The best London gigs and concerts in May 2025

Spring has hit me like a jogger’s body slam along Regent’s Canal (true story). My calendar is suddenly bursting with day festivals, pub trips and mini excursions out of the city. I don’t know about you, but I’m ignoring the minus symbols on my bank account and investing in crisp Neck Oils by the park, alfresco dinners with my mates and a fair few gig tickets. Because this month is jam-bloody-packed with amazing live music.

And really, is there a better way to finish off a warm, hazy afternoon than a jump-around with your mates in a mosh pit? I think not. Explore blistering post-punk, glitching dance music and groovy-heavy hip-hop in our guide to this month’s best gigs in London.

Georgia curates Time Out’s music section. Her current obsession is the new Addison Rae song (Headphones On), and she's bought a box of pink hair dye to match the music video. See if you can spot her at any of these gigs; she's probably by the merch stand with a pint of Diet Coke. 

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Big time pop spectacles

Usher

Usher’s London residency rumbles into another month. And, it looks like you’re still in with a fair shot now that more tickets and resell options have been released. So book tickets to one of this year’s biggest tours and breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you’ll see party bangers like ‘Yeah’ and ‘DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love’ straight from the hitmaker himself. 

The O2, SE10 0DX. Various dates from Mar 29-May 7, 6pm. From £87.40.

Tate McRae

Had ‘Sports Car’ on repeat recently? Yeah, us too. Blending Britney levels of choreography with sultry vocals and seriously catchy hooks, Tate McRae is one of planet Earth’s brightest pop stars. The performer started off on the 2016 television series So You Think You Can Dance in her native Canada, before releasing her debut studio album, I Used to Think I Could Fly in 2022. Catch her on the UK leg of her sophomore album tour and see why she’s been setting the internet alight with her all-singing, alldancing performances. 

The O2, SE10 0DX. May 20 and Jun 24, 6.30pm. From £96.03.

Kylie Minogue 

She’s not called the ‘Princess of Pop’ for nothing. Music legend Kylie has bagged two Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards and 18 ARIA Music Awards. The honorary British icon will be doing a victory lap of the 'Padam Padam'-spawning Tension album of 2023 and the 2024 follow-up, Tension II, with futuristic lighting rigs, disco stage design and massive digital screens all teased by her team. All of which aims to bring even the most retro of Kylie tunes (we’re looking at you, ‘Locomotion’) to the modern age. 

The O2, Mon May 26 and Tue May 27, 6.30pm. From £84.38.

Scissor Sisters

Scissor Sisters are back after 12 years, promoting the 20-year anniversary of the band's debut self-titled album. One of the UK's 40 best-sellers of all time, featuring hits like ‘Laura’, ‘Take Your Mamma’ and ‘Filthy/Gorgeous’, the pop disruptors, made up of lead singer Jake Shears, plus multi-instrumentalist Babydaddy and guitarist Del Marquis, will be hitting up The O2 in a long-awaited return.

The O2, SE10 0DX. Fri May 23, 6.30pm. From £58.20. 

Rowdy post-punk

Heavy Lungs

Fresh off the back of their second album Caviar, Bristol-based punk outfit Heavy Lungs are heading to The Lex for a night of old-school moshing. Inspired by the likes of The Stooges, Danny Brown, Oh Sees, their record skirts through big metal guitar riffs, furious drumming and frontman Danny Dedelko’s gravelly vocals. Expect the walls of the north London venue to be dripping with sweat after a solid show of anarchic moshing and stagediving that’d make your mother clutch her pearls. 

The Lexington, N1 9JB. Sat May 3, 7.30pm. From £19.06.

Viagra Boys

Three years ago, Stockholm post-punk band Viagra Boys released their third album Cave World, which fired shots at conspiracy theorists and anti-vaxxers with signature wit and riotous delivery. The new album, however, offers a little comedic reprieve from a world that’s burning around it. Titled viagr aboys, the 11-song collection leans into the silliness many fans will have experienced when previously catching his band live. Expect beer chugging, hip wiggling and plenty of rolling around into the crowd. 

