Music in Central London

World-class opera and ballet

The grander of London's two major opera houses, Covent Garden [as it is commonly known] attracts international...

Central London · Covent Garden, London

• performance

Major 1950s-period mostly classical concert hall

Opened in 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain (a welcomed and needed postwar cultural redevelopment), the Royal...

Central London · Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, Waterloo, London

• performance

Totally gay-friendly theatre, cabaret and comedy establishment

Opened in 2008 with both a main house and an intimate basement space to host international A-list and often naughty...

Central London · 6 Leicester Place, London

• mixed gay/straight
• theater

Distinguished opera company

London's ever-so-slightly less prestigious opera institution might not attract as many high-profile...

Central London · London Coliseum, St Martin's Lane, London

• performance

Britain's senior conservatoire

A classical-music training ground since 1822, the Royal Academy of Music took on jazz and musical theatre in the...

Central London · Marylebone Road, London

• performance

Precious recital hall perfect for Sunday brunch

Intimate but lofty central London music venue with a programme of more than 400 concerts a year, featuring Lieder,...

Central London · 36 Wigmore St, Marylebone, London

Concrete block with excellent acoustics inside

The acoustically superior neighbour of Southbank Centre matriarch the Royal Festival Hall (1951), this two-hall 1967...

Central London · Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, Waterloo, London

• performance

Concert hall with excellent church acoustics

Reconstructed following a Second World War hit, Thomas Archer's 1728 Baroque gem retains its place as one of London's...

Central London · Smith Square, Westminster, London