Boston Area Open Mics and Poetry Slams
Experience all that Boston's vibrant literary scene has to offer at one of these open mics, poetry slams, or curated poetry readings!
Please visit each link for the most up-to-date information on show times, venue addresses, accessibility information, and more.
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Still have questions? Contact:
Arts and Culture
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26 Court Street
Floor 2Boston, MA 02108
By Location
By Location| Title | What? | Where? | When? | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Just Be(Loved) Poetry Slam ✦✴ | Open mic, slam | JustBook-ish, Boston, MA (Dorchester) | First and Third Fridays | Free, All Ages |
| Poetry Open Mic | Open mic | Trident Booksellers, Boston, MA (Back Bay) | Every Sunday | All ages |
| Boston Poetry Slam Presents Slam Adams ✦✴ | Slam | Samuel Adams Brewery, Boston, MA (Jamaica Plain) | Every first Monday | $4, 18+, sign up in advance |
| Menino Arts Center Poetry Reading | Open mic | Menino Arts Center, Boston, MA (Hyde Park) | Every second Thursday | Free, all ages |
| GrubStreet’s Writer’s Open Mic ✴ | Open mic | GrubStreet, Boston, MA (Seaport) | Every first Thursday | Free, all ages |
| OutSpoken Saturdays ✦✴ | Curated poetry readings | Boston Public Library Central Library, Boston, MA (Back Bay) | Every first Saturday | Free, all ages, sign up in advance |
| Liberation Open Mic ✦✴ | Open mic | Boston Liberation Center, Boston, MA (Roxbury) | Every second Friday | Donation encouraged, all ages |
| Stone Soup Poetry ✩ | Open mic | Virtual, but traditionally based in Boston | Every Wednesday | Free, all ages |
| Bummer City Open Mic | Open mic | Virtual, but traditionally based in Boston | Every second Thursday | Free, all ages |
| If You Can Feel It, You Can Speak It! ✦✴✩ | Open mic | Boston City Hall’s Civic Pavillion, Boston, MA (Downtown) | Every second Sunday |
Free, all ages |
| T4T (Trans 4 Texts) ✴ | Open mic | The Model Cafe, Boston, MA (Allston) | Every second Thursday | Free, 21+ |
| FREEVERSE ✦✴ | Open mic | Civic Pavilion, Boston, MA (Downtown) | Every third or last Thursday | Free, all ages |
| Pull Up Poetry ✦✴ | Open mic | Various, Boston, MA | Monthly-ish | 21+ |
✦ = majority BIPOC owned/run
✴ = majority LGBTQ+ owned/run
✩ = Legacy space (run for over 20 years)
| Title | What? | Where? | When? | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Poetry Slam ✴✩ | Open mic, slam | The Cantab Lounge, Cambridge, MA | Every Wednesday | $4, 21+ |
| City Night Readings ✦ | Open mic | Little Crepe Cafe, Cambridge MA | Every Friday | Free, all ages |
| Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam ✩ | Open mic with backing band, slam | Cambridge Commons, Cambridge, MA | Every Sunday | $10, 21+ |
| Flow State Open Mic ✦✴ | Open mic | Narrative Bookshop, Somerville, MA | Every third Thursday | Free, all ages |
| Contro-Verse Open Mic | Open mic | Urban Media Arts, Malden, MA | Every Second and Fourth Monday | Free, all ages |
| VERB FLOW N VISION | Open mic | Spencer Lofts Gallery, Chelsea, MA | Monthly on a Saturday | $15, 21+ |
✦ = majority BIPOC owned/run
✴ = majority LGBTQ+ owned/run
✩ = Legacy space (run for over 20 years)
| Title | What? | Where? | When? | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Dirty Gerund ✴ | Open mic with backing band | Ralph’s Rock Diner, Worcester, MA | Every Monday | Donation encouraged, 21+ |
| The Openest Mic | Open mic | Rise & Grind, Fitchburg, MA | Every third Friday | Free, all ages |
| The Poet’s Cauldron ✦ | Various | Various, Worcester, MA | Monthly-ish | See website for event details |
| Mill City Speaks ✩ | Open mic, slam | Lowell, MA | Every first and third Wednesday | All ages |
✦ = majority BIPOC owned/run
✴ = majority LGBTQ+ owned/run
✩ = Legacy space (run for over 20 years)
| Title | What? | Where? | When? | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Veritas ✦✴ | Open mic | Virtual or Double House Arts Collective, Portland, ME | Every Tuesday | Free, all ages |
| Slam Free Or Die ✴✩ | Open mic, slam | Stark Brewing Co, Manchester, NH | Every Thursday | $5-$10 sliding scale, all ages |
| This Must Be The Mic |
Open mic (poetry and comedy) |
The Hopknot, Manchester, NH | Every Wednesday | Donation encouraged, 21+ |
| ProvSlam ✦✴✩ | Open mic, slam | AS220, Providence, RI |
First and third Thursdays |
$5-$10 sliding, all ages |
| Verbal Slap/Poetz Realm ✦ | Open mic, slam | Bridgeport, CT | Every first or fourth Wednesday | 21+ |
✦ = majority BIPOC owned/run
✴ = majority LGBTQ+ owned/run
✩ = Legacy space (run for over 20 years)
By Day of the Week
By Day of the Week| Title | What? | Where? | When? | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open mic with backing band | Ralph’s Rock Diner, Worcester, MA | Every Monday | Donation encouraged, 21+ | |