O2 Academy Brixton, SW9 9SL. Tues May 6, 7pm. From £35.45.

caroline

One for fans of Black Country, New Road or Mogwai, caroline is an experimental eight-piece making music inspired by the insecurities of modern life. Swelling soundscapes are made up of lengthy string sections, dramatic woodwind flourishes and anxious guitar strumming, all of which builds up a sense of tension and release. The group recently teamed up with Caroline Polachek on the stunning single ‘Tell me I never knew that’ which is well worth giving a spin before this performance.

Rough Trade East, E1 6QL. Fri May 30, 7pm. From £12.50.

Songs to scream along to 

Scowl

Scowl is an American hardcore band that refuses to be confined to just one sound. The Santa Cruz-based five-piece released their second album, Are We All Angels last month to critical acclaim. Mixing white-knuckled rage with garage-fuzzing textures and pop melodies, the group has evolved beyond its roots. Vocalist Kat Moss has a vocal rage that effortlessly spans from ferocious growling to Courtney Love-esque crooning. If the album is anything to go by, you’ll want to see this group at The Dome as they continue to rise through the hardcore ranks.

The Dome, NW5 1HL. Fri May 9, 7pm. From £26.31.

Sweet Pill

Philadelphia five-piece Sweet Pill have been putting in serious work lately – playing Outbreak and Riot Fest last year, as well as touring with American Football and Hot Mulligan. In the process, the group have (rightly) built a cult following. Their mix of energetic anthems and introspective ballads is anchored by heartfelt lyrics, which channel the raw emotion and vulnerability of classic emo. 

The Dome, N19 5QQ. Wed May 28, 7pm. From £17.87. 

The Hotelier

You might know The Hotelier for their groundbreaking emo album Home, Like Noplace Is There, but their back catalogue of achingly brilliant rock music spans much more than their legendary sophomore release. In 2023, the group embarked on a reunion tour with frontperson Christian Holden teasing potential new music in their interview with The Ringer that year. While it’s not clear you’ll hear anything fresh at The Garage, you can be assured that you’ll get the chance to yell the hook, ‘I called in sick from your funeral’ at full volume.

The Garage, N5 1RD. Sat May 31, 7pm. From £32.33.

Delicate folk melodies 

Beirut

Beirut is the kind of band you want to listen to while wandering home from work during golden hour. Soothing in tone, while intricate in structure, Zach Condon’s project often utilises brass touches, waltzing rhythms and plucked strings, with the occasional dash of choral harmonies. Their latest release A Study of Losses, the band’s seventh album, is a return to form, despite it being written for a circus, of all things. Fingers crossed for some acrobatics here. 

O2 Academy Brixton, SW9 9SL. Thur May 8, 7pm (and Troxy, E1 0HX. Fri May 9, 7pm). From £51.55. 

Mustafa

Combining vulnerability, social commentary and storytelling with a blend of folk and R&B influences, Mustafa is one of music’s most hyped artists. His soft vocals often adopt rap cadences, drifting through finger-picked guitars, sparse piano notes and atmospheric synthesisers, as displayed on his 2024 debut, Dunya. The collection of songs draws on family tenderness, the ecstasy of falling in love and the heartbreak of witnessing political unrest. It’s sure to be nothing short of sublime when experienced live.

Barbican Centre, EC2Y 8DS. Fri May 9, 7.30pm. From £25.

Sachiko Kanenobu

Sachiko Kanenobu is considered to be Japan’s first female folk-rock singer-songwriter, releasing her debut Misora, when she was just 22, back in 1972. Following this, the musician left Japan, got married and had children, performing up until the year 2000 with her rock band Sachiko & Culture Shock. However, when her debut was reissued by Seattle’s Light In The Attic label, her music found an all-new fandom. This is an incredibly rare chance to see the musician at her debut UK show. It’s a must for folk fans and curious listeners alike. 

Cafe OTO, E8 3DL. Wed May 14, 7.30pm. From £25.

