Long before Apple Music became one of the world’s biggest streaming services, back when iTunes was still the centre of Apple’s music universe, the company quietly built one of the best live music experiences in London. The iTunes Festival, later rebranded as the Apple Music Festival, brought some of the biggest artists on the planet into the Roundhouse for a series of intimate shows that fans could actually attend. We were lucky enough to make the trip a few times, catching unforgettable sets from Elton John, Canada’s own The Weeknd, The 1975, and plenty more. Seeing artists capable of selling out arenas and stadiums in a room that small was something special. It was the kind of experience money usually cannot buy, but Apple somehow found a way to make it happen through ticket lotteries and livestreams. Eventually the festival came to an end as Apple Music found its footing, becoming one of those “you had to be there” moments that lives on in the memories of the lucky few who got through the doors.
Now Apple is bringing that idea back in a much bigger and far more permanent way.
Apple today announced Apple Music Hall, a new 600 capacity live music venue inside London’s iconic Battersea Power Station, designed to bring artists and fans together through intimate performances backed by world class production.
“Apple’s deep love for music dates all the way back to the very beginning, from the launch of the iPod to the long running iTunes Music Festival to the debut of Apple Music,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and International Content. “Today, with the opening of Apple Music Hall, we are once again taking an unprecedented step further in our commitment to artists and fans by supporting live music in ways only Apple can do.”
Located along the River Thames beneath Apple’s UK headquarters, the venue strikes a balance between intimacy and scale. Every one of its 600 seats is designed to feel close to the stage, while the venue itself is equipped with a 38 foot wide configurable stage, a 48 speaker Spatial Audio system, two professional recording and mix studios, and infrastructure that supports 16 or more broadcast cameras.
What makes Apple Music Hall stand apart is everything happening behind the curtain. Artists can perform a single show and leave with a professionally recorded multitrack session, a Spatial Audio mix, a broadcast ready production, and multicamera video, all captured in house. Shows will also be livestreamed globally, allowing fans well beyond London to experience performances that would otherwise be reserved for just a few hundred people.
The space itself takes cues from the historic Battersea Power Station, incorporating heritage brickwork, fluted arches, bronze balconies, and a sweeping glass wall overlooking the concourse and the Thames. It feels more like a thoughtful extension of one of London’s most recognizable landmarks than another shiny corporate venue.
“At Apple Music, we care deeply about music, the artists who make it, and their life stories,” said Zane Lowe, Apple Music’s global creative director and lead anchor for Apple Music 1. “We’re always looking for new opportunities to connect the artists and the fans because we are fans. What better way to celebrate this relationship than a new music venue where we get to experience amazing music in an amazing space and share it with the world. Great music and memories will be made at Apple Music Hall.”
For anyone who remembers those unforgettable nights at the Roundhouse, Apple Music Hall feels less like something entirely new and more like the next chapter. Only this time, it has a permanent address.
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