open mic

American  

[oh-puhn mahyk] / ˈoʊ pən ˈmaɪk /

Or open mike

noun

1. a live show in a club, bar, etc., in which anyone may perform but each performer is given a time limit (often used attributively).

   an open mic night for stand-up comedians.

---

Etymology

Origin of open mic

First recorded in 1975–80; open ( def. ) (in sense “in operation, live”) + mic ( def. )

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

open mic

Bay rose to fame in 2014 after a video of him playing at a London open mic night led to him signing a record deal.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

This year, he’s been sitting in on open mic nights at the Clausen Museum, where performers entertain in a room filled with old cannery gear and a taxidermied 126.5-pound king salmon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

“I think everybody should do an open mic once in their life because most people’s biggest fear is public speaking,” said Rodriguez.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

By 2023, he "plucked up the courage" to go along to an open mic night event in Cardiff and read some of his poems.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026

For the rest of the night we think up a plan to have an open mic and art show in honor of Natasha Ramsey.

From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---