Friday, plus a jazz bonus.
| Day | Open mic or jam | Area | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | arcanoa Open Stage | Kreuzberg | German and English |
| Monday | Blue Moonday Jazzsession, Café Engels | Neukölln | Jazz jam |
| Monday (selected dates) | Offene Liederbühne, Zimmer 16 | Pankow | German |
| Tuesday | Two-Song Tuesday, Donau115 | Neukölln | English |
| Tuesday | ART Stalker Session | Charlottenburg | German |
| Tuesday (monthly) | The Swag Jam, Badehaus | Friedrichshain | English (hip-hop) |
| Wednesday | Robins Nest Jamsession, B-Flat | Mitte | Jazz jam |
| Monthly | Arno Zillmer’s Open Mic, WABE | Prenzlauer Berg | German and English |
| Thursday (2nd and 4th) | Open Mic L. J. Fox, Madame Claude | Kreuzberg | English |
| Friday (1st) | Open Stage at tik | Friedrichshain | German and English |
1. arcanoa Open Stage (Kreuzberg)
Where: Am Tempelhofer Berg 8, 10965 (U Platz der Luftbrücke / Mehringdamm) · When: every Monday, 8pm · Sign-up: just turn up, no registration needed
arcanoa calls itself “the discovery bar for musicians”, and it has been around since 1988 (it’s the bar with a stream running through the counter). Its Monday open stage is hosted and made for singer-songwriters, with poets welcome too. New musicians can simply walk in: the bar says there’s no need to register in advance. If you play other styles, arcanoa also runs a Thursday session for folk, Latin, blues and world music, and a jazz and funk open stage on the second Tuesday of the month.
2. Blue Moonday Jazzsession at Café Engels (Neukölln)
Where: Herrfurthstraße 21, 12049 (U Boddinstraße) · When: every Monday, 8pm to 11:30pm · Entry: free
Every Monday in the basement of Café Engels, in Neukölln’s Schillerkiez, musician Charlotte Joerges plays an opening set, then opens the stage to a jazz jam. The crowd is a mix of young musicians and experienced jazz lovers, and you’re welcome whether you bring an instrument or just come to listen. It’s a friendly place for your first jazz session in Berlin, and it costs nothing.
3. Offene Liederbühne at Zimmer 16 (Pankow)
Where: Florastraße 16, 13187 (bus M27 or 250, Görschstraße) · When: on selected Mondays, 7:30pm to 9:30pm (doors 7pm for performers) · Entry: free, pay what you want
Zimmer 16 is a small cabaret stage in Pankow, and its “Offene Liederbühne” has been a singer-songwriter forum since 2004. It’s open to established and up-and-coming musicians who want to try their own songs in front of an attentive audience, with a workshop feel and a host, Lothar Rosengarten. This is a German-speaking room in the Liedermacher tradition, so it suits songs with strong lyrics. Audience seats are booked through YesTicket and can fill up, so check the venue’s program for the next date.
4. Two-Song Tuesday at Donau115 (Neukölln)
Where: Donaustraße 115, 12043 (U Rathaus Neukölln / U Boddinstraße) · When: every Tuesday, music from 8pm · Sign-up: from 7:30pm at the bar
Donau115’s open stage has strict, clear rules. At 7:30pm the bar staff tell you how to sign up (usually an online form), and at 7:45pm a random running order appears on the venue’s website: 15 slots, plus a waiting list. Each act gets two songs or 10 minutes, whichever is shorter, and a stopwatch keeps everyone honest. There’s no soundcheck and 90 seconds to set up. The house has a piano, two vocal mics and a cable that takes your guitar straight into the PA. Out of respect for the neighbors, no amps and no loud percussion. Songwriters, composers, instrumentalists and poets are all welcome, and the venue asks for new material rather than the same song every week. Jazz players: Donau115 also hosts a jazz jam every Thursday from 9pm.
5. ART Stalker Session (Charlottenburg)
Where: Kaiser-Friedrich-Straße 67, 10627 (U Wilmersdorfer Straße / S Charlottenburg) · When: every Tuesday, 7:30pm · Entry: €7, free for musicians who play
The West Berlin pick. At this bar and art space, the Tuesday session is built around one idea: bring your favorite song, the one you’ve always wanted to play or sing live, show it to the other musicians, and turn it into a new version together on stage. Blues, rock, pop and funk are the core, and the stage is open to newcomers and pros alike, with an instrument or just your voice. The listing is in German. The audience pays €7, musicians who perform get in free, and the door only takes cash.
