The Best Open-Mic Events in San Francisco to Hit This Month

If you’re trying to tap into the real open-mic events in San Francisco — not just the dusty sign-up sheet at a half-empty bar — this month is weirdly electric. People are actually going out, rooms are filling up, and you can feel that very specific SF mix of earnest, emotional oversharing and "I might quit my job in tech for this" energy. Between the fog, the endless microclimates, and the Muni roulette, over a hundred people have already marked themselves as interested or attending the city’s current open-mic highlights — which, for weeknight shows, is no small thing.

Right now, a few names keep popping up in group chats, green rooms, and that one friend’s Instagram Story who is always at something. You’ve got **You’re Going to Die: Poetry, Prose, & Everything Goes - SF**, which is basically group therapy disguised as a show — raw, vulnerable, and very Mission-adjacent in spirit. **Martuni’s Stand Up Comedy** keeps drawing comics and comedy nerds to that classic, slightly campy bar just off Market, where the martinis are strong and the jokes are hit-or-miss in the best way. Over in the land of feelings and friendship, **Platonically Yours: A Palentine’s Musical Celebration** is the one to hit if you’re in a musical theater mood or just want a night that’s big on heart and harmonies.

If you’re more about the next generation of voices, **Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam Prelim #2: w/ MindShift and KQED** is where you hear the kind of lines adults will be quoting five years from now. For big-night-out, industry-curious energy, **Best In The Bay - The Bay's Premier Artist Showcase and Entertainment Industry Night!** leans more showcase than casual mic — think polished sets, networking vibes, and performers who are clearly not just doing this on a dare. And then there’s **Neck of the Woods SF Open Mic Wednesdays**, the classic midweek stop in the Richmond where comics, musicians, and everyone in between cycle through, and you might see someone bomb, then absolutely crush the next week.

Certain rooms just keep making the stories people tell the next day. **Neck of the Woods** is very much that kind of spot: it’s the place where you go to try new material, meet other regulars, and accidentally stay out later than planned because the third act is way better than anyone expected. Over at **Martuni’s**, the vibe is different — more piano bar meets comedy clubhouse — but it’s the same core thing: a room full of strangers deciding to root for each other. If you’re choosing where to start, hit Martuni’s when you want a cozy, campy, sit-and-sip kind of night; go to Neck of the Woods when you’re in the mood for something looser, louder, and a little more chaotic.

All of this — the packed lists, the familiar venue names, the mix of polished showcases and anything-goes nights — is what discovery looks like in San Francisco right now. Whether you’re testing out new material, low-key stalking the next big Bay Area poet, or just need a night that feels more alive than your algorithm, these are the mics locals are actually talking about this month.