This boundary-pushing Dalston bar hosts everything from spoken word to experimental psych-rock and is one of the city’s biggest supporters of adventurous, avant-garde live music. The Guardian called the treasured club “the heart of the underground” in a 10-year anniversary tribute in 2018, and Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore credits it as crucial to music discovery in London. There’s no real stage or backstage area, so performances are intense, immersive, and often unforgettable.

Situated in railway arches in Elephant & Castle, this sweaty, techno sanctum—Boiler Room’s first proper home, and a go-to venue for I Love Acid, Perc Trax, and Plex parties—earned its legendary reputation by focusing on fundamentals: tasteful, progressive bookings (Eris Drew, Darwin), a relaxed, accepting atmosphere, and superb sound. Room 1 has a modular stage that’s best suited to live acts, while the intimate Room 2, a black box lined with Funktion-Ones, is revered by ravers.

This famed Shoreditch warehouse and co-working space presents a brilliant mix of thought-provoking art: experimental music concerts, raucous club nights, gallery exhibitions, theatre productions, and more. It’s sort of like an impossibly cool community center, the kind upon whose stage Charli XCX, Section Boyz, and Stormzy have performed. The site also has one of London’s largest spaces dedicated to street art, and is worth visiting even if you can’t make it to a show.

This beloved music hall and arts hub is a pillar of Notting Hill’s creative community; while many of London’s music venues have been forced to shutter or sell to corporate owners, this low-key club has managed to expand its reach (it’s also a record label and music academy). The roster of past performers is star-studded: Amy Winehouse, Nas, Ed Sheeran, The Killers, Disclosure, Anderson .Paak, the list goes on. Drop in for the weekend jazz program to see top-tier musicians casually jam.

Thought to be one of Britain’s oldest places of worship, this historic working church doubles as one of London’s most extraordinary small venues. St. Pancras didn’t start officially hosting live music until 2011, but there were early signs that it had music in its future: In 1968, The Beatles did a photoshoot in its grounds. In more recent years, the building’s central location, atmospheric acoustics, and 120-person capacity have made it a popular setting for artists on the rise.

Something about this cosy, unassuming East End establishment feels a little foreign, like wandering into a countryside pub a hundred miles from London (the stained-glass windows, old-school curtains, and wood-paneled walls lend a certain rural charm). Run by the team behind The Old Blue Last, the bar is popular among twenty- and thirtysomething hipsters who have been packing into its basement music club for decades, eager to see buzzy bands on their way to mainstream success.

In 2016, Mumford & Sons keyboardist Ben Lovett opened this Southwark staple as a way to give back to the city that helped shape his musical career (“They [London venues] were so important to me starting out.”). Situated within a series of connected railway arches, it’s a venue, bar, terrace, and gallery space that feels of another era; vintage lighting, peeling wall paint, and crafty decorative panels were all inspired by Havana. Come for roaring underground shows and stylish club nights.

This 250-capacity spot was founded in 1999 by the owners of the lauded indie label Heavenly Recordings; the venue itself was a spinoff of the label’s legendary club night, Heavenly Sunday Social. Designed by the renowned British architect David Adjaye, it has been instrumental in fostering several musical movements—including the rave-rock wave known as big beat—and in nurturing the careers of visionary artists like Aphex Twin, The Chemical Brothers, Arctic Monkeys, and Bon Iver.

This Hackney hotspot was opened in 2014 by the Nottingham firm DHP Family, who are known in their hometown for running stellar small music venues. Oslo more than meets the bar. Housed in the railway building that was Hackney Central station, this laid-back all-day hangout is as beloved for its food menu as it is for its thoughtful billings and state-of-the-art sound system. Two club nights—Friday’s Shameless and Saturday’s Locomotive Disco—are worthy of consideration.

An always-buzzing venue on Kingsland High Street, this East London café and nightclub is a fixture of the city’s queer scene, known for wild club nights, glittery drag shows, and, as of June 2022, for being one of the first LGBTQ+ venues to unionize. The party gets started shortly after the venue opens (4pm Monday to Wednesday and noon, yes, noon, Thursday to Sunday). Come for the legendary weekend drag brunches and see first-hand how a few mimosas can lead seamlessly into a euphoric night out.

This sleek performance space, a newcomer to the Hoxton scene, offers a wonderfully wide array of programming: queer techno parties (HOMOSTASH Dark Rave), karaoke every Friday, drag brunches, plus a mix of rock gig, acoustic showcases, and grab-bag dance nights. The artsy space was designed by the team behind Mare Street Market and has a stunning light sculpture by Christopher Schardt, a musician, artist, and computer programmer known for his groundbreaking LED installations at Burning Man.