KOKO is the kind of venue that makes you remember why London nightlife still matters. This Grade II-listed Victorian theatre — formerly the Camden Palace — reopened in 2022 after a jaw-dropping £70M restoration that added a members' club, a rooftop, a dome, and Café Koko to what was already one of the city's most stunning live music spaces. The main hall with its ornate dome and balcony tiers is genuinely breathtaking, and the sound system after the refurb is serious business.
A £70M restoration turned this Grade II-listed Victorian theatre into a 50,000 sq ft music palace with a dome, rooftop, and members' club — Camden's crown jewel.
Arrive early to explore the dome and rooftop levels before the headliner — they're easy to miss once the main hall fills up.
A restored Victorian theatre turned London's most spectacular music venue
KOKO has been a Camden landmark for over a century, but the 2022 restoration took it to another level. The main hall — with its soaring dome, ornate balconies, and restored Victorian detailing — is one of the most beautiful club spaces in London, full stop. After a three-year, £70M redevelopment by Archer Humphryes Architects, the venue now spans 50,000 square feet across multiple levels, adding a rooftop restaurant, a dome theatre, a broadcasting studio, and a members' club to the original auditorium. The sound system was completely overhauled, and it shows — reviews consistently praise the audio quality whether you're catching a live band or dancing to a touring DJ.
What makes KOKO work is the layout. Unlike many big venues where you're trapped in one room, here you can move between the main floor, the balcony tiers, the dome, and the rooftop, each with its own atmosphere. Reviewers call it "the most beautiful club I've ever been in" and praise the "separate areas for dancing and a bar" that let you catch your breath without leaving the venue. The programming is ambitious — from indie bands and hip-hop to electronic acts and one-off cultural events — and the calibre of acts they attract is a testament to the venue's reputation.
The downsides? Drinks are expensive, even by London standards, and big nights can get crowded. But that's the price of admission for a venue of this calibre. If you're going to a gig, arrive early to explore the different levels — the dome and rooftop are worth the trip alone. And if you can swing a members' membership, the private spaces are genuinely special.