London’s Top 10 Live Music Venues
We celebrate 10 of London's brilliant music venues...
As the capital city, London is closely associated with live music, a reputation honed through the long list of brilliant venues and inspiring artists it has birthed.
From the Kinks and The Who to the punks, then the indie scene of Camden to the present day heroes of UK grime and jazz, London is well-established as a hub for live performance.
Statistics from 2016 underline this. That year, the city hosted the most live gigs in Europe and had the third highest number from around the world while the live industry generated up to £1 billion for the UK economy.
According to UK Music, London's life music scene is a huge draw with visitors - the city saw a 40 percent rise in music tourists from 4.9 million in 2022, to 6.9 million in 2023."
With our new Live Event and Festival Management degree, there are more opportunities for ICMP's music community to take centre stage than ever before.
Check out ten of the best music venues in London:
1. The Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is one of the grandest and oldest music venues in London.
The auditorium, with its eye-catching acoustic diffusers (fondly nicknamed 'mushrooms') hanging from the ceiling, turned150 in 2021, and has continued to go from strength to strength.
The BBC Proms season is one of the venue's highlights, showcasing an array of different musical styles and sounds, including the Northern Soul Prom.
Elsewhere, the venue has welcomed many legends and stars - Adele, Shirley Bassey and Sheffield's Arctic Monkeys among them.
Other notable moments in its history include the flooding of the auditorium with 56,000 litres of water for an opera.
2. Brixton Academy
Brixton Academy is a right of passage for gig-goers with its 5,000 capacity and sloping floor creating a room bursting with energy.
Idles, The xx and The Specials have all hosted residencies while it's the London venue of choice for DJ and producer Four Tet to host raves and parties.
First opened as a cinema and theatre, the venue has enjoyed different incarnations with O2 taking it over in 2008.
Other notable moments have included live albums from New Order and Moby while The Smiths bade farewell to their career as a live band there in 1986. Although the venue was shut for 16 months after a crowd crush in December 2022, it has now been reopened for shows. Overmono, Kamasi Washington and Nia Archives are among the upcoming guests.
3. The Moth Club
Located in Hackney in East London, this former servicemen's club has been an unlikely venue for many huge musical talents - alongside emerging artists programmed by London promoters Eat Your Own Ears, Lady Gaga and Foo Fighters have both played secret shows.
Cabaret and bingo sits in the event calendar next to club nights and live gigs - it's a special and unique space to watch performances with its distinctive decor and ambience.
The M.O.T.H. in its name stood for the 'Memorable Order of Tin Hats', after the initiative launched to support British soldiers.
4. The O2 Arena
The O2 Arena has become one of the biggest and most important live music stadiums in the UK.
Located near Greenwich next to the new Design District and initially developed as the Millennium Dome to welcome the new decade, many musical icons have made their space their own. Prince is among them who hosted an epic 21-night residency in 2007 to help herald the venue's opening.
After nearly 30 years, rock titans Led Zeppelin used the O2 for their famous reunion gig in 2007. Their tribute show to Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun saw more than 20 million people fighting over tickets.
5. The Union Chapel
Image credit: Paul Hudson
If an enchanting musical experience is what you're looking for, then the Union Chapel is a must. Located in Highbury and Islington, the venue offers an oasis of calm and beautiful acoustics compared with the hive of activity surrounding it.
Built in the late 1800s, the chapel was originally a popular church before falling into decline after the Second World War. However, the local community came together to save it with the space now a working church alongside being a choice spot for live performance.
With hundreds of gigs each year, it's attracted some of the world's best artists - Tori Amos, Bjork and Elton John have all played there with Mavis Staples and Krishna Das recent highlights.
6. The Outernet
The future of live music is here in the form of the Outernet, an LED-infused entertainment hub to be found in the centre of London.
Opened in November 2022, this unique complex features two gig spaces - HERE at Outernet is a 2,000 capacity venue, equipped with futuristic video and audio opportunities.
The Lower Third is a smaller, more intimate grassroots venue for those artists on the up. Some highlights from its programming so far include Duran Duran and the debut London show of the reclusive electronic pop star, Jai Paul.
7. Drumsheds
Managed by Broadwick, the team who brought London the now closed Printworks and Manchester's Depot Mayfield, Drumsheds is a venue of similar ambition and scale.
Housed in a former IKEA in the north of London, the main industrial-style space can accommodate up to 15,000 ravers and gig goers while numerous other spaces can host gigs and performances of all kinds.
While club nights make up much of the programming, Drumsheds also has previous with live gigs too. The enigmatic Sault held their first (and possibly only) show at the venue while Mike Skinner and The Streets will play in the autumn of 2024.
8. The 100 Club
The 100 Club is one of London's most iconic spots for a live gig or club night with the space hosting almost every possible style of music over the years. Beginning life as the Feldman Jazz Club back in the forties, it's seen everything from the unmistakable blues of BB King to the punk feedback of the Sex Pistols and the Clash.
The venue has had a rich association with Brit Pop with Suede kicking this off in September 1992. Over the next four years, Oasis, Kula Shaker, Echobelly, Catatonia, Travis, Embrace and more all played.
Famous Beatle, now acclaimed solo artist and music icon Paul McCartney is also a fan of the venue. He performed an an intimate gig on its stage to help save it from developers in 2010.
9. KOKO
From the ska of Madness to Amy Winehouse, Camden is a borough bursting with a rich musical history. Unsurprisingly, it's a brilliant spot for taking in live music with KOKO arguably one of the capital's best venues for live gigs.
Previously known as the Camden Palace, the venue has recently seen a significant refurb - the new £70 million overhaul has seen a delicious new pizza place, a rooftop restaurant, cocktail bar, and vinyl rooms.
The building now takes over four floors with Pet Shop Boys and Arab Strap among recent highlights.
10. The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is also located in Camden and was previously an old train shed before being transformed into the state-of-the-art music venue we know today.
More than 50 years old, the venue has been present during every significant period of London's contemporary music history - from psyche rock to illicit acid house raves and more before being restored and reopened in 2006.
Important shows to feature in recent times include a free gig for NHS workers by George Michael, gigs by the iconic Bob Dylan and the arrival of Despacio, the travelling soundsystem from LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy and Soulwax.
Check out our London City Guide for transport tips, cultural hotspots and more music venues to be explored in the city.
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Contact us
If you're a current student and require support please get in touch with our Academic Support team on academic.support@icmp.ac.uk or reach out to your Programme Leader.
