Which live music venues are open in London right now?

Over on our things to go to page we pick the very best of London’s classical music events, hunting for cheap tickets and providing insight into the music. All our concert recommendations are arranged in date order so that you can plan a day/evening/lunch out to fit your schedule.

Earlier this week, however, we were asked if we had a quick list of the live music venues in London which are open and putting on regular events. So, here we go:

Fidelio Orchestra Cafe

A favourite of through the noise, Fidelio Orchestra’s cafe in Clerkenwell was one of the first places in the country to stage live music post-lockdown - all the way back in July.

With a fresh perspective on presenting classical music, accompanied by a three-course meal from chef and writer Alan Rosenthal, they’ve continued with world-leading performances ever since.

Selected events are now available for concert-only, making the evening more affordable, but you are still able to enter a ballot for under 30s tickets for just £10 - all you have to do is email info@fideliorchestra.art and say that you want to book a table in the under-30s scheme. They’ll let you know if there’s availability.

Find out what’s on here.

Wigmore Hall

The first concert hall in London to announce a full concert series with live audiences at the end of August, Wigmore Hall proceeded to open in mid-September.

They’ve got over 100 concerts lined up, running up until 22 December, which all feature a socially-distanced audience as well as a free live-stream.

Tickets across the whole series are priced at £20, and are available via a ballot system - it sounds complicated, but we promise it’s not as scary as it looks.

You have to be a member to log-in to their portal, which costs £5 a month (you can stop it at any time), where tickets are released in two-week chunks a couple of weeks ahead of the concerts. Simply enter the ballot for your concert of choice and the fabulous team at the box office will get back to you.

Here are a couple of upcoming concerts we suggest:

View their entire concert series here.

Barbican Centre

London’s first large concert hall / theatre to host audiences, the Barbican Centre have a super exciting programme of music lined up over the next couple of months.

Their flagship series, Live from the Barbican, runs up to 13 December and features a broad range of music - from Professor Brian Cox narrating a musical voyage through space to the Royal Opera’s Artistic Director Anthony Pappano performing with friends, and renowned composer, clarinettist and saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings collaborating with the Britten Sinfonia.

Every concert is a winner - which is, unfortunately, why most have sold-out already. However, you are able to stream them all (of which there are tickets still available) and you can call in for returns as well. More on that series here.

They’ve also got a series called Live at Lunchtime which we’re really in to - it’s a heap of free performances running throughout October and November in their lower ground foyer.

Tickets go on sale every Friday at 10am for the following week’s performances - you can read more about them here.

Cadogan Hall

This neat little venue, tucked away in a side street behind Sloane Square, is a locals’ favourite. It’s recently re-opened with a small but mighty programme of music for the rest of the year.

The venue’s resident orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, have been running a series of concerts which highlight the different sections of the ensemble - starting with the brass section, they’ve got concerts featuring the woodwinds and the strings to come. More details on those here:

View the rest of their events here.

Candid Arts Trust

Artisti Con Brio have put on a series of chamber music concerts in the top-floor art gallery of Candid Arts Trust.

The venue is a chic multi-arts space in Angel, made up of two converted Victorian warehouses - the gallery provides the perfect space for some wonderful Wednesday evening live music.

The next events take place on 14 October, 11 November, and 9 December.

Kings Place

Kings Place is a young, independently-funded arts venue in the heart of King’s Cross, who aim to have a programme just as diverse, engaging and innovative as the city we live in.

It’s perfectly placed in the heart of the redeveloped King’s Cross quarter - across the canal from Granary Square, and around the corner from the recently opened Coal Drops Yard - both include some top cafes, bars and restaurants, as well as plenty of independent shops and fashion boutiques.

They have a great young people’s programme in place - for some specially selected concerts at the venue you can pick up tickets for around half the price, and with no booking fee. Here are a few we suggest:

St James's Piccadily

St James’s is an intimate and beautiful space which can be found just around the corner from the bustling Piccadilly Circus.

They have a massive programme of free concerts (about three a week) and all are top-notch. Tickets are available to reserve five days before the event, and you can do so here.