Apple Music is preparing to launch a new 600-seat concert venue beneath its UK headquarters at Battersea Power Station in London, creating a dedicated space for live performances, artist events and global broadcasts.
The venue, named Apple Music Hall, is expected to open in the coming weeks. It will feature performances by established musicians as well as emerging artists, with selected shows filmed and streamed worldwide through Apple Music.
Apple Music Vice President Oliver Schusser said the facility would be equipped with extensive audio and video technology despite its relatively small capacity.
The launch comes as London’s live music sector faces increasing financial pressure. Around 45 venues reportedly closed in the capital last year, while approximately 400 clubs across the UK shut down between 2020 and 2025 amid rising operating costs and changes in post-pandemic entertainment habits.
Schusser said Apple Music was not seeking to compete with London’s existing concert venues.
Instead, he said, the company intends to operate the facility as a conventional concert space while using it primarily to strengthen connections between artists and their audiences and produce content for Apple Music.
The 600-seat capacity was also chosen partly to ensure the venue would complement rather than directly compete with larger London performance spaces.
Apple Music Hall represents Apple’s return to London’s live music scene nine years after the company ended its iTunes Festival. The festival featured major acts including Lady Gaga, Elton John, Britney Spears and Adele, with free performances staged at venues such as Koko and The Roundhouse.
UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy welcomed the development, describing it as a vote of confidence in Britain’s creative industries and the country’s position as a global creative centre.
Apple is expected to reveal the venue’s opening performance in the near future.
Venue Designed for Live Shows and Production
Apple Music Hall has been designed to incorporate architectural features inspired by Battersea Power Station’s Art Deco character. Its interior includes fluted vaults and brick-lined walls, with specially selected bricks intended to reduce sound reflection.
The 38-foot stage can be arranged for performances in the round or for traditional front-facing concerts.
The venue will also include artist dressing rooms with private showers and dedicated costume storage.
Apple Music’s radio studios are also expected to move from their current location in King’s Cross to the new facility. Additional spaces will be available for DJ sessions, songwriting camps and band rehearsals.
With integrated audio and video production capabilities, the venue will allow artists to record podcasts, participate in radio programmes and livestream performances from the same location.
Focus on Emerging Artists
Apple Music also sees the venue as part of a broader strategy to give greater exposure to emerging musicians and distinguish its service from competitors such as Spotify and Amazon Music.
The approach follows comments from music executive Jimmy Iovine, who argued earlier this year that streaming platforms risk losing relevance if they fail to establish stronger relationships between artists and listeners.
Schusser said Apple wants its music service to offer audiences more than simply pressing a button to start listening to music.
He said fans increasingly want opportunities to learn more about artists, understand the creative process behind albums and establish stronger connections with performers.
Apple Music also hopes to help emerging musicians build audiences as listeners continue to consume large catalogues of established music.
Schusser said the industry must continue creating new artists whose work can become part of the catalogue that future generations will listen to.
