Looking for live music in London?
Seating for 10 or 10,000, the best places in the city to hear live music
Moving to London can be exhausting. Not only is it a new city and a new school for many, but the city's surroundings can be difficult to navigate.
This guide is designed to help new and old Fanshawe students discover live music in London — where to go and what to do.
Please note that this list is not comprehensive, it is merely an outline of what place this city has to offer.
Live Rock:
The Salt Lounge
183 King St.
The Salt Lounge offers a wide variety of acts, ranging from full-fledged tours to locally-based bands. However, they have been known to book anything from fashion events to burlesque shows.
Call the Office
216 York St.
Heralded as one of London's premiere rock venues, Call the Office holds live shows nearly every day of the week. Long-running theme nights also keep regulars coming back, including 80s night on Sundays and funk on Wednesdays.
The Embassy Hotel
732 Dundas St.
Specializing in punk and metal shows, The Embassy Hotel provides London with an interesting mix of bands, just east of Adelaide.
The ‘Wick
331 Talbot St.
Alongside the former, The Wick also displays some ‘grittier' rock, punk and metal talents. Recently, they promoted a very successful all-day metal and punkfest.
Pandemic
192 Dundas St.
Despite Pandemic's given reputation as a ‘goth' bar, they have hosted multitudes of events from metal to hip-hop. However, most nights DJs spin alternative music.
Norma Jeans
1332 Huron St.
One of the closest bars to Fanshawe, Norma Jeans books many local bands, and even some who have attained success on a national level: Default, Thornley, April Wine, etc.
GT's
333 Richmond Street
If you only associate this bar with cheap drinks and a dancefloor, head downstairs and that will change your mind. This venue has been hosting local and out of town acts for years.
The Alex P. Keaton
580 Talbot St.
Booking mostly local groups and DJs, the APK has been quite a successful restaurant/bar in London. The bar's owner also fronted the London Ontario Live Arts festival, which was a resounding success.
Hip-Hop:
Although there are no venues in London that commit solely to live hip-hop and rap, Pandemic, The Embassy and Rum Runners are a few of the many venues who host special events from time to time.
Acoustic/Open Mic:
The London Music Club
470 Colborne St.
There are many open mic nights to go to in the city, but The London Music Club has gotten a reputation in the city for being the best. The LMC also holds a multitude of concerts, which targets a demographic somewhere in the 13-50 range.
Jazz/Classical
Maggie's Supper and Jazz Club
478 Richmond St
Maggie's Supper and Jazz Club provides London with premium entertainment at no cover charge. However, in saying this, they do require that audience members spend at least 10 dollars on food/beverage during ‘entertainment nights'. Be warned, though, the average dinner entree is around $20.
Aeolian Hall
795 Dundas St.
Whether it's the London Community Choir, a jazz quartet, or Emily Haines' (of Metric) solo performance, Aeolian Hall is a venue that can accommodate nearly any musical taste.
Big Venues:
Centennial Hall
Booking anyone from Feist to The Backyardigans, Centennial Hall provides London with a venue big enough to fit hundreds. It is also the annual home to perhaps the biggest record show in London, where people can buy, sell and trade vinyl among other things.
The John Labatt Center
The JLC is by far the biggest venue in London, drawing arena-sized acts like Bon Jovi to the Forest City. The New Year will be a busy one, too, with Linkin Park, Foo Fighters and Ozzy Ozbourne performing within the next few months.
On Campus:
The Out Back Shack
Open mic nights, New Music Nights and other special events make sure to keep the student nightlife busy.
Forwell Hall
For the bigger acts coming to the college, Forwell Hall serves as a mid-sized venue
Resources
To keep updated on local concerts, these websites (as well as the individual bar websites) are a great help.
- www.mygiglist.com
- www.londonindie.com
- www.fiveonenine.com
Moving to London can be exhausting. Not only is it a new city and a new school for many, but the city's surroundings can be difficult to navigate.
This guide is designed to help new and old Fanshawe students discover live music in London — where to go and what to do.
Please note that this list is not comprehensive, it is merely an outline of what place this city has to offer.
Live Rock:
The Salt Lounge
183 King St.
The Salt Lounge offers a wide variety of acts, ranging from full-fledged tours to locally-based bands. However, they have been known to book anything from fashion events to burlesque shows.
Call the Office
216 York St.
Heralded as one of London's premiere rock venues, Call the Office holds live shows nearly every day of the week. Long-running theme nights also keep regulars coming back, including 80s night on Sundays and funk on Wednesdays.
The Embassy Hotel
732 Dundas St.
Specializing in punk and metal shows, The Embassy Hotel provides London with an interesting mix of bands, just east of Adelaide.
The ‘Wick
331 Talbot St.
Alongside the former, The Wick also displays some ‘grittier' rock, punk and metal talents. Recently, they promoted a very successful all-day metal and punkfest.
Pandemic
192 Dundas St.
Despite Pandemic's given reputation as a ‘goth' bar, they have hosted multitudes of events from metal to hip-hop. However, most nights DJs spin alternative music.
Norma Jeans
1332 Huron St.
One of the closest bars to Fanshawe, Norma Jeans books many local bands, and even some who have attained success on a national level: Default, Thornley, April Wine, etc.
GT's
333 Richmond Street
If you only associate this bar with cheap drinks and a dancefloor, head downstairs and that will change your mind. This venue has been hosting local and out of town acts for years.
The Alex P. Keaton
580 Talbot St.
Booking mostly local groups and DJs, the APK has been quite a successful restaurant/bar in London. The bar's owner also fronted the London Ontario Live Arts festival, which was a resounding success.
Hip-Hop:
Although there are no venues in London that commit solely to live hip-hop and rap, Pandemic, The Embassy and Rum Runners are a few of the many venues who host special events from time to time.
Acoustic/Open Mic:
The London Music Club
470 Colborne St.
There are many open mic nights to go to in the city, but The London Music Club has gotten a reputation in the city for being the best. The LMC also holds a multitude of concerts, which targets a demographic somewhere in the 13-50 range.
Jazz/Classical
Maggie's Supper and Jazz Club
478 Richmond St
Maggie's Supper and Jazz Club provides London with premium entertainment at no cover charge. However, in saying this, they do require that audience members spend at least 10 dollars on food/beverage during ‘entertainment nights'. Be warned, though, the average dinner entree is around $20.
Aeolian Hall
795 Dundas St.
Whether it's the London Community Choir, a jazz quartet, or Emily Haines' (of Metric) solo performance, Aeolian Hall is a venue that can accommodate nearly any musical taste.
Big Venues:
Centennial Hall
Booking anyone from Feist to The Backyardigans, Centennial Hall provides London with a venue big enough to fit hundreds. It is also the annual home to perhaps the biggest record show in London, where people can buy, sell and trade vinyl among other things.
The John Labatt Center
The JLC is by far the biggest venue in London, drawing arena-sized acts like Bon Jovi to the Forest City. The New Year will be a busy one, too, with Linkin Park, Foo Fighters and Ozzy Ozbourne performing within the next few months.
On Campus:
The Out Back Shack
Open mic nights, New Music Nights and other special events make sure to keep the student nightlife busy.
Forwell Hall
For the bigger acts coming to the college, Forwell Hall serves as a mid-sized venue
Resources
To keep updated on local concerts, these websites (as well as the individual bar websites) are a great help.
- www.mygiglist.com
- www.londonindie.com
- www.fiveonenine.com
