34 Best Nightlife in England

A relaxed café, book, and record store by day, and London's leading venue for experimental music by night, Cafe OTO is a Dalston institution. Its programming of free jazz, avant-garde electronica, and much more is enough of a draw that it regularly sells out, with music fans steaming up the windows and spilling out onto the pavement and road outside to smoke during breaks. Café customers are kicked out at 5 pm to make way for sound checks. It's open as a bar (no cover) on nights when no concerts are taking place.

East London’s coolest performing arts venue occupies two huge spaces (one standing, one with unallocated bench seating) in an old art deco movie theater. Original architectural details add to the shabby-hip feel of the place, while in EartH Kitchen, the bar and restaurant on the venue’s second floor, you’ll find Scandi-modern styling (along with delicious cocktails and reasonably priced dishes from a changing roster of pop-up chefs). The wide-ranging and very much on-trend program runs from world music and hip-hop to country, folk, and dance, with stand-up comedy and free sets by leading DJs in the bar.

This is the place to come for live music in the city. The excellent drinking, dining, and dancing venue has live jazz, soul, or funk nightly.

A long-standing hotbed of cool in Camden, the Jazz Café hosts top acts in mainstream jazz as well as hip-hop, funk, world music, soul, and Latin fusion. On Friday nights, DJs sample club music from around the world while on Saturday Soul City nights, DJs play disco, house, and soul. Book ahead if you want a table in the balcony restaurant overlooking the stage; otherwise you'll be standing (and probably dancing).

One of the United Kingdom's most ubiquitous pizza chains also runs an acclaimed jazz venue in Soho. Established in 1976, the dimly lit basement restaurant hosts both established and emerging British and international jazz acts every night, with food and pizzas available about 90 minutes before stage time. The thin-crust pizzas are always popular, but it's the intimate live jazz sets that draw in London's hip jazz aficionados.

Britain's most famous jazz club has attracted the biggest names—from Stan Getz to Ella Fitzgerald—since opening nearby on Gerrard Street in 1959 (moving to its current location in 1965). It's usually dark, hot, and crowded, and thankfully the food and table service are now largely up to par. The ultracool James Bond vibes can't be beat, despite the sad departure of the eponymous founder and saxophonist, Ronnie Scott, who died in 1996. A full program of free-form jazz sets and shows takes place every night, with additional late gigs on Friday and Saturday. Reservations are recommended.

Since this legendary live music venue opened on Oxford Street in 1942, many of the greats have played here, from swing and jazz stars Glenn Miller and Louis Armstrong to punk bands the Sex Pistols and the Clash. Host to the first-ever punk festival in 1976, The 100 Club was saved from closure in 2010 by Paul McCartney, and thankfully the fabled basement venue still rocks and reverberates today to all shades of jazz, blues, funk, ska, and soul.

The beauty of this sublime old chapel and its impressive multicultural not-for-profit programming make this spot one of London's best musical venues, especially for acoustic shows. A variety of star names have played here in recent years (including Elton John, Björk, and Coldplay's Chris Martin) along with alternative country, world music, and jazz performers. There are also poetry and literary events, film screenings, and stand-up comedy gigs. Tickets are only available online.

Established in 1976, this Chelsea jazz club embraced speakeasy style long before it became a nightlife trend. Buzz the door near the far end of King's Road and you'll find a basement venue showcasing mainstream and contemporary jazz by well-known U.K.-based musicians. Alcohol can only be served if you order a "substantial meal" as well, so allow for an extra £30. Reservations are advisable. Lunchtime jazz takes place on select Sundays; call ahead.

This long-established live music venue off Carnaby Street hosts local blues musicians, as well as some notable names, that squeeze onto the tiny stage and jam around very happily. There's decent bar food of the chili-and-gumbo variety. Most weekday nights, there's no cover charge.

Music, art, and science events are all in the mix at this long-standing venue reinvented as a creative space and bar.

