When it comes to the beating heart of London’s live music scene, few places can match the electric buzz of Camden. A historic hotspot where punk rock legends once clashed with folk troubadours, Camden is a melting pot of sound, style, and soul.
Whether you’re craving the raw energy of a sweaty underground gig, the jazzy improvisations in a smoky bar or pub, or the eclectic indie vibes spilling out onto the street, this area’s stages have nurtured musical innovation for decades. So, plan your next headbanging night out and discover the best live music in Camden with our hand-picked guide.
Last edited by Scarlett Welch
Last updated on 14th August 2025
A lively hub of activity and community on Camden High Street, you won't find a more fun location for live music than BOXPARK. This open-air venue is made up of shipping containers, with lots of indoor and outdoor seating.
Live musicians and DJs take to their stage on a regular basis, which you can enjoy alongside a refreshing pint or cocktail. Hungry? There are countless street food vendors to choose from, including Benny The Butcher and Black Bear Burger.
Located in the heart of Camden, The Forge is a dynamic, award-winning venue where music and art collide in electrifying harmony. This sleek, sustainably designed space packs a punch with a capacity for 300 standing or 150 seated music lovers, spread across a versatile main floor and an intimate upstairs balcony.
Fancy catching cutting-edge electronic beats, grooving to funk, getting lost in soulful jazz, or diving into R&B? The Forge's eclectic lineup champions both rising stars and established acts, making every night a fresh discovery. From high-energy parties to chilled-out live sets, there's something for everyone.
One of the best pubs in Camden with live music is The World's End, perched on Camden High Street opposite the underground station. Beneath the pub lies The Underworld, a renowned live music venue that has hosted legendary acts such as Radiohead, The Cranberries, and The Darkness.
With a capacity of 500, The Underworld continues to be a hotspot for both emerging and established artists, offering a gritty, intimate atmosphere that is quintessentially Camden. Upstairs, The World's End pub offers a spacious setting with two bars, a mezzanine balcony, and a rich history that includes famous visitors such as Charles Dickens.
On the hunt for bars in Camden with live music? Blues Kitchen has got you sorted. This American grill-style spot is its flagship venue and boasts entertainment 'til late every night.
Look forward to its house band performing soul‑soaked sets each weekend, followed by DJs until 3am, with tickets ranging from free to £10. Add in the smoky ribs, bourbon cocktails, and spontaneous harmonica jams in upstairs nooks, and you've got yourself a fab night out.
A beloved grassroots venue that has been a cornerstone of the local music scene since the 1970s, The Fiddler's Elbow is housed in a Grade II-listed Victorian building dating back to around 1845, with a capacity of 150, making it one of the most intimate live music venues in the capital.
This pub is a haven for music lovers, featuring a diverse lineup that spans genres from indie and rock to punk, jazz, and metal. With live performances every night of the week, there's always something happening. The venue's charm lies in its authenticity and community spirit; owner Dan Maiden, a former promoter and musician, has cultivated an environment where both emerging and seasoned artists feel welcome.
Behind Camden's iconic KOKO theatre sits Café KOKO, an all-day eatery where Italian soul food, art, and music collide. Opened in spring 2022, this effortlessly stylish spot reimagines the classic trattoria with a laid-back LA-meets-London flair, thanks to plush interiors, moody lighting, curated artwork, and a crowd that might just include your favourite artist pre-show.
It's where Stormzy celebrated his birthday, Nicki Minaj fans lined up for a meet and greet, and Amelia Dimoldenberg threw her very own Valentine's bash. With a live DJ soundtrack, cocktails on tap, and artists from next door's KOKO theatre often dropping in between soundcheck and encore, Café KOKO fuses dining and nightlife into something swish and alternative.
The Jazz Café is a well-known music venue that's been the go-to spot for jazz, soul, funk, hip-hop and more since 1990. Housed in the old Barclays bank on Parkway, this characterful venue welcomes around 440 to 450 music lovers across two atmospheric floors - downstairs you can get up close and sweaty, while the mezzanine restaurant offers plush seating and excellent stage views.