Soccer Mommy

Nashville singer-songwriter Sophia Regina Allison (aka Soccer Mommy) is currently touring her fourth studio album, Evergreen, which came out last year. Her style of confessional songwriting is on full display in this latest release, with lines such as ‘I feel you / Even though you're gone / And I don't mind talking to empty halls / 'Cause I miss you,’ just punching you in the gut. It’s sure to feel that much more impactful in the sublimely mellow setting of Hackney Church.

Hackney Church, E5 0PD. Thu May 8, 7.30pm. From £28.86. 

Heavy on the dancefloor 

Leftfield

Another duo that has been shaping British music for a helluva long time, Leftfield are celebrating their 35th anniversary of artistry with a series of special shows titled ‘Leftism and Beyond’. Considering they’ve been named as, ‘the single most influential production team working in British dance music’ by Mixmag, you can set expectations high as they bring a night of heavy basslines and beloved beats. Fun fact: their 1996 performance at this venue caused dust and plaster to fall from the ceiling, so keep an eye out for any structural damage. 

O2 Academy Brixton, SW9 9SL. Sat May 31, 7pm. From £47.45.

Chase and Status

Electronic duo Chase and Status are considered legends of the UK’s dance music scene for good reason. Having started with their 2008 debut More Than Alot (which still bangs), they went on to release popular singles such as 2009’s End Credits, Blind Faith (2011) and Disconnect (2023). It wasn’t until last year that they finally reached the long-fought-for number on spot with Stormzy on ‘Backbone’, scooping up the Producer of the Year award at the Brits as a nice reward. This show is sure to feature an epic back-catalogue, performed with lasers, pyro and guest vocals.

The O2, SE10 0DX. Sat May 3, 6.30pm. From £61.88.

Altern8

Altern8 are also celebrating 35 years of raving, this time at the Fox & Firkin. As part of the ‘Altern8 Invites’ series, they’re hosting all kinds of DJs to offer up a deliciously dirty night of rave classics, acid house, breakbeats, jungle and hardcore. The masked legends have promised nothing but full-on breakbeat energy, so be ready to get a little sweaty on the dancefloor and shake the venue to its foundations. 

Fox & Firkin, SE13 6JZ. Fri May 30, 8pm. From £16.04.

Leftfield glitches 

Mechatok

Munich-born, London-based producer Mechatok has worked with all the hyperpop girlies (Charli xcx, Oklou, Bladee), crafting a distinctive euphoric minimal sound that’s synonymous with the scene. His most recent single, ‘Virus Fresstyle’, recorded at Virus Studios, is a lot more playful. A gradually fizzing dance anthem, it’s the kind of thing you could imagine prancing around a warm summer field to, can in one hand and cig in the other. Make the most of a little escapism when catching it live this month. 

Colour Factory, E9 5EN. Fri May 23, 10pm. From £22.56.

aya

If Big Music Publications like Pitchfork call your album, ‘one of the best, most unhinged albums of the year,’ you’ve basically made it. Huddersfield dance musician and producer aya is a master of avant-garde, horror-esque hard dance music that’d strike down a sickly child. On her new album Hexed! (also in the running for ickiest album artwork of the year), On tracks like ‘Off to the ESSO’, she yells nonsensical lines at an anxiously high pitch, with heavy techno beats and the splicing of steel knives. Her music is unsettling, powerful and very, very weird. Don’t miss your chance to experience it. 

Ormside Projects, SE15 1TR. Wed May 7, 7,30pm. From £17.

Jenny Hval

Norwegian singer-songwriter, record producer and novelist Jenny Hval will be bringing her experimental sounds to Islington Assembly Hall this April. Tying in with the new album Iris Silver Mist (out next month), the multi-hyphenated artist blurs the line between music and the world around it through live performances that incorporate fragrances. In fact, the first time Hval performed Iris Silver Mist, before they’d been recorded, she was surrounded by rice cookers, filling the songs with the smell of rice. So expect a night of powerful perfume, smoke, mist and music at this live spectacle.

Islington Assembly Hall, N1 2UD. Wed May 21, 7pm. From £26.63.

Rock music your dad likes 

Dinosaur Jr.

