8 live music in London, editor-picked by TableJourney. All London nightlife.
Ronnie Scott's ★ 4.8
Soho · 47 Frith Street, Soho, London W1D 4HT
The Frith Street basement opened by tenorist Ronnie Scott in 1959 is the central canon of British jazz, with two sittings a night and the late show that real heads come for.
Tip: Book the late show, the room thins out and the playing loosens. Standing bar tickets are the cheapest way in if you do not need a table.
Vortex Jazz Club ★ 4.6
Dalston · 11 Gillett Square, Dalston, London N16 8AZ
The Gillett Square upstairs room is where London's improvised and contemporary jazz programmes when it wants to be honest about what it sounds like, with a regular Tomorrow's Warriors slot for the next generation.
Tip: Book direct, the room is small and an in-demand quartet sells out in days. The downstairs cafe is the warm-up.
PizzaExpress Jazz Club ★ 4.5
Soho · 10 Dean Street, Soho, London W1D 3RW
The Dean Street basement opened by Peter Boizot in 1969 sits under a working pizzeria and runs a quietly serious nightly programme that has hosted Diana Krall, Norah Jones and Kurt Elling at room scale.
Tip: The pizza is fine, the room is the point, ask for a table on the front banquettes for sightlines to the piano.
Cafe OTO ★ 4.7
Dalston · 18-22 Ashwin Street, Dalston, London E8 3DL
The Ashwin Street room programmed by Hamish Dunbar and Keiko Yamamoto is the central venue in Europe for experimental and improvised music, and the calendar is the single best test of what is current.
Tip: Members get advance ticket access, the Eddie Prevost and Arto Lindsay weeks sell out fast.
O2 Academy Brixton ★ 4.4
Brixton · 211 Stockwell Road, Brixton, London SW9 9SL
The 1929 art deco theatre on Stockwell Road reopened in April 2024 with 77 new safety conditions after the December 2022 crush, and it remains the most resonant mid-size touring room in the country.
Tip: The raked floor gives sightlines from anywhere, but front-of-stage on a sold-out night is a serious push, take a balcony seat for comfort.
Roundhouse ★ 4.6
Camden · Chalk Farm Road, Camden, London NW1 8EH
The Victorian railway engine shed converted in 1964 is Camden's circular theatre with a programme that runs from Glen Hansard and Rilo Kiley to the Roundhouse Comedy Festival in August.
Tip: The standing pit is the only place to be for a guitar band, the upper circle has obstructed views from the back rows.
KOKO ★ 4.4
Camden · 1a Camden High Street, Camden, London NW1 7RE
The 1900 Camden Hippodrome reopened in 2022 after a fire and a top-to-bottom rebuild, and is now a five-floor venue with a theatre, a members club and a domed roof terrace.
Tip: The Saturday DISKOKO electronic night is the way to see the rebuilt room without paying touring-show prices.
The 100 Club ★ 4.5
Fitzrovia · 100 Oxford Street, Fitzrovia, London W1D 1LL
The Oxford Street basement that hosted the 1976 Punk Festival is the longest continuously running music venue in London and still books across genres from punk through Northern Soul.
Tip: There are no bad sightlines, the stage is at floor level. Get a drink before the headline, the bar queues 12 deep on a sold-out night.