Open Mic Night at City, O' City with Chase Cavanaugh
📅 Jun 18, 2026, 6:30 PM
📍 City, O' City, Denver, CO
Every third Thursday, City, O' City opens its stage to singers, poets, comedians, and anyone else who wants a few minutes in front of a crowd. Chase Cavanaugh, a guitarist and vocalist with deep roots in the venue's community, hosts the night and keeps the energy welcoming for first-timers and regulars alike. City, O' City is a vegetarian restaurant and bar anchored in Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood, the kind of place that has long made space for local artists alongside its food and coffee programs. Signup opens at 6 pm and the stage runs from 6:30 to 8:30.
Open Mic Night at Route 6 Sports Bar
📅 Jun 18, 2026, 8:00 PM
📍 Route 6 Sports Bar, Eagle Vail (Avon), CO
Every Thursday night, Route 6 Sports Bar in Eagle Vail opens its stage to anyone who wants to play. The venue has been a fixture of the Vail Valley since 1987, operating as a casual bar and cafe a short drive from both Vail and Beaver Creek. The open mic format keeps the night loose and community-driven, with locals showing up to perform, listen, and riff alongside whoever takes the mic.
Legacy Jazz Jam and Poetry Open Mic at Karma House Kava
📅 Jun 19, 2026, 7:00 PM
📍 Karma House Kava, 608 Garrison St, Lakewood, CO
Mercury Legacy Poetry brings its weekly Friday night program to Karma House Kava, a nonprofit alcohol-free gathering space in Lakewood. The evening opens with a jazz jam at 7 PM, then transitions to a poetry open mic at 9:30 PM. Karma House describes itself as a community center built around connection and creativity, serving kava and herbal teas in place of alcohol. Mercury Legacy Poetry is one of Denver's longest-running poetry slam organizations, with roots going back to 1999.
Poets vs Storytellers Slam at Storybook Brewing
📅 Jun 21, 2026, 5:00 PM
📍 Storybook Brewing, 3121 A N. El Paso St, Colorado Springs, CO 80907
Colorado Springs Poetry Slam brings its monthly competition to Storybook Brewing, a craft brewery that has been part of the Colorado Springs community since 2014. Poets and storytellers take the stage in 5-minute sets, with music, instruments, and props all welcome, competing for a $100 prize. The evening runs in three stages: a book launch party at 5pm celebrating Tom J Woodruff's new collection 'Everything Is Perfect,' an open mic from 5:30 to 6:30, and the main poetry slam from 6:30 to 8pm. Food trucks, kombucha, and craft beers round out the night, and pets are welcomed on site.
Mercury Slam at Desert Social
📅 Jun 21, 2026, 8:00 PM
📍 Desert Social, 1312 S Broadway, Denver, CO
Denver Mercury Poetry has run one of the longest-standing weekly poetry slams in America, and the Sunday night slam now lives at Desert Social on South Broadway. Poets sign up starting at 7:30, the scored slam kicks off at 8, and an open mic follows for anyone who wants the mic without the stakes. The $50 cash prize goes to the night's slam winner, decided by the crowd and judges on performance, words, and presence.
Sunset Pride Cafe at Mockingbird Denver
📅 Jun 24, 2026, 7:30 PM
📍 Mockingbird Denver, 2737 Larimer St, Denver, CO
Brandon Theis (The Orchestrator) and Eureka Vapor bring a free Pride jazz night to Mockingbird Denver, the RiNo art lounge at 2737 Larimer St known for immersive decor and a distinctly community-forward atmosphere. The lineup spans drag performance with Carmen Getitt Krystals (2026 Colorado Snow Queen Newcomer), spoken word and rap from She Who Won't Be Named, the Jake Alvarez Trio on guitar and jazz, a funk and saxophone fusion set from The Orchestrator with Jontae' Gray, and DJ sets from Dylan Bowman (Essential Exposure) closing the night. Capacity is limited and the RSVP is free, continuing the Sunset Jazz Cafe series that has run select Wednesdays at Mockingbird through a partnership between The Orchestrator and Eureka Vapor since earlier this season.
KRFC Open Mic Night at Magic Rat
📅 Jul 1, 2026, 6:00 PM
📍 Magic Rat Live Music at The Elizabeth Hotel, Fort Collins, CO
KRFC 88.9 FM hosts a monthly open mic at Magic Rat Live Music, a venue tucked inside The Elizabeth Hotel in Old Town Fort Collins. Magic Rat bills itself as a space for weekly jams and a variety of live acts, making it a natural home for a night where local voices step up without a set lineup. The first Wednesday of each month at 6 PM, the stage opens to anyone ready to share something new, raw, or half-finished.
BIPOC Open Mic Night at Curios Nature
📅 Jul 9, 2026, 7:00 PM
📍 Curios Nature & Co, 773 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO
Bodies of Culture brings its monthly BIPOC Open Mic to a new home: Curios Nature & Co, a BIPOC and queer-centered creative space opening in Denver's Santa Fe Arts District. Melissa Ivey, described in her own words as a "Musical Doula" and future ancestor performance artist, hosts the evening, which runs the second Thursday of each month. Sign-up opens at 6:30pm, with the stage running 7:00-9:00pm. Bodies of Culture has built this open mic over more than 18 months as a recurring community institution; the move to the Santa Fe Arts District marks a new chapter for the series.
Spoken Word / Poetry Events in Colorado: what to expect
You'll find spoken word / poetry events in Colorado hosted by the people who actually live and perform here. They're local artists and creators, not touring acts or tourist-trap packages. Every listing on this page is a real event you can show up to, run by someone rooted in the Colorado scene.
Upcoming listings include "Open Mic Night at City, O' City with Chase Cavanaugh" and "Open Mic Night at Route 6 Sports Bar", and the lineup refreshes as creators post new dates, so it's worth checking back for what's on this week and next.
Browse the events above for dates and details, then book directly with the host. Finding spoken word / poetry events in Colorado should feel like getting a tip from a local, because that's exactly where these listings come from.