| Boston Poetry Slam Presents Slam Adams ✦✴ | Slam | Samuel Adams Brewery, Boston, MA (Jamaica Plain) | Every first Monday | $4, 18+, sign up in advance |
| Contro-Verse Open Mic |
Open mic |
Urban Media Arts, Malden, MA | Every Second and Fourth Monday | Free, all ages |
✦ = majority BIPOC owned/run
✴ = majority LGBTQ+ owned/run
✩ = Legacy space (run for over 20 years)
| Title | What? | Where? | When? | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Veritas ✦✴ | Open mic | Virtual or Double House Arts Collective, Portland, ME | Every Tuesday | Free, all ages |
✦ = majority BIPOC owned/run
✴ = majority LGBTQ+ owned/run
✩ = Legacy space (run for over 20 years)
| Title | What? | Where? | When? | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Poetry Slam ✴✩ | Open mic, slam | The Cantab Lounge, Cambridge, MA | Every Wednesday | $4, 21+ |
| Stone Soup Poetry ✩ | Open mic | Virtual, but traditionally based in Boston | Every Wednesday | Free, all ages |
| This Must Be The Mic | Open mic (poetry and comedy) | The Hopknot, Manchester, NH | Every Wednesday | Donation encouraged, 21+ |
| Mill City Speaks ✩ | Open mic, slam | Lowell, MA | Every first and third Wednesday | All ages |
| Verbal Slap/Poetz Realm ✦ | Open mic, slam | Bridgeport, CT | Every first or fourth Wednesday |
21+ |
✦ = majority BIPOC owned/run
✴ = majority LGBTQ+ owned/run
✩ = Legacy space (run for over 20 years)
| Title | What? | Where? | When? | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slam Free Or Die ✴✩ | Open mic, slam | Stark Brewing Co, Manchester, NH | Every Thursday | $5-$10 sliding scale, all ages |
| GrubStreet’s Writer’s Open Mic ✴ | Open mic | GrubStreet, Boston, MA (Seaport) | Every first Thursday | Free, all ages |
| ProvSlam ✦✴✩ | Open mic, slam | AS220, Providence, RI |
First and third Thursdays |
$5-$10 sliding, all ages |
| T4T (Trans 4 Texts) ✴ | Open mic | The Model Cafe, Boston, MA (Allston) | Every second Thursday | Free, 21+ |
| Bummer City Open Mic | Open mic | Virtual, but traditionally based in Boston | Every second Thursday | Free, all ages |
| Menino Arts Center Poetry Reading | Open mic | Menino Arts Center, Boston, MA (Hyde Park) | Every second Thursday | Free, all ages |
| Flow State Open Mic ✦✴ | Open mic | Narrative Bookshop, Somerville, MA | Every third Thursday | Free, all ages |
| FREEVERSE ✦✴ | Open mic | Civic Pavilion, Boston, MA (Downtown) | Every third or last Thursday | Free, all ages |
✦ = majority BIPOC owned/run
✴ = majority LGBTQ+ owned/run
✩ = Legacy space (run for over 20 years)
| Title | What? | Where? | When? | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Night Readings ✦ | Open mic | Little Crepe Cafe, Cambridge MA | Every Friday | Free, all ages |
| Just Be(Loved) Poetry Slam ✦✴ | Open mic, slam | JustBook-ish, Boston, MA (Dorchester) | First and Third Fridays | Free, all ages |
| Liberation Open Mic ✦✴ | Open mic | Boston Liberation Center, Boston, MA (Roxbury) | Every second Friday | Donation encouraged, all ages |
| The Openest Mic | Open mic | Rise & Grind, Fitchburg, MA | Every third Friday | Free, all ages |
✦ = majority BIPOC owned/run
✴ = majority LGBTQ+ owned/run
✩ = Legacy space (run for over 20 years)
| Title | What? | Where? | When? | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OutSpoken Saturdays ✦✴ |
Curated poetry readings |
Boston Public Library Central Library, Boston, MA (Back Bay) | Every first Saturday | Free, all ages, sign up in advance |
| VERB FLOW N VISION | Open mic | Spencer Lofts Gallery, Chelsea, MA | Monthly on a Saturday | $15, 21+ |
✦ = majority BIPOC owned/run
✴ = majority LGBTQ+ owned/run
✩ = Legacy space (run for over 20 years)
| Title | What? | Where? | When? | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poetry Open Mic | Open mic | Trident Booksellers, Boston, MA (Back Bay) | Every Sunday | All ages |
| Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam ✩ |
Open mic with backing band, slam |
Cambridge Commons, Cambridge, MA | Every Sunday | $10, 21+ |
| If You Can Feel It, You Can Speak It! ✦✴✩ | Open mic | Boston City Hall’s Civic Pavillion, Boston, MA (Downtown) | Every second Sunday | Free, all ages |
✦ = majority BIPOC owned/run
✴ = majority LGBTQ+ owned/run
✩ = Legacy space (run for over 20 years)
| Title | What? | Where? | When? | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Poet’s Cauldron ✦ | Various | Various, Worcester, MA | Monthly-ish | See website for event details |
| Pull Up Poetry ✦✴ | Open mic | Various, Boston, MA | Monthly-ish |
21+ |
✦ = majority BIPOC owned/run
✴ = majority LGBTQ+ owned/run
✩ = Legacy space (run for over 20 years)
-
Still have questions? Contact:
Arts and Culture
-
26 Court Street
Floor 2Boston, MA 02108
