As a vibrant cultural hub, London has a comprehensive entertainment scene with something for all tastes. Whether you’re new to London or a local looking for ideas to change up your routine, there are countless options to choose from.

Approximately 90% of visitors to London attend at least one live event during their stay, with the range of attractions and things to do available a major pull for tourists from the UK and abroad. It’s ideal for a girls night out or a work event, there is so many great restaurants and music events to cater for all tastes.

This article is not only about the best concerts and events in London, but also how to know about upcoming events and, of course, the best venues to visit.

The o2 arena in London

London’s O2 20,000 capacity venue hosts live music events and the biggest comedians

Concerts

London has always been a major player when it came to influencing the global music scene. Its pubs and clubs in Camden Town nurtured classic rock in its early days. More recently, The O2, Kentish Town Forum and Brixton Academy have helped countless musicians, bands, performers and celebrities make a name for themselves and gain worldwide recognition.

In other words, if you’re looking for a live music concert in London, you’re guaranteed to find one. The easiest way is to look up tour dates for your artist of choice and once you’ve figured out when and where they’ll be in London, you can go ahead and book your tickets.

On the other hand, if you’re not as interested in the music as you are in the venue, their websites usually have a ‘What’s On’ section for their upcoming events.

And when we say all tastes, music venues range from the Royal Albert Hall to the Electric Ballroom, with every single music genre given a platform.

The city also hosts major music festivals such as Wireless Festival, British Summer Time Hyde Park and even opera and classical music at Kenwood House. And the annual Notting Hill Carnival in London draws in over 1 million participants and spectators.

Exclusive Performances

If you’d like to take your concert experience to the next level, London’s exclusive clubs are the way to go. It’s common for the best clubs to host performances by celebrity artists. This means that by getting bottle service in London, at the right club, of course, you can attend an exclusive performance by your favourite artist in intimate gigs.

Needless to say, when you’re one in around 300 people and Travis Scott is partying inches away from you, it’s a very different atmosphere from when you’re one in 20,000 people in a huge arena.

les miserables in Londons west end

Les Misérables has been at the Sondheim Theatre since 2004

Live Events

If you’re more into stand-up comedy or theatre than you are into concerts, London won’t disappoint. The city has hosted some of the world’s greatest modern comedians: Dave Chapelle, Kevin Hart, Ricky Gervais, and many more. All you have to do is look up tour dates for your favourite comedians and book your seats.

Meanwhile, as for theatre, London’s West End is known as ‘Theatreland’ for a reason. The area houses almost 40 theatres which means there are unlimited shows to choose from. For the bigger and more mainstream productions, you can head to the Apollo Victoria Theatre or the Eventim Apollo. Meanwhile, for something off the beaten path, you can head to the Southwark Playhouse.

Some of the famous London west end shows include Les Misérables, Cats, Miss Saigon, The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Oliver, Wicked, Sweeney Todd, Billy Elliot and Mamma Mia! Which all rightly have received rave reviews over the year.

Naturally tickets can be hard to come by for the best shows, but there are many other options available.

If musicals aren’t your thing, the capital of England also has a wealth of museums, art galleries, plays, exhibitions, and more for culture vultures.

All in all, there’s no reason you should be bored in a city like London when there’s something to do all day every day. The most important thing to keep in mind is that booking in advance is crucial, especially if you’re thinking of going to an exclusive club.

High-end exclusive venues are always in demand and they have a limited number of tables, so the earlier you book, the more likely you are to find a good table that suits your budget.