London's music scene is world class – from vast multi-purpose arenas that host big production acts to intimate neighbourhood venues that support emerging grass roots talent. Here are 10 of the best venues to sing, dance and mosh your way around this week.
Starting life as a cinema, this domed auditorium has been through many incarnations (including hosting Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange). Sloping floors give prime sightlines and the venue can mix the big-time aura of an arena with the tight-knit chaos of a club.
1. The Underworld
The Underworld is the Greek hell-hole ruled by Hades and is home to many unpleasant creatures including the nymphs Melinoe, Phlegeton and Acheron, the three headed dog Cerberus, the ferryman Charon and the river Styx. The herald Hermes would take souls to the entrance and pass them to Charon who rowed them across the river to their fate.
Camden’s cosy Underworld is the perfect setting for Public Acts’ razzle-dazzle theatrical adaptation of Odysseus’ epic journey. The cast includes performers from the original four productions of the project which were staged at venues across the country, along with London-based community artists.
Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee deliver anthems like Shout at the Devil and Dr Feelgood in front of an intimate audience of 450. It’s a reminder of the passionate passion that still underpins this once-ubiquitous band.
2. The Windmill
The Windmill is a bar and live music venue that offers karaoke, pool tables, and a selection of modern British dishes. The venue can accommodate large groups and is a popular choice among city workers for after-work drinks and entertainment.
The theatre was the first to incorporate nude females as part of its shows, and the Windmill Girls toured around England. The venue was also famous for the ‘Windmill Steeplechase’, where patrons from the back rows would run over the stage to grab the best seats for the next show.
The main restaurant serves a variety of seafood, meat and vegetarian dishes. Lavish sashimi platters and indulgent options such as Atilius Oscietra Caviar are on the menu, along with whole grilled Dover sole, Wagyu beef sliders and roast rack of lamb. Its wine list is also praised by customers.
3. Scala
Despite reports of it losing some of its appeal in recent years, Scala continues to enjoy a substantial following. Its perks include support for functional programming, immutable objects, concurrency and parallelism, and many third-party libraries. It also offers strong tools and APIs. Compared to Java, Scala is faster to code and more concise. Scala is used by companies like Twitter, LinkedIn, Netflix, eBay, AirBnB, and AT&T. It’s a good choice for developers who want to work in the Big Data world. To learn this programming language, enroll in a Scala course in London.
According to Indeed and ZipRecruiter, Scala developers earn a salary of USD 139,292 per year on average. Simplilearn, one of the leading providers of online training for Digital Marketing, Cloud Computing, Project Management, Data Science and more, offers professional-grade Scala certification training in London.
4. Bush Hall
A lovingly restored nineteenth century dance hall. This venue has great acoustics and retains a sense of intimacy often lost in larger spaces.
Definitely worth checking out, especially for a smaller gig. The bar staff are also super friendly. And if you show your concert ticket you get 15% off!
The Bush Hall Dining Rooms offers a pre-gig menu from 6-8pm, priced at PS11 per course. The menu includes cheeseburgers, risotto and a goat’s cheese, poached pear, dandelion salad. And if that’s not enough, they serve some really great cocktails. Try the mezcal negroni – a smoky twist on the classic serve of Campari, Dolin rouge and vermouth.
5. The O2
The O2 is a complex that features an arena, a smaller venue called Indigo2, Hollywood Bowl, Cineworld and various restaurants.
The arena has a capacity of up to 20,000 people and is one of the largest indoor arenas in Europe. It has been home to many iconic artists such as Peter Kay and Busted.
In addition to its concerts, The O2 also has a range of premium VIP experiences. These include private bars, suites and more. You can book these experiences for individual events or through annual membership. Due to COVID 19, the venue requires all visitors to wear face masks, use hand sanitiser and maintain social distancing. Getting there is easy by ferry or Uber boat at North Greenwich Pier or car through Blackwall Tunnel or Millennium Way lane.
6. Oslo
The sloping floors of this domed arena (a sister venue to the much-loved Brixton Academy) allow for prime sightlines of performers, while its seated balcony levels give an alternative spot to observe the action when you don’t want to get stuck in the mosh pit. Its impressive ability to harness the big-time aura of an arena with the close-knit chaos of a club makes it one of London’s best venues for rock, pop and electronic music.
A relative newcomer to the capital’s musical scene, Omeara is renowned for its superb acoustics and brilliantly varied programming, with everything from the Pretenders to Biffy Clyro appearing on its stages. This two-roomed venue also hosts its fair share of club nights, with the dancefloor regularly hosting a mix of 20s Jazz and post-punk jams to modern indie favourites. It’s a true London music icon.
7. The Camden Assembly
Formerly known as Barfly, this Camden venue is a favourite among music lovers. The venue hosts gigs from a variety of genres - including rock and alternative music - with club nights and parties as well. Guests can enjoy their favourite brewskis or lad lagers in the ground floor bar while listening to live musicians play upstairs.
The 400-capacity spot is a new venture from the Columbo Group team behind XOYO, Phonox and this year’s inaugural Sunfall Festival in North London. It features a weighty D&B soundsystem and will host club nights and live performances with MikeQ, AJ Tracey and Teki Latex to kick off the opening weeks. London burger joint Lucky Chip will also be on-site to serve up mouthwatering eats. The venue is open to the public from September 15 onwards.
8. OMEARA
The brainchild of musician Ben Lovett from Mumford and Sons, Omeara is a 350 capacity music venue and bar nestled under railway arches near London Bridge. It hosts live gigs with a focus on emerging talent, and in the long term plans to also host talks, comedy, burlesque, magic and more.
This all-female DIY punk band identifies as ‘punk witches’ and blasted through an energetic set with riotous guitar, storming drums and sweet three part harmonies. Definitely one to watch!
The 320 capacity space bucks the trend of recent venue closures and plays host to record label showcases, special underplays and headline shows from the finest rising artists. It also boasts a gorgeous sun-soaked roof terrace. It is available for private hire Sunday-Thursday. The venue features a high spec PA and lighting rig. The tucked away gem is just a short walk from London Bridge and Borough Market.
9. O2 Shepherd’s Bush
A busy multicultural neighbourhood, Shepherd’s Bush is home to buzzy bars, pubs and live music venues like the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Its huge Westfield London mall houses retail chains and luxury boutiques, while global restaurants and colourful stalls fill Shepherd’s Bush Market.
This grandiose venue, formerly known as the Empire when it first flung open its doors in 1903, has been a staple on the London gig circuit ever since. It attracts well-known musical artists as well as a great range of comedy shows too.
This cool Shepherd’s Bush bar has an impressive beer list and a cosy atmosphere. It also serves some deliciously unusual cocktail concoctions. There’s also plenty of activities here for thrill-seekers – including an afternoon at Escape London, where you must work together to solve puzzles and break codes. It’s a great activity for birthdays or hen/stag groups!
