Sir Elton John will take to the stage at Battersea Power Station this evening to open Apple’s first dedicated live music venue in London, headlining the inaugural show at the new 600-capacity Apple Music Hall.
The Rocket Man singer launches the room tonight, Monday 28 September, with the first in a run of live dates that will carry the venue through to December, spanning pop, rap, R&B and drum’n’bass.
- Where: Inside Battersea Power Station, Nine Elms, south-west London
- Capacity: 600
- Opening night: Tonight, Monday 28 September – Sir Elton John
- Coming up: Baby Keem (2 Oct), Skye Newman (7 Oct), Troye Sivan (13 Oct), Arlo Parks (22 Oct), Burna Boy (29 Oct), Chase and Status (26 Nov), Charli XCX (2 Dec)
- Tickets: First three shows on sale from 9am today via Dice
- Broadcast: Every show livestreamed to a global audience
Arena production, intimate room
The venue has been designed to close the gap between intimacy and production value: a 38ft-wide stage that can be reconfigured for traditional front-facing gigs or in-the-round performances, and a 48-speaker spatial sound system built to wrap the room in immersive audio. Every seat has been placed to feel close to the performer, while the technical infrastructure matches what an artist would expect from a far larger tour stop.
A packed autumn programme
After tonight’s launch, the calendar fills quickly. American rapper Baby Keem plays on 2 October, followed by rising star Skye Newman on 7 October and Troye Sivan on 13 October. Arlo Parks takes the stage on 22 October, Burna Boy on 29 October, Chase and Status on 26 November, and Charli XCX closes the announced run on 2 December.
Bookings and promotion are being handled alongside independent British promoter Communion One, whose managing director Mazin Tappuni said the room was “like nothing fans will have ever seen before”, praising its world-class production and the ability to livestream shows to fans across the world from a space designed with artists and audiences in mind.
Ticketing will be powered by the UK-founded platform Dice, which Apple says is committed to fair and innovative ways for fans to get into shows. Every performance will also be streamed live globally, allowing fans outside the capital to watch the one-off gigs as they happen.
What it means for Battersea
The opening is another milestone in the riverside landmark’s remarkable second act. Once a derelict icon of the Thames skyline, the Grade II* listed power station has been reborn as one of the capital’s biggest mixed-use destinations — home to shops, restaurants and Apple’s UK headquarters — and a dedicated music venue cements its place on London’s cultural map.
A 600-capacity room fills an important gap in south-west London: bigger than the pubs and grassroots clubs where acts cut their teeth, yet far more intimate than the arenas across the river. With the winter gig season already stacking up at the O2, a new mid-sized stage — with global livestreams built in — gives the capital’s live calendar a fresh focal point heading into the festive season.
London has shown a real appetite for one-off live moments this year, from one-night-only concert celebrations to West End landmarks marking major anniversaries. If tonight’s launch is anything to go by, Battersea is about to become a regular stop for artists who want a London show that feels like an occasion.
Tickets
Tickets for the first three shows go on sale at 9am today. With just 600 seats in the room — and Sir Elton opening the doors — demand is expected to be fierce.
