London Concerts Venues Directory
We advise you to telephone before travelling as opening times will vary.
Russell Square Africa Centre
38 King St, WC2
Tel: 020 7836 1973
An obvious venue if you fancy listening to African music.
Tube: Covent Garden, Leicester Square Astoria (LA1)
157 Charing Cross Rd, WC2
Tel: 020 7434 0403 A main arena visited by fairly big, usually pop & rock,
names.
Tube: Tottenham Court Road
Barbican Centre
Silk St, EC2
Tel: box office 020 7638 8891/info 020 7638 4141
The Barbican Centre is a modern music and cultural centre. It has a good programme of concerts and other events, some of which are free.
Tube: Barbican, Moorgate, St Paul's, Bank, Liverpool Street
Borderline
Orange Yard, Manette St, off Charing Cross Rd, W1
Tel: 020 7734 2095
Well-known bands are a rarity in this nice little basement venue.
Tube: Tottenham Court Road
Bread & Roses
68 Clapham Manor St, SW4
Tel: 020 7498 1779
Good for world music events.
Tube: Clapham Common
Brixton Academy
211 Stockwell Rd, SW9
Tel: box office 020 7924 9999/020 7771 2000
A very atmospheric place, reminiscent of an open-air theatre, Brixton Academy is one of London's most popular venues.
Tube: Brixton
Bull's Head
373 Lonsdale Rd, SW13
Tel: 020 8876 5241
Jazz bands from both sides of the Atlantic play at this nice riverside stage.
Rail: Barnes Bridge
Cecil Sharp House
2 Regent's Park Rd, NW1
Tel: 020 7485 2206
The Cecil Sharp House regularly plays host to folk music gigs.
Tube: Camden Town
Dingwalls
Middle Yard, Camden Lock, Chalk Farm Rd, NW1
Tel: box office 020 7267 3142/info 020 7267 1577
The Dingwalls is more famous for comedy shows than music gigs, but groovy bands sometimes do appear on stage.
Tube: Camden Town, Chalk Farm
Earl's Court Exhibition Centre
Warwick Rd, SW5
Tel: 020 7373 8141
As the name tells, this wasn't originally thought of as a music venue, and is therefore not a particularly good one, although bands sometimes do play here.
Tube: Earl's Court
Embassy Rooms
161 Tottenham Court Rd, W1
Tel: 020 7387 2414
A great variety of bands play here.
Tube: Warren Street
Forum
9-17 Highgate Rd, NW5
Tel: box office 020 7344 0044/info 020 7284 1001
Good sound, good bands, good atmosphere.
Tube: Kentish Town
The Garage
20-22 Highbury Corner, N5
Tel: 020 7344 0044
If you're an indie-rock fan, this may be a good place to visit.
Tube: Highbury & Islington
Hackney Empire
291 Mare St, E8
Tel: 020 8985 2424
The popular Hackney Empire is most known for hosting theatre and comedy, but occasionally there's a good band showing up.
Rail: Hackney Central
Hammersmith & Fulham Irish Centre
Blacks Rd, W6
Tel: 020 7978 9778
Lovers of Irish music should definitely step in to the Hammersmith & Fulham Irish Centre.
Tube: Hammersmith
Jazz Café
5 Parkway, NW1
Tel: box office 020 7344 0044/info 020 8963 0940
Despite its name, the Jazz Café is much more than just a café, and a variety of music is on offer, not only jazz.
Tube: Camden Town
LA2
157 Charing Cross Rd, WC2
Tel: 020 7434 0403
A good venue that only occasionally offers live music concerts.
Tube: Tottenham Court Road
London Arena
Limeharbour, Isle of Dogs, E14
Tel: 020 7538 1212
A massive arena where only the really big names play.
DLR: Crossharbour & London Arena
London Coliseum
St Martin's Lane, WC2
Tel: 020 7632 8300
The London Coliseum is the home of the English National Opera. Fantastic operas, all sung in English, and ballets are performed here.
Tube: Leicester Square, Charing Cross
Mean Fiddler
22-28A High St, NW10
Tel: box office 020 7344 0044/info 020 8963 0940
A venue for folk, blues and rock, popular with locals.
Tube: Willesden Junction
100 Club
100 Oxford St, W1
Tel: 020 7636 0933
A central venue where the Stones and the Kinks played in the 60s. Today it plays host to jazz and indie bands, and attracts a very varied crowd.
Tube: Tottenham Court Road
Pizza Express Jazz Club
10 Dean St, W1
Tel: 020 7439 8722/020 7437 9595
Excellent jazz artists often show up at the Pizza Express Jazz Club. Ring to hear what's going on in different restaurants.
