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London’s jazzophiles, here’s some exciting news. Iconic New York jazz club Blue Note is coming to London. The institution, which was founded in NYC’s Greenwich Village but has since expanded to cities around the world like Tokyo, Milan and Rio de Janeiro, has confirmed that it will open in Covent Garden in early 2026.
Blue Note’s future London location is at 42-49 St Martin’s Lane (it’ll be beneath St Martins Lane Hotel), a short step from London’s beloved jazz clubs in Soho. The basement club will feature two performance spaces – a 250-capacity main room and a 100-cap secondary room – and it will boast a full-service kitchen open for dinner throughout the week.
Blue Note’s route to opening a London venue hasn’t been entirely plain sailing. Back in February its licensing application was partially rejected, and only last week (on May 1) was the full license granted.
Blue Note London will be open until 1am Monday to Saturday, and until 12am on Sundays. There’s no firm opening date yet, with the club saying it should open in ‘early 2026’.
About the new venue, president of Blue Note Entertainment Group Steven Bensusan said: ‘We’re excited to be coming to London and grateful to Westminster Council for recognising what Blue Note can bring to the city’s nightlife. As we prepare to open in early 2026, we’re looking forward to bringing world-class jazz and a deep cultural legacy to one of the greatest music cities in the world.’
The OG Blue Note Jazz Club (which isn’t affiliated with equally-legendary jazz record label Blue Note) was founded in Greenwich Village in 1981 and, over the years, has hosted plenty of the biggest names in jazz. Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Ray Charles and Chick Corea have all graced its stage. The club bills itself as the ‘jazz capital of the world’.
The best jazz clubs in London, according to Time Out.
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