Open Mics in Southern Colorado: Where to Get Stage Time

Real rooms to start with

These are the Southern Colorado rooms with recurring open mics as of fall 2026. Nights and times change, so check the venue's social page or call ahead before you drive.

• Loonees Comedy Corner (Colorado Springs, 1306 E Fountain Blvd) — the Springs' dedicated comedy club. Open mic Thursdays around 7:30pm, free, 18+, two-item minimum unless you're performing. Reserve seats at 719-591-0707.
• Vultures (Knob Hill, Colorado Springs) — open mic every Monday, music and comedy, hosted by Joe Bruno. Sign-ups at 6pm, show around 7pm, free, 18+.
• Lulu's Downtown (Colorado Springs) — Wednesday night comedy open mic around 7pm, with Sunday comedy mics showing up on local calendars too.
• Bohemian Boys Comedy (Colorado Springs) — a Sunday open mic they call the best in the Springs, plus free showcases at venues all over town.
• Elev8 Arts / Knob Hill Soundcheck (Colorado Springs) — second and fourth Fridays, 6:00–8:30pm. All ages, all kinds: music, poetry, comedy, storytelling.
• Blue Cactus Room at El Nopal (Pueblo, 1435 E Evans Ave) — speakeasy-style listening room with an open mic every Thursday. Dinner service 5–7pm, sign-up after.
• The Ethos (Pueblo) — open mic the first Thursday of the month, all ages and PG-13, sign-up at 6pm. Their 'Id' literary mic runs the second Thursday.
• Gold Dust Saloon (Pueblo, Union Ave) — open mic every Thursday, 6–10pm.

How a Southern Colorado open mic usually runs

Most mics down here happen on a weeknight in a bar, brewery, coffee shop or small theater back room. The host runs a list, the list closes right before the show starts, and the order is either first-come or drawn at random.

You'll typically get three to five minutes with a light at the end. Go over your time and you'll be remembered as the person who went over their time. That is the one reputation that is genuinely hard to shake.

• Arrive 30 to 45 minutes before the posted start time to sign up.
• Buy something. These rooms are free for you and not free for the venue.
• Stay for the whole show. Hosts notice who leaves after their own set.
• Bring a phone or recorder — audio of your set is worth more than your memory of it.

Where to look when a mic isn't listed anywhere

Southern Colorado mics move. A room closes, a host moves to Denver, a brewery changes managers, and the listing you found online is a year stale. Assume any list is a starting point, not gospel.

• Search Facebook events for 'open mic' plus your town, filtered to this week.
• Follow local comics and hosts — they post the night-of changes.
• Ask a bartender at any venue with a small stage. They know who runs what.
• Call the venue the afternoon of. Two minutes on the phone beats a wasted drive.
• Check Denver and Boulder mics too — if you'll drive 90 minutes, your options multiply.

Your first night, minute by minute

• Write three minutes of material and time it out loud at home. Out loud is always longer.
• Sign up in the middle of the list, not first and not last.
• Tell the host it's your first time. Good hosts set the room up for you.
• Open with your strongest line. The room decides fast.
• If it dies, finish the set anyway. Walking off is the only real failure.
• Talk to two comics before you leave. That's how you find the next mic.

The part nobody tells you

The first several times are supposed to be rough. You are not auditioning — you are practicing in public, which is a very different and much more forgiving activity. The comics you admire in this region all have a first mic story that makes them wince.

Nine minutes of stage time a week beats nine hours of writing alone. Get in rooms.