Dinosaur Jr. are taking over Troxy to celebrate three decades of their seminal 1994 album, Without A Sound. While the most famous tune off the record may be ‘Feel the Pain’, an angsty indie pop classic with an insane guitar performance, it’s the closer ‘Over Your Shoulder’ which has the most interesting story. Used on the Japanese boxing reality show Gachinko Fight Club, which was then served to audiences via YouTube algorithms, the song had a sudden surge in popularity in 2019, 25 years after its release. So, whether you’re a longtime fan or stumbled across the band recently, this show is a real treat. 

Troxy, E1 0HX. Thur May 22, 7pm. From £44.01. 

Daryl Hall

If you, like myself, were brought up on the bubbling funk-rock of Hall and Oates and were gutted by the idea of the iconic duo parting ways like bitter divorceees, then this show might just be for you. You can experience the magic of the hit internet show Live from Daryl's House as if you’re in Hall’s Millerton home, enjoy a few classics from his 1977 collaborative album with Robert Fripp, Sacred Songs, and maybe, just maybe, hear ‘Out of Touch’ or ‘Private Eyes’ for real. 

Royal Albert Hall, SW7 2AP. Mon May 19, 6.45pm. From £68.

Iggy Pop

Legendary proto-punk rocker Iggy Pop will be heading to north London for a massive night at Ally Pally. The American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster may be spending much of his time being a Radio 6 Music tastemaker these days, but he’s still got his signature grizzly vocals and rock ‘n’ roll performer side. Catch him perform solo and Stooges classics in a grand setting and be reminded of exactly why he’s a living legend. 

Alexandra Palace, N22 7AY. Wed May 28, 6.30pm. From £75.60. 

Groovy rap influences  

Tommy Richman

Tommy Richman’s hit single ‘Million Dollar Baby’ defined the summer of 2024 for many of us. With its bouncy bassline, trap percussion and funk-infused psychedelic synths, it’s no wonder TikTok dancers picked up the track and ran with it. Hear Tommy’s vocal riffs in real life at The Outernet this month, where he’s guaranteed to pair his rap-infused music with some seriously impressive light shows. 

KOKO, NW1 7JE. Mon May 5, 7pm. From £25.35.

Tyler, The Creator 

Tyler, The Creator’s CHROMAKOPIA world tour is landing in London this month. The eighth studio album from the LA rapper featured a who’s who of current pop talent, including Daniel Caesar, Doechii, GloRilla, Lola Young, Sexyy Red and Teezo Touchdown. Dipping into hip-hop, jazz and soul influences, it’s seen as the continuation of 2021’s Call Me If You Get Lost album, inspired by the life lesson he learned as a child. If his recent tours are anything to go by, you can expect some seriously out-there visuals and careful onstage design, making it a fully immersive experience.

The O2, SE10 0DX.  Mon May 19, Wed May 21, Thur May 22, 6.30pm. From £77.60.

Cool girls of indie 

Ezra Furman

Singer Ezra Furman is putting together an extra-special full-day event, A World of Love and Care at EartH this May. Featuring performances by Du Blonde, Modern Woman, Westside Cowboy, Jasmine.4.t, alongside a Q&A, acoustic set and a full-band performance from Ezra herself, this is an experience that indie girls will not want to miss. Have a listen to her twinkling new pop tune ‘Power of the Moon’ to get in the mood ahead of time. 

EartH, N16 8BH. Sun May 18, 1.30pm. From £41.20.

Wet Leg

2022 was the year of Wet Leg. The Isle of Wight duo dominated the music world with their playful indie anthems like ‘Chaise Longue’, ‘Wet Dream’ and ‘Ur Mum’, which grabbed the attention of fans and critics for their pop riffs and tongue-in-cheek lyrics. They’re back with a new song, ‘catch these fists’, which builds on the indie pop world they’ve created with even more silly lines like, ‘Some guy comes up, says I'm his type / I just threw up in my mouth / When he just tried to ask me out.’ Girl power! 

O2 Academy Brixton, SW9 9SL. Fri May 23, 7pm. From £38.50.