O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire

This former BBC theatre is one of the best things about Shepherd's Bush. Over the years, the 1903-built music-hall has hosted everyone from Charlie Chaplin to David Bowie, Kylie Minogue and the Rolling Stones. It’s got a capacity of 2,000 standing or 1,300 seated, and there’s decent sound everywhere (except the alcove behind the stalls bar). The 120-year-old venue is still in good nick having undergone a major renovation that improved sound, lighting and seating in September 2025. It’s had a long, storied history, starting out as an Edwardian theatre and now operating as an acclaimed gig venue, though the most widely reported event took place on March 10 2003, when The Chicks (FKA Dixie Chicks) singer Natalie Maines caused uproar by declaring on stage that she was ‘ashamed the President of the United States [George W Bush] is from Texas’. The Noughties, eh? What a wild time.