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London · Venue

KOKO

A former Edwardian theatre in Camden whose stacked balconies and boxes give headline gigs and late electronic nights a theatrical frame.

Upcoming shows
84
Capacity
1,500
Address
1A Camden High Street, NW1 7JE London
Next show
Fri, 9 Oct 2026
Official siteDirections
KOKO in London

About KOKO

KOKO is a 1,500-capacity standing concert room in Camden, London, housed in W. G. R. Sprague’s Grade II-listed 1900 theatre. Its distinguishing feature is a functioning theatrical auditorium: the floor sits beneath a cantilevered dress circle and balcony, with tiered boxes flanking the proscenium. Six balconies and two mezzanines create several elevated views of the stage, giving a packed show a sense of old-school spectacle.

A theatre with several second acts

The building opened in December 1900 as the Royal Camden Theatre, formally launched by actor Ellen Terry and designed for a broad bill that included Shakespeare, pantomime, opera and musical comedy. Cinema use followed, then the BBC turned it into a recording studio after the Second World War. By 1977 it had returned to live music as the Music Machine; in 1982 it became Camden Palace, a key address for New Romantic club culture. KOKO’s own history records Madonna’s first UK performance here in 1983, when she sang “Holiday” at age 23. Olly Bengough transformed the run-down Camden Palace into KOKO in 2004. A three-year restoration and redevelopment culminated in an April 2022 reopening, expanding the site into adjacent former pub and piano-factory buildings while retaining the historic theatre at its centre.

How the room works now

KOKO programs ticketed headline concerts alongside KOKO Electronic’s late DJ bills, and it also runs jazz performances in the theatre and at Ellen’s, its backstage late-night jazz club. Electronic music has a particularly visible place in the schedule, with club events frequently using the main theatre into the early hours; the wider bill also accommodates pop, indie, hip-hop, R&B, folk and alternative artists. For a show-goer, the practical draw is choice of vantage point: floor energy up front, balcony and mezzanine sightlines above, plus five bars spread through the complex.

Sources

  1. History — KOKO
  2. KOKO Venue Hire — KOKO
  3. Camden Palace Theatre, Non Civil Parish – 1272425 — Historic England
  4. New and improved KOKO re-opens: "This is great for London and for culture" — NME
  5. KOKO — KOKO

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