How To Start An Open Mic

Introduction
Open mic nights are a great way for new comedians to try out new material or even give standup a go for the first time.
If you are thinking of starting your own night here are a few things to think about before you get going.

Try Mcing
If you haven’t already you should give MCing a go before you start your night. Ask a few MCs of gigs you have already performed at if you can host their night. Often they will be quite open to this, especially if you have already performed with them a few times.

Decide the format of your night
When it comes to starting an open mic night there are a few different formats to consider.

• Bringers
  Bringer nights are a great way to get a successful night going with a good size of audience. A bringer night is where each comedian is required to bring a friend with them in order to perform.

• Clap Off
  A clap off gig is a a competition format where at the end off the show the acts all join on the stage and the audience clap for the one they enjoyed the most. The act with the most applause wins the night. These can also be run as a bringer.

• Ticketed
  This is the most common format for a comedy night. Book a handleful of quality acts and charge a small price for tickets such as £5. The downside to this is the risk of small audiences and comedians dropping out can be hard to replace. This format can become profitable but be prepared for some headaches along the way.

Finding a venue
One of, if not the, key parts to running an open mic night is having a venue. The favourite choice of venue for most promoters of open mic or new act/new material nights at small pubs, preferably with a function room.

Try contacting a few landlords of pubs, with good footfall and easy public transport, to see if they would be interested in having a comedy night.

Booking comedians
Now you have your venue and have decided the format and the frequency of your night, you will need to book some comedians!
Promoters use different methods of booking acts. GigGag is a great way took book acts and manage your night all from your phone. Available on iOS, Android and the Web, GigGag is the quickest and easiest way to book acts.