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Living in London, when it comes to music, the world comes to you. The UK capital is the world’s stage — a trendsetting scene that sees artists and bands, no matter the size, coming to show off their latest and greatest hits.
From Soho toilets to supersized stadium singalongs, if you can make it in London, you can make it anywhere, and the Big Smoke attracts musicians of all genres and ages to its many venues.
You're spoilt for choice, in other words — so how can you find the best London gigs for your music taste? Outside trawling ticket sites and signing up to mailing lists, it’s a bit trickier than it used to be to find out what’s on in London — the death of the weekly music mag has taken away some of those hyper-local recommendations.
So that’s where we come in. We’ve trawled the artist pages, festival line ups, venue listings and ticket sales sites to bring you this list of the top shows happening in London this year. Curated so it’s only stuff you can brag about to your mates, from Beyonce to Beck, there’s something for everyone here — we’ve already left out the stuff you can skip.
Each month we’ll cherry pick our must see shows, so keep checking back for new additions to our line up as the year goes on. And keep an eye out for those star picks — they’re the tickets you should sell a kidney for. See you down the front!
Key:
: Hidden gem / Don't miss! : Festival
Where available, all ticket purchase links are provided by Ticketmaster, Dice, See Tickets, or otherwise direct from the listed venue.
Image Credit: Jim Dyson / Contributor / Getty Images
February
February is big-riff month, with The White Stripes’ Jack White tearing the roof off East London’s Troxy with his blues-tinged shredding, while Kasabian squeeze their arena-filling lad rock bravado into the relatively-tight confines of the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire. We never miss a chance to see Sunderland’s The Futureheads too, with their angular harmonies having bounced in our ears for 25 years this year.
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur / Contributor / Getty Images
March
Sabrina Carpenter had the biggest song of 2024 with Espresso, and you’ll need a good few shots of the stuff to keep up with her hyper-caffeinated pop takeover of the O2 Arena in March. From pop princess to queen of rock, Kim Deal will be rocking the Barbican at the start of the month too, with the iconic Pixies / Breeders bassist showcasing what is, surprisingly, her first ever solo material. If you want to catch a rising star on their ascent, grab a ticket for Lola Young at the O2 Forum in Kentish town, too.
Image Credit: Jim Dyson / Contributor / Getty Images
April
Self Esteem’s Prioritise Pleasure was the soundtrack to post-lockdown freedom for many, so we’ll always have a special place in our hearts for that record. A run of gigs at Duke of York’s Theatre will be an intimate setting for some pure pop power, to coincide with the release of new album A Complicated Woman. And we’ll always find our way to the front of Sea Power and The Flaming Lips gigs, as the experimental art rockers both return to the capital this spring.
Image Credit: Julia Reinhart / Contributor / Getty Images
May
You can’t spell The Pogues without Peggy Gou (that’s how that old saying goes, right?). Either way, if you want to let your hair down in May, they’re our two top gig picks, for your mates with the most eclectically perfect taste at least. The Pogues may have lost their iconic frontman Shane McGowan, but their May 2nd comeback gig will be a celebration of the punk poet’s life, with an all-star cast of singers taking his role. But if you want more beats than booze, Peggy Gou’s old-school inspired rave sound will bring the buzz to Brockwell Park on the 24th. If the sun's out, that one’s going to be a banger.
June is the month for the pop divas with Beyonce, Kylie, Dua Lipa and Charli xcx all bringing the hits to the enormo-stages of London. Each will be putting on once-in-a-lifetime mega shows, but Charli xcx is where the party is at this year — can we have a brat summer two years in a row?
If you’re looking for some guitars at either end of the alternative spectrum, Jarvis Cocker’s Pulp return (with rumours of a new album to accompany the shows), and the only hair metal band worth caring about, Guns ’N’ Roses, hit Wembley Stadium too. Cool kids though will be tossing up whether to see Nine Inch Nails or Sparks on June 18th — both alt-rock icons in their own right.
And while we’re still waiting for the full line-up and listings to be announced, we can’t wait to see what London’s own Little Simz cherry picks for her curated run over the South Bank Centre's annual Meltdown festival. She’ll pick the artists performing at the venue from Thursday 12th June through to Sunday 25th June — we’ll keep you posted on the details.
Here we go — the long-awaited Oasis reunion shows finally kick off in July, as the parka-wearing, bucket-hat army of Britpop fans around the world descend on the capital. If you were lucky enough to be able to a) afford a ticket and b) actually get one, you’ll be treated to some of the biggest singalongs in indie-rock history — if the brothers Gallagher can hold off tearing each other apart, that is.
July is just ridiculous this year for giant names though, as the global stars take to the summer stages — Lana Del Rey, Billie Eilish, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Camila Cabello and Sabrina Carpenter — collectively responsible for about half the Spotify streams on the planet, are all making London appearances. But there are some smaller gems dotted throughout here. Motown legend Smokey Robinson is in town, Jeff Lynne’s ELO perform a final swansong, and Fontaines D.C., the coolest band in Ireland, take over Finsbury Park. It’s also the spot for our only tribute band on the list — Limehouse Lizzy, good enough to give the real Thin Lizzy a run for their money.
More Oasis here, but we’re most looking forward to the triumphant return of The Maccabees at Victoria Park’s All Points East festival, 10 years after the release of their number 1 album Marks to Prove It. They’ve been sorely missed, having disbanded in 2017 at the height of their powers. This’ll be a real celebratory show and not one to miss. Top notch line-up that day too, with Bombay Bicycle Club the special-guest support, and Shortlist favourites The Cribs elsewhere on the bill. Barry Can’t Swim will also be headlining All Points East, after hitting the BBC's Sound of 2025 list.
As the Oasis show rolls out of town in September, the limelight goes back to Chris Martin’s Coldplay, with their run of 10 nights at the capital’s premier stadium continuing. Keep an eye out for Mr Gillette, Tom Grennan, at the O2 though, and if you really want to indulge, you’ll get some of the best pop songs ever written as Belinda Carlisle makes Heaven a place on Earth — at the Eventim Apollo, to be precise.
As the winter nights draw in, cosy up to the landscape-sized soundscapes of Sigur Ros. Their signature ethereal sound will take over the Royal Albert Hall at the start of October — a fittingly beautiful venue for their sweeping sonics. Note there’s a show at the tail end of September there, too. Then there’s Black Country New Road - their new album Forever Howlong comes out in April and is the first without Isaac Wood on vocals.
November is all about the riot grrrls — Aussie rockers Amyl and the Sniffers play their biggest London headline show to date at Alexandra Palace, touring their kick-ass Cartoon Darkness album. Lambrini Girls come with Iggy Pop’s seal of approval, with razor sharp riffs — and wit — showcased on their debut album Who Let the Dogs Out. Their O2 Forum Kentish Town show will be beautifully messy. Shortlist was lucky enough to watch BC Camplight on his The Last Rotation of Earth tour and he was superb.
Image Credit: Francesco Prandoni / Contributor / Getty Images
December
December is still looking a bit quiet this early in the year, but even at this point, bagging tickets for Hans Zimmer live promises to be an epic experience, with the go-to Hollywood score master bringing his bombastic best to the O2 Arena. Don’t miss a rare appearance from 808 State in Brixton, too.
: Hidden gem / Don't miss!
: Festival