6. The Swag Jam at Badehaus (Friedrichshain)
Where: Badehaus, Revaler Straße 99, 10245, on the RAW site (S+U Warschauer Straße) · When: once a month on a Tuesday, doors 8pm, show 8:30pm · Entry: €8 before 9pm, €13 after
For rappers and singers, this is the one. The Swag Jam bills itself as Berlin’s finest live hip-hop jam session: a live band, special guests from the Berlin hip-hop scene, after-show DJs and, at every edition, open mic sets. The crew has 10 years of jams behind it, and according to The Berliner, Erykah Badu once made a surprise appearance. It runs monthly, so check the Badehaus program for the next date.
7. Robins Nest Jamsession at B-Flat (Mitte)
Where: Dircksenstraße 40, 10178 (S Hackescher Markt / U Weinmeisterstraße) · When: every Wednesday, doors 8pm, jam from 9pm
B-Flat is an acoustic music and jazz club a few steps from Hackescher Markt, and its Wednesday jam is a Berlin classic: Canadian bassist Robin Draganić has run it every Wednesday since 1999. It gives jazz musicians a chance to present themselves to an audience, so bring your instrument and be ready to play standards. Better suited to instrumentalists and jazz singers than to singer-songwriters.
8. Arno Zillmer’s Open Mic at WABE (Prenzlauer Berg)
Where: WABE (temporary venue), Schönfließer Straße 7, 10439 (S+U Schönhauser Allee) · When: once a month, 8pm · Entry: ticketed
Musician Arno Zillmer hosts this monthly open stage, “Idols and Talents”, where experienced artists and up-and-coming talents share the bill. Musicians, spoken-word artists and performers take turns, and at the end of the night the audience names its “Act of the Month”. It’s more of a showcase than a walk-in open mic, which makes it a good next step once you’ve tested your songs elsewhere. WABE is currently using a temporary venue, so check the address on the program before you go.
9. Open Mic L. J. Fox at Madame Claude (Kreuzberg)
Where: Lübbener Straße 19, 10997 (U Görlitzer Bahnhof) · When: 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month, doors 7pm, start 8:30pm · Sign-up: on the night, 8pm
One of the longest-running open stages in Berlin, in a bar in Kreuzberg’s Wrangelkiez. It’s aimed at the international music scene, first-timers included: all genres are welcome, plus spoken word, and there’s no competition. Sign-up opens at 8pm for an 8:30pm start, and a DJ plays in the bar around the open mic. Free for performers, with a suggested donation of €5 or more for everyone else. Note: older guides list this night on Wednesdays, but it now runs on Thursdays. The venue isn’t wheelchair accessible.
10. Open Stage at tik (Friedrichshain)
Where: tik (Theater im Kino), Rigaer Straße 77, 10247 (U Samariterstraße) · When: first Friday of the month, doors 9pm, open end · Entry: free
If you play in a band, start here. tik’s open stage, running since 2006, comes with a full backline: drums, piano, guitar and bass amps and mics, so you just bring your songs (and your friends). Each act plays 3 songs or 15 minutes at most, singer-songwriters and musicians of all styles are welcome, and there’s no competition. You sign up during the evening, first come, first served, and the venue doesn’t take reservations. Entry is free and the bar is cash only.
Bonus: The Zig Zag Jazzed Up Jam Session (Friedenau)
Where: Zig Zag Jazz Club, Hauptstraße 89, 12159 · When: most Tuesdays, doors 7pm, first set 8pm · Entry: €20 with 2 drinks, €10 with 1 drink after 10pm
For confident jazz players only. Pianist Uri Gincel and his trio open with a short set, then the stage turns into a New York-style session where some of the city’s best jazz musicians play in changing line-ups: Great American Songbook, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock. It doesn’t run every Tuesday, so check the club’s calendar first.
5 tips for your first open mic in Berlin
- Check before you go. Berlin open stages move nights and take breaks. A quick look at the venue’s program or Instagram saves a wasted trip.
- Bring cash. Some venues on this list, like tik and ART Stalker, only take cash at the bar or the door. Keep a few euros for the hat, too.
- Be there when the list opens. Slots are limited, and at some nights the order is drawn at random, so being on time is what counts.
- Keep your set-up simple. Expect a short changeover and, in residential streets, no amps or loud drums. An acoustic instrument with a pickup is the safest bet.
- Stay and listen. That’s where you meet other musicians, find a band and sometimes get offered a gig. Have a link or QR code to your music ready.
Playing open mics, or even just going to them, is a great way to discover a city’s live music scene and the people who make it. Traveling with your songs? Check out our guides to the best open mics in London and the best open mics in New York City.
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