Tube: Tottenham Court Road
Pizza on the Park
11 Knightsbridge, SW1
Tel: 020 7235 5273
Pizza on the Park lets you enjoy your pizza while listening to good live jazz music.
Tube: Hyde Park Corner
Roadhouse
Jubilee Hall, 35 The Piazza, Covent Garden, WC2
Tel: 020 7240 6001
The Roadhouse is visited by cover bands and artists that are already past their most glorious moment of fame.
Tube: Covent Garden
Rock Garden
The Piazza, Covent Garden, WC2
Tel: 020 7240 3961
In the late 70s, this was a major venue. Now it has lost most of its glamour, but it still hosts some live gigs.
Tube: Covent Garden
Ronnie Scott's
47 Frith St, W1
Tel: 020 7439 0747
This venue, founded by Ronnie Scott and Pete King, still plays great jazzy music.
Tube: Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Road
Royal Albert Hall
Kensington Gore, SW7
Tel: box office 020 7589 8212/info 020 7589 3203
This famous London landmark regularly plays host to all sorts of music and, occasionally, sports events. The likes of Pavarotti and Eric Clapton have performed here.
Tube: South Kensington
Royal Opera House
Covent Garden, WC2
Tel: 020 7304 4000
The Royal Opera House was refurbished in 1999 and is now quite a stunning building. Usually there are classical works on stage but there is also the occasional modern show.
Tube: Covent Garden
Shepherd's Bush Empire
Shepherd's Bush Green, W12
Tel: 020 7771 2000
A major venue that has seen rock bands like Primal Scream and Iggy Pop.
Tube: Shepherd's Bush
The Social Bar
5 Little Portland St, W1
Tel: 020 7287 1010
A smart club bar, popular with indie-music supporters.
Tube: Leicester Square
South Bank Centre
South Bank, Belvedere Rd, SE1
Tel: 020 7960 4242
The South Bank Centre is home to three concert halls - the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Purcell Room. It usually has a very good programme of music including classical concerts.
Tube: Embankment, Waterloo
Spitz
Old Spitalfields Market, 109 Commercial St, E1
Tel: 020 7392 9032
The Spitz is much more than an ordinary music venue. It does play host to live gigs, but it's also a café, a bar, a restaurant, a club and an art gallery.
St James's Church Piccadilly
197 Piccadilly, W1
Tel: 020 7734 4511
This little quiet church, so close to the busy Piccadilly Circus, stages many popular music events.
Tube: Piccadilly Circus
St John's Smith Square
Smith Sq, SW1
Tel: 020 7222 1061
This 300-year-old church features a good programme of music performances.
Tube: Westminster
St Martin-in-the-Fields
Trafalgar Sq, WC2
Tel: 020 7839 8362
Conveniently located at Trafalgar Square, right in the heart of London, this old church frequently hosts popular classical concerts at lunchtime and also some evening performances.
Tube: Charing Cross
Swan
215 Clapham Rd, SW9
Tel: 020 7978 9778
This Irish pub offers live music most evenings.
Tube: Stockwell
12 Bar Club
22-23 Denmark Place, off Denmark St, WC2
Tel: box office 020 7209 2248/info 020 7916 6989
A small, intimate venue bursting with good music, frequently country and folk.
Tube: Tottenham Court Road
ULU (University of London Union)
Manning Hall, Malet St, WC1
Tel: 020 7664 2030
This university venue is for anyone who wants to listen to indie music and drink cheap beers.
Tube: Goodge Street
Union Chapel
Compton Terrace, N1
Tel: 020 7226 1686
A church converted into a gig venue where all sorts of music, from folk to rock, may be listened to.
Tube: Highbury & Islington
Vortex
139-141 Stoke Newington Church St, N16
Tel: 020 7254 6516
A laid-back jazz venue which also serves delicious food, a lot of it vegetarian.
Rail: Stoke Newington
Wembley Arena,
Stadium & Conference CentreEmpire Way, Wembley, Middlesex
Tel: 020 8802 0802
A huge arena hosting all kinds of events. Only some of them are gigs, usually performed by a big artist.
Tube: Wembley Park, Wembley Central
Wigmore Hall
36 Wigmore St, W1
Tel: 020 7935 2141
The Wigmore Hall opened in 1917. This beautiful old-fashioned venue regularly hosts classical music events.
Tube: Bond Street
WKD
18 Kentish Town Rd, NW1
Tel: 020 7267 1869
A wide music mix on offer, stretching from reggae to soul to club music.
Tube: Camden Town