KOKO London

By Nathan DeWitt

 The outside of KOKO at night

View of the crowd at KOKO, looking down from the fourth story

I have visited many different types of public places in London: local food establishments, chain stores, British and American bars and pubs, and more. I feel comfortable with the culture in the parts of the city we have explored. The most amazing and jaw-dropping place I have been, however, is KOKO London.

KOKO, formerly known as Camden Palace Theatre, blends a mixture of history and modernity to create one of, if not the, premier live-music venue in the U.K. KOKO is located in the Camden Town neighborhood, and has been open since 1900 when it was a theatre. Between 1913 and 1939, it was a cinema and it was a BBC studio between 1945 and 1972. Since then, it has been a concert venue.

KOKO has a capacity of 1,410 with no seating. It underwent major renovations in 2004 after it was bought by Oliver Bengough and Mint Entertainment. The restoration process lasted more than six months, and included all new technical facilities, producing the best acoustics and lighting in London. The venue has had a total of seven different names in its 113-year history.

The venue is unlike any place I have seen in the U.S., due to its size. Most concerts in America are performed in arenas because concert halls are too small. KOKO, on the other hand, has four stories, with a bar and bathrooms on each floor, and a massive dance floor and stage on the ground, allowing plenty of room for some concerts. Standing on the top floor looking down at everyone was one of the coolest feelings I have experienced here, especially now knowing about the history of the place.

Many world-famous musical artists have performed at KOKO, including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Madonna, Coldplay, Usher, Katy Perry, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, and others. Coldplay chose KOKO as the location to debut their “X&Y” album in 2005.

I strongly recommend KOKO to anyone looking for a fun and eventful night out on the town, as the time we spent here also gave a good measure for comparison to live music venues in the United States and a major difference in U.K. vs. U.S. college-age social culture.