Apple Music to open concert venue in Battersea Power Station

Apple Music to open concert venue in Battersea 47 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on Google Mark SavageMusic correspondent The venue will inhabit the north side of the former power station, with views overlooking the Thames The US tech giant Apple is to open a new, state-of-the-art concert hall in London, situated underneath its European headquarters at Battersea Power Station. The 600-capacity venue will host one-off shows , all of which will be filmed and broadcast live online. Apple Music's vice president, Oliver Schusser, told BBC News the facility, which is expected to open in the coming weeks, contained "more cameras and speakers than any venue of its size, anywhere in the world". It comes as London's live music scene faces huge pressure, with 45 venues closing in the capital last year alone. It's a reflection of a national trend: Between 2020 and 2025, as the cost of living increased and people made post-Covid lifestyle changes, about 400 of Britain's clubs closed. The rate in London is higher than the rest of the country, so the arrival of a deep-pocketed tech company could give independent venue owners cause for concern. But Schusser said its new venture was not trying to steal customers. "We're not trying to be in the live business. Culture secretary Lisa Nandy welcomed the development, calling it "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". Details of the opening act are expected to be announced soon. Lady Gaga launched her third album, Artpop, at the iTunes Festival in London's Roundhouse in 2013 BBC News got an early look at the venue as the finishing touches were being made in early September. It's a small, intimate space, with fluted vaults and brick-lined walls that echo the Art Deco architecture of the former power station. But echo itself won't be an issue -even the bricks have been specially selected to absorb reflected sounds. The stage is 38-foot long, and can be configured for both "in the round" and more traditional front-facing shows, while the dressing rooms are kitted out with en-suite showers and dedicated costume storage areas. The facility also contains new studios for Apple Music's radio stations, which will move from their current home in King's Cross, and dedicated rooms for DJ mixes, writing camps and band rehearsals. The whole building is wired for video and audio, meaning artists can walk in, record a podcast, appear on a radio show, and live-stream a gig in the same day.