London's best venues for rock music
Our selection of the capital's best places for guitar based gigging
The Old Blue Last - the place to see 'secret' gigs from high-profile bands - © Daniel Knott
Metal-head, emo enthusiast, alt.rocker, punk fan or indie popster? Here's our pick of London's most reliable rock venues, invaluable whatever your tribe.
Central
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Madame JoJo's
8-10 Brewer St, London, W1F 0SE (www.madamejojos.com)Madame JoJo's specialises in – but by no means limits itself to – showcases from emerging maj...
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Heaven
Under The Arches, off Villiers St, WC2N 6NG (www.heaven-live.co.uk)When it opened its doors in 1979, Heaven was revolutionary. London's first gay superclub, it was ...
North
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Barfly
49 Chalk Farm Rd, London, NW1 8AN (www.barflyclub.com)It's no exaggeration to describe this corner venue as an institution, since it's welcomed across ...
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Buffalo Bar
259 Upper St, London, N1 1RU (www.buffalobar.co.uk)Located literally next door to Highbury & Islington tube station, underneath the Famous Cock Tave...
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Dingwalls (Lock 17)
Middle Yard, Camden Lock, London, NW1 8AB (www.dingwalls.com)The doors of this north London institution first opened in 1973 and countless illustrious bands h...
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Electric Ballroom
184 Camden High St, London, NW1 8QP (www.electricballroom.co.uk)Located right next door to Camden Town tube station, the Ballroom is still dining out on its (adm...
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The Enterprise
2 Haverstock Hill, London, NW3 2BL (www.camdenenterprise.com)Billing itself as 'the one and only true pub left in Camden', this warm (there's a fire in winter...
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The Garage/Upstairs at The Garage
20-22 Highbury Corner, London, N5 1RD (www.thegarage.co.uk)The capacity of this north London venue's main room is around 600, while its sibling venue, Upsta...
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Koko
1a Camden High St, London, NW1 7JE (www.koko.uk.com)With its colossal mirror ball as the ceiling centrepiece, its painted gargoyles and steep tiered ...
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The Lexington
96-98 Pentonville Rd, London, N1 9JB (www.thelexington.co.uk)If you're after a mixture of underground sounds and a lounge space where you can actually hear wh...
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Roundhouse
Chalk Farm Rd, London, NW1 8EH (www.roundhouse.org.uk)A one-time railway turntable shed, the Roundhouse was used for experimental theatre and hippie ha...
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The Underworld
174 Camden High St, NW1 0NE (www.theunderworld.camden.co.uk)Housed in the basement of the World's End pub, the aptly named Underworld has seen a serious amo...
East
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93 Feet East
150 Brick Lane, London, E1 6RU (www.93feeteast.co.uk)The booking policy of this venue – which took its name from an old surveying plaque on the peri...
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The Camp
70-74 City Rd , London, EC1Y 2BJ (www.thecamplondon.com)This venue occupying a former Chinese restaurant stands for the City Arts and Music Project, boas...
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Cargo
83 Rivington St, London, EC2A 3AY (www.cargo-london.com)One of east London's few purpose-built venues, Cargo launched with very much a clubbing profile, ...
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Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen
2-4 Hoxton Square, London, N1 6NU (www.hoxtonsquarebar.com)One of the Hoxton originals, Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen has seen plenty of action in its time. S...
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The Macbeth
70 Hoxton St, London, N1 6LP (www.themacbethuk.co.uk)Tumbledown old boozer with a roof 'garden' (read: smoking/breathing space) dedicated to giving yo...
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The Nest (formerly Bardens Boudoir)
36-44 Stoke Newington Rd, London, N16 7XJ (www.ilovethenest.com)Opened in October 2010, The Nest now boasts an industrial chic look and (mercifully) more salubri...
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The Old Blue Last
38 Great Eastern St, London, EC2A 3ES (www.theoldbluelast.com)Owned and operated by über-cool magazine Vice this corner venue was in the not too distant past ...
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Rough Trade East
Dray Walk, off Brick Lane, London, E1 6QL (www.roughtrade.com)Like its sister store in W11, the newest addition to the RT stable welcomes live performers of pr...
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XOYO
32-37 Cowper St, London, EC2A 4AP (www.xoyo.co.uk)The main performance area (capacity around 800) is downstairs and features a high ceiling, three ...
South
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The Windmill
22 Blenheim Gardens, London, SW2 5BZ (www.windmillbrixton.co.uk)'We didn't set out to be a venue as such, but live music at the Windmill just kinda evolved,' cla...
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Jamm
261 Brixton Rd, London, SW9 6LH (www.brixtonjamm.org)Spread over two rooms and with around 600 capacity, this air-conditioned venue was a welcome addi...
Most popular rock, pop & dance gigs
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The Rolling Stones
Sun Nov 25, The O2The Rolling Stones are rock's great survivors. One look at Keith Richards's face makes you wonder...
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The Staves + Luke Sital-Singh
Mon Nov 19, Village UndergroundAll-girl trio take the headline slot to air the folk-tinged harmonies of debut LP 'Dead and Born ...
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The Black Keys
Wed Dec 12, The O2Ohio guitar/vocals and drums duo Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have played increasingly larger ...
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Django Django
Fri Dec 21, O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire'Boooze, broads and barbershop chords' apparently inspire these Edinburghers, whose wistful and a...
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