The best spring gigs and festivals in London to bring you out of hibernation

Spring is the time of defrosting. We’ve spent the winter wrapped like a cinnamon bun in our 13.5 tog duvets and – like Mariah at Christmas – it’s time for us to thaw and for the fun to begin.

And there aren’t many better ways to do that than in a field surrounded by thousands of other people, in a sweaty club, or stumbling across a live band night you didn’t know your local pub hosted.

To aid in your upcoming sessions, these are the best gigs and festivals in London you need to book – because spring plans are made in winter.

The big hitters

Get lost in the music and probably get lost from your mates. If blending into a sea of people is your idea of a good time, these are the shows and festivals for you:

Field Day, Herne Hill

#EartH to Brockwell Park after a few years hosted in East London, Field Day brings a new era on 24 May. Where underground music meets the masses, you can expect killer sets from Bubble Love (Ross from Friends), AK Sports, Skream and Benga, Tarzsa, and loads more this spring. See you in the field for Peggy Gou.

GALA, Peckham

Across the weekend of 23-25 May, GALA is celebrating its tenth anniversary. How romantic. Born from a love of the soulful sounds dance music was built on, Gala is going all out for 2025. With Caribou, Floating Points, Ben UFO, Avalon Emerson, and KiNK, to name a few, that is a birthday party worth trekking to from every corner of London.

Usher at The O2

With several dates from April to May at The O2, you’ll be screaming yeah, yeah, yeah as Usher takes the stage. A celebration of nostalgia, or maybe Usher is still on your yearly Spotify wrapped, either way, it’ll be a show to remember.

Jorja Smith at Eventim Apollo

An extra date was added due to demand, so be sure to get your tickets quickly for Jorja Smith at Eventim Apollo (5-7 June). Performing her latest album Falling or Flying, Jorja brings her signature sound and heartfelt storytelling directly to you.

Dua Lipa at Wembley

Turn on your resale notifications, Dua Lipa’s sellout show has a few tickets floating around for the 20-21 June dates at Wembley this spring. We do pick up the phone for Dua, who is taking her album Radical Optimism on tour, and we’ll do pretty much anything to be there.

Good for the soul

London does jazz, blues and soul in a way that warms you from the inside. Whether Central or East, it’s time to groove to the sound of these events:

Brick Lane Jazz Festival

Discover the pulse of UK jazz all in one place at Brick Lane Jazz Festival from 25-27 April. Championing an eclectic lineup of artists who represent London’s bubbling underground music scene – from nu-jazz to hip-hop, neo-soul to electronic, dive headfirst into this three-day festival and feel your feels.

Corinne Bailey Rae at Roundhouse

Girl, put that record on at Roundhouse because Corinne Bailey Rae is there on 27 April. The singer-songwriter will present her Mercury Prize-nominated album Black Rainbows in an exclusive one-night-only performance, reimagined with the Guildhall Session Orchestra.

Ronnie Scott’s

We can’t talk jazz without talking about Ronnie Scott’s. The legendary music location is in its 65th year and still as soulful as ever. And this spring, there is lots to sink your teeth into, including monthly performances from Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra (7 April, 5 May, 9 June), the Joe Webb Trio (20 March), Kenny Garrett (3-5 April), Earl Thomas & The Gospel Ambassadors ft. Sister Leola (13 April) and Manou Gallo (22 June).

Vortex Jazz Club

Sway along to the sounds of Vortex Jazz Club in North London with its spring series. With over 400 performances throughout the year, it is jam-packed and ready to have you grooving. There’s saxophonist and composer Allexa Nava (5 March), Maria Grapsa Quintet’s album launch (6 March) and Zoh Amba’s ‘Bhakti’ with Chris Corsano and Nick Dunston (7 March). All that within three days? Try and keep me away.

The Jazz Café

Music for everyone, Camden’s Jazz Café gives underrepresented communities greater access to music. Five-time Grammy winner Lalah Hathaway is on the bill for two shows in one day (16 March), there are birthday celebrations for one of history’s musical greats, Billie Holiday, with a specially curated evening of music (7 April), and check out The RnB Orchestra as it interprets contemporary RnB sounds from the 90s and 00s (29 April).

Keep it lowkey

Live music, splitting the G, and your pals – a recipe almost as good as your favourite from Mob. Make a note of these upcoming gigs to send to your group chat when you’re planning your next night out:

Fox and Firkin

Kick off your spring with Fox and Firkin’s very own bespoke Big Band on 9 March – and then a series of live music ranging from Deptford Dub Club (23 March) and Bez from the Happy Mondays (12 April) to an Amy Winehouse Tribute (17 April), Toploader celebrating 25 years of the album that brought us ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ (26 April) and more.

Notting Hill Arts Club

Both Lily Allen and Rita Ora gave their first-ever performances at Notting Hill Arts Club. With this West London location launching many of the “stars of tomorrow”, you’ll want to grab tickets as you never know who you’ll see. Coming up is Matu (28 March) and idkjack & ylm shwty (10 April).

Islington Assembly Hall

Nothing like the assemblies you're used to, Islington Assembly Hall invites you in for good times and arguably average dancing with its lineup of top talents. The setlist for this spring features Rosie Lowe (9 April), Prima Queen (22 May), and MRCY (29 May).

EartH

Music makes the world go around, and EartH in Hackney is a purveyor of good tunes. Gig-wise for the upcoming months, there’s Lucky Love (5 April), Father John Misty (16 April), and Osees (24 June). Plus, Portals Festival is returning for its seventh year with a competitive lineup to try and grab your attention for the 24-25 May weekend.

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