Exeter UNESCO City of Literature, Spork! Poetry and Taking the Mic are joining forces once again to present the 4th annual City Slam; an exciting competition to find the best spoken-word artist in Exeter (and across Devon).

12 poets will battle it out across 3 rounds of fierce but friendly competition. With an exciting headliner TBA (watch this space!) and some featured guests as well.

The winner of the City Slam will be entered into Slamovision 2026; an international slam competition featuring poets from UNESCO Cities of Literature all across the world, as well as receiving a cash prize of £150. Runners up will also receive some exciting prizes provided by local businesses in Exeter.

Sign up to Slam!
To enter the slam, you need to register an interest by 5pm, Tue 31 Mar. The 12 Slammers will be chosen at random (if there are an excess of applicants ) and announced by Fri 03 Apr. To register, just send an email to Tim on slam@speakinsong.co.uk with your name, age, and where you’re based. Slammers must be aged 16+ and based in Devon.

The Rules
After registering, you’ll receive a full list of rules. But, in short, all slammers must prepare 3 poems / pieces for the 3 rounds. These pieces must not exceed 3 mins in length, and slammers may get penalised for going over (this includes any introductions.) The performances will be scored by a panel of judges, who will mark on writing, delivery, and the audience response. For any questions about the competition, email Chris on sporkpoetry@gmail.com.

Additional information

Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes (including interval)

Age guidance: 12+

Venue: Auditorium, Exeter Phoenix

*Subject to a £1.50 ticketing system charge. We don’t charge this to make a profit. Find out more >>