Best live music venues in London
London plays live every night of the week. The city stretches from sticky-floored grassroots rooms where new bands cut their teeth to grand concert halls and converted chapels with the acoustics to match. The venues worth knowing are the ones with a packed calendar, because a full bill is what keeps a scene moving and gives you a reason to turn up on a random Tuesday.
The venues below are ordered by how active they are, counted from the live music events each has coming up. It is a measure of activity, not a ranking of sound systems or sightlines, so the rooms near the top are simply the ones with the most gigs you can go to in person.
25 places ranked right now
- Cadogan Hall SW1X 9DQ 206 upcoming events
- Eventim Apollo W6 9QH 156 upcoming events
- Electric Ballroom NW1 8QP 147 upcoming events
- Jazz Cafe NW1 7PG 114 upcoming events
- Union Chapel N1 2UN 111 upcoming events
- The Bedford SW12 9HD 97 upcoming events
- Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club W1D 4HT 86 upcoming events
- PizzaExpress Live Soho W1D 3RW 85 upcoming events
- 100 Club W1D 1LL 76 upcoming events
- The Lexington N1 9JB 74 upcoming events
- The Underworld NW1 0NE 73 upcoming events
- Boisdale of Canary Wharf E14 4QT 67 upcoming events
- The Garage N5 1RD 63 upcoming events
- Cecil Sharp House NW1 7AY 59 upcoming events
- EartH Theatre N16 8BH 56 upcoming events
- Roundhouse NW1 8EH 55 upcoming events
- O2 Academy Islington N1 0PS 53 upcoming events
- Ram Jam Records KT2 5EE 52 upcoming events
- The Blues Kitchen Shoreditch EC2A 3AR 51 upcoming events
- Blackheath Halls SE13 6LF 51 upcoming events
- The Fox and Firkin SE13 6JZ 48 upcoming events
- The Fighting Cocks KT1 1EU 46 upcoming events
- Camden Assembly NW1 8AN 45 upcoming events
- Village Underground EC2A 3PQ 45 upcoming events
- 229 London W1W 5PN 44 upcoming events
More best of London and hubs
Frequently asked questions
How are these ranked?
They are ordered by the number of upcoming live music events each venue has listed. The ranking shows how active a place is rather than a review score, so a venue near the top is one with a lot of gigs on in the days ahead.
Are these events in person?
Yes. OnlyHere only lists events you can physically attend in London, so every gig here is one you go to in person, never a stream or an online session.
How many best live music venues in london are ranked right now?
There are 25 places ranked on this page right now. It updates daily.