A legendary roll-call of artists has graced the stage: Amy Winehouse, Adele, D'Angelo (even recording a live album here), Bobby Womack, Roy Ayers, Faithless, The Roots, Pharoah Sanders. With gigs every night and club sets 'til 3 am at weekends, it's a nightlife mainstay. Inside, you might even find quirky touches - their bars are crafted from the road slabs outside the venue.
Originally the Camden Tup, this gritty venue was reimagined as The Black Heart with a focus on live rock, punk, and metal, and a curated selection of craft beers. With a capacity of 170, the upstairs space is intimate and electric, where the sound system punches well above its weight.
This venue is a rite of passage for any serious rock band in London. From The Bronx and Every Time I Die to Lightning Bolt and Crowbar, it's hosted them all. It's also a key player in festivals like Desertfest and Camden Rocks, and a regular haunt for after-parties and special events.
For some live music in Camden this weekend, venture over to The Dublin Castle. Originally serving Irish railway and canal workers, it evolved into one of London's most iconic grassroots venues, known for fostering new talent and shaping the UK's music scene. Its back room stage became a launchpad for some of the biggest names in British music history: Madness famously sneaked in posing as a jazz band for one of their first gigs, later earning a residency that catapulted their career.
Through the 80s and 90s, under landlord Alo Conlon's passionate stewardship, The Dublin Castle nurtured early shows from Blur, Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, Supergrass, and The Libertines - acts that went on to define a generation. Amy Winehouse was another memorable figure, not only performing but sometimes bartending here, adding to the pub's music lore.
The Hawley Arms is the warm-hearted, rock‑tinged local pub that has always been extremely prevalent in Camden's music scene. Housed in a Victorian building dating back to 1851, it morphed from a biker bar to indie royalty post-2002 when Ruth Mottram and Doug Charles-Ridler injected fresh life into it, adding a second-floor music bar and rooftop terrace, turning it into a buzzing creative hub
It's almost impossible to talk about 'The Hawley' without mentioning Amy Winehouse, as she wasn't just a visitor; she bartended behind the counter and even performed occasional impromptu sets. But the music story doesn't stop there: Razorlight famously played a surprise rooftop gig in 2008 to mark their album launch, while Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs, Liam Gallagher, Wolf Alice, Pete Doherty and Kate Moss have all been photographed at the bar.
Electric Ballroom is Camden's own legend with walls of rock'n'roll lore. First opening its doors in 1938 as the Buffalo Club, this Art Deco dancehall pivoted through eras - Irish socials, a wartime ballroom of 2,000 capacity, and a 1978 reboot during a pivatol punk era of music. Today, its two-storey layout holds up to 1,500 people, with a buzzing ground-floor stage and a balcony bar.
If its roster reads like a music fan's bucket list, that's no accident: from The Clash, Joy Division, and The Smiths in the late 70s and 80s, to Prince surprising the crowd in 2014, through to modern headliners like Foals, Interpol, The Vaccines - and even Sir Paul McCartney strolling in for a secret set - all genres have surged through these walls
If you're looking for live music in Camden tonight, then there's really no better place than one of its most iconic venues, located on Chalk Farm Road. Its appearance is striking from the onset, as it's housed in a majestic circular engine shed built in 1847, before being reborn in 1966 as a pulsating arts hub.
Over the years, the venue has hosted musical royalty: Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Patti Smith, Motörhead, the Ramones (whose 1976 London debut helped ignite the punk revolution), and many more. Closed in 1983 and briefly derelict, the Roundhouse was lovingly restored in 2006 and emerged as a multi-purpose creative powerhouse, welcoming BBC Electric Proms, iTunes and Apple Music Festivals, award ceremonies, theatre, circus, community programmes, and even eco‑upgrades to reduce waste and emissions.
