Apple Music is preparing to open a new concert venue at Battersea Power Station in London, bringing a purpose-built live performance and broadcasting space beneath the technology company’s UK headquarters.
The 600-capacity Apple Music Hall will stage one-off performances by established recording artists as well as emerging acts. Concerts held at the venue will also be filmed and broadcast live online, combining traditional live music with Apple’s digital streaming operation.
Apple Music Hall Set to Open in London
The venue occupies the north side of the former Battersea Power Station, overlooking the River Thames. It is expected to open in the coming weeks, with details of the first artist due to be announced soon.
Apple Music vice president Oliver Schusser said the facility had been designed with extensive broadcasting technology.
He told BBC News the venue contained “more cameras and speakers than any venue of its size, anywhere in the world”.
Its arrival comes during a challenging period for Britain’s grassroots and independent live music sector. London alone lost 45 venues last year, while around 400 clubs across Britain closed between 2020 and 2025 amid rising living costs and changes in people’s habits following the Covid pandemic.
The presence of a major technology company in London’s live entertainment landscape could therefore attract attention from independent operators. However, Schusser said Apple was not seeking to compete directly with established venues.
“We’re not trying to be in the live business. We’re not trying to compete with anyone.
“We’re going to run the venue like a venue, with tickets and everything, but the sole purpose for us is to do great work with artists, to connect artists with fans, and to broadcast the content on Apple Music.
“We have really no interest in trying to be in the way of anyone else, and that’s one of the main reasons it’s a smaller space.”
Apple Returns to London Concerts After iTunes Festival
Apple Music Hall represents a return to dedicated live music events in London for the company, nine years after the end of the iTunes Festival.
That event became a prominent fixture in the capital’s music calendar, bringing major performers including Lady Gaga, Elton John, Britney Spears and Adele to venues such as Koko and the Roundhouse.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy welcomed Apple’s latest investment, describing it as “a huge vote of confidence in the UK as a global creative powerhouse” and “a signal of just how strong our creative sectors really are”.
Venue Designed for Intimate and Large-Scale Productions
The new hall incorporates architectural elements inspired by the Grade II*-listed Battersea Power Station, including brick-lined walls and fluted vaults reflecting the building’s Art Deco heritage.
Acoustics have been central to the design, with even the bricks selected to help absorb reflected sound.
The stage measures 38 feet (around 11.6 metres) in length and can be adapted for conventional front-facing performances or “in the round” productions where audiences surround the stage.
Backstage facilities include dressing rooms with en-suite showers and dedicated costume storage.
The wider complex will also house new studios for Apple Music’s radio stations, replacing their existing base in King’s Cross. Separate spaces have been created for DJ mixes, songwriting camps and band rehearsals.
Integrated video and audio technology throughout the building means an artist could potentially record a podcast, take part in a radio programme and live-stream a concert during the same visit.
Apple Music Looks Beyond Traditional Streaming
The project forms part of Apple’s attempt to distinguish its music service in a competitive streaming market that includes Spotify and Amazon Music.
Former Apple creative consultant and veteran music executive Jimmy Iovine has argued that streaming platforms risk becoming disconnected from the relationship between musicians and their audiences.
“It’s one dimensional. It’s an ATM machine,” Iovine said in an interview in February.
“The artists want to communicate with their fans, period. That’s what they want.
“Not for philanthropic reasons, but this is what TikTok does. That’s what Instagram does.”
Schusser, who has worked at Apple for 21 years, expressed a similar view about the importance of giving musicians more opportunities to engage with listeners.
“We want our music services not just to be an anonymous place on the internet where you press a button and music starts playing.
“For most artists, it’s kind of sad in streaming. There’s nothing for them to do. The music gets delivered by the labels, and then it’s a bunch of playlists.
“But [fans] want to have a chance to meet the artists, know more about the artists, understand why they made an album the way they made it.”
Emerging Artists to Have a Role at the Venue
Apple also intends to use the Battersea facility to showcase newer artists who may struggle to gain attention as listeners increasingly return to established catalogues.
“It’s one of the biggest opportunities and challenges we have in the music business right now.
“There are too many artists who rely on [their back] catalogue. Catalogue music is great, but we need to make sure we have a new era of catalogue music in 10, 20, years from now.”
With its combination of live performances, radio studios, rehearsal facilities and integrated broadcasting technology, Apple Music Hall will give the company a permanent physical presence in London’s live music landscape. Its opening will also test whether intimate concerts and exclusive artist content can strengthen the relationship between streaming audiences and musicians at a time of significant change for Britain’s live music sector.
Thomas Hardy is a contributor to OE Mag, covering news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. He focuses on clear, accurate reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current affairs and developments that matter to them. His work highlights relevant stories, emerging trends, and key issues, presenting them in a balanced, accessible, and reader-friendly way.