This famous venue has a reputation for hosting both established and pioneering acts.

Open throughout the day as an upscale café-bar, Bohemia Brighton really comes to life after dark. Its Champagne Late Lounge has great cocktails and live DJs every Saturday night, while the roof terrace is ideal for warm seaside evenings. The venue also offers one-hour cocktail masterclasses on request; it's £35 per person for a group of up to eight, with a welcome drink and three cocktails included.

This huge venue in a former Edwardian foundry and blade-making factory retains a suitably industrial vibe for its club nights, live music, food festivals, exhibitions, and art installations.

While not the original venue—that was demolished years ago—this is still a popular music spot, drawing in rock-and-roll fans with its live acts including Beatles tribute bands.

If you're all Shakespeared-out and fancy something a little music then this could be the perfect antidote. In a trendy riverside setting, a short hop from the main attractions, it does attract tourists during the day but has more of a local vibe in the evenings, particularly on Saturday nights when there is live music from 9:30 pm. When it comes to food, the onus is on American classics (burgers, ribs and the like), but you can still get some good-old English craft beers, ales, and cider.

A roster of local indie bands and talented DJs makes this two-story club with a courtyard a top option for the young alternative crowd.

This quirky entertainment complex in a former warehouse just north of the city center bills itself as a cultural theme park of the future. Expect live music and makers' workshops, as well as on-site artists' studios and a garden. There's now a Rollerdome with skating sessions and classes.

Owned by the Invisible Wind Factory, this eccentric outdoor venue (with heaters) hosts live music accompanied by food from its barbecue. It also has a vintage boutique shop and an art gallery.

Europe's largest indoor arena by capacity hosts shows by major rock and pop stars, as well as large-scale sporting events.

Once host to the likes of Tina Turner, Jimi Hendrix, and the Rolling Stones, this iconic 1960s venue has reopened but retains many of its original features, including vintage wooden paneling and a sprung dance floor, which contrast with newer additions such as a disco ceiling lighting installation. In addition to live music and a full bar, it hosts a street food hall and a creative college in music, games, and computing.

Housed in an art deco venue, the 3,500-seat venue (known by locals as just "the Apollo") showcases live rock and comedy acts before a mixed-age crowd.

The best up-and-coming and medium-to-big-name music acts from around the world consistently play at this 2,000-capacity club. It's a converted 1930s art deco movie theater, with a balcony (the only area with seats) overlooking the grungy dance floor.

The scuffed carpet and peeling paintwork only add to the atmosphere at this tiny basement jazz bar, one of London's leading music venues. There's live music every night of the week, with tickets for just £10. It's a phenomenal bargain given the level of talent that regularly performs, from international acts in town for the London Jazz Festival each November to the weekly free Beats in the Bar nights, where students from nearby Trinity Laban Conservatoire try out new material in a low-pressure environment. Walk-ins are always welcome, but if you're planning a weekend visit, it's a good idea to reserve a table a few days ahead of time.

One of Brighton's foremost venues, in an art deco building east of Brighton Pier, Patterns is the latest incarnation of a string of popular nightclubs that have occupied this spot. Expect to hear live acts during the week, including a regular local slot (this being Brighton, the quality is generally quite high) and techno and house on the weekend. You can also come during the day on Saturday for a bottomless brunch.

This 1840s former railway terminus, onetime gin warehouse, and legendary 1970s music venue in Chalk Farm now hosts a varied program of live music, circus, cabaret, spoken word, and even a bit of Lucha Libre (Mexican wrestling). Usually there's a genre-busting assortment of new and familiar musical acts, most of them cult favorites ranging from world and rap to electronica and indie, along with big names like the Pixies, Death Cab for Cutie, and Guy Garvey. Standing tickets offer good value. There's a nice restaurant on the first floor, and in the summer, the terrace bar is transformed into a popular "urban beach," complete with sand, a retro bar, palm trees, and outdoor film screenings.