Open Mic & Jam Night

In partnership with Badlands Promotions, Royal Canadian Legion Branch #65, Sawmill Tea + Coffee Co., and Visions of Independence Inc., Whoop & Hollar Folk Festival presents the Open Mic & Jam Night. 

Music. Comedy. Drama. Hip Hop. Poetry. You name it! Welcome to Portage la Prairie's interactive live entertainment event - featuring YOU. 

- Last Friday of the month, October to April (excluding December) 

- FREE (donations welcome but not necessary) 

- Food and beverage available for purchase 

- All are welcome. Bring a friend! 

Doors: 6:30 pm 

Host Performance: 7:00 pm - 7:30 pm 

Open Mic: 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm 

Jam Session: 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Come celebrate our community's young, emerging, and seasoned artistic talent during a fun evening of local entertainment followed by a public jam session. Bring your instruments and voices for the jam! 

Enjoy live music and artistic performances in an intimate setting. Feel free to drop by and perform at the open mic (see details below), participate in the jam, or just come and hang out.  Each month, the event program will be hosted by a professional local musician, artist, or other performer, featuring a half-hour opening set. 

What is an open mic? 

Short for "open microphone," an open mic is a live show at a small, public venue where any audience members who are emerging and established artists are given the opportunity to perform a short set onstage and share their talent with others. Networking with other musicians and the public is also a cool thing about open mics. 

Each performance is typically 10-15 minutes in length and can showcase anybody's artistic talent or original creative work from music to song, dance, comedy, theatre, visual art, hip hop, poetry, literature, and other art media. You never know what you're going to see or hear! If you want to perform, please read the details at the bottom of this page. 

What is a jam session? 

In this context, a jam session simply refers to playing music and singing with others, not doing a formal gig with professional musicians in front of an audience (although people are encouraged to come and listen to the jam). It's a time for anyone to showcase their own music, play along to others' tunes, have fun, and create new sounds. Dancing is more than welcome. 

Want to Perform? 

Artists interested in performing at the open mic are encouraged to arrive at least 15 minutes before the 7:30 pm showtime and will be selected on a first come-first served basis. If you are a touring performer and would like to host the open mic, please email info@whoopandhollar.com for more information. 

Anyone wanting to participate in the jam session or attend as an audience member can arrive at any time between 7:00 pm and 11:00 pm.