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 185 upcoming events
- Union Chapel N1 2UN 104 upcoming events
- Eventim Apollo W6 9QH 97 upcoming events
- Roundhouse NW1 8EH 91 upcoming events
- The Lexington N1 9JB 79 upcoming events
- Electric Ballroom NW1 8QP 75 upcoming events
- EartH N16 8BH 59 upcoming events
- Vortex Jazz Club N16 8AZ 42 upcoming events
- Village Underground EC2A 3PQ 36 upcoming events
- Wembley Stadium HA9 0WS 34 upcoming events
- Theatre503 SW11 3BW 24 upcoming events
- Blackheath Halls SE13 6LF 21 upcoming events
- Alexandra Palace Wood Green 19 upcoming events
- Southbank Centre SE1 8XX 18 upcoming events
- Soho Theatre W1D 3NE 18 upcoming events
- Greenwich Theatre SE10 8ES 16 upcoming events
- The Place WC1H 9PY 15 upcoming events
- Green Note NW1 7AN 14 upcoming events
- The O2 arena SE10 0DX 14 upcoming events
- Sadler's Wells Theatre EC1R 4TN 11 upcoming events
- Bush Theatre W12 8LJ 11 upcoming events
- Trinity Laban SE13 6LF 9 upcoming events
- Barbican Centre EC2Y 8AE 9 upcoming events
- Downstairs at the Kings Head N8 8AA 8 upcoming events
- Southwark Cathedral SE1 9DA 7 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.