Blue Note London confirms September opening with Robert Glasper

Blue Note London will open its doors in Covent Garden this September, bringing the celebrated New York jazz club to the UK for the first time. Grammy-winning pianist and producer Robert Glasper will headline the official opening on 23 September, beginning a programme that brings together international names and some of Britain’s most exciting artists.

Blue Note London arrives in Covent Garden

The new club will be based beneath the St Martins Lane hotel in central London. Its main room will hold 250 people and host two performances each night, creating the close-up atmosphere that has become part of the Blue Note name. The venue is licensed to remain open until 1am from Monday to Saturday and until midnight on Sundays.

A second room, called B-Side, is planned to open later in the year. With space for 100 people, it will place a particular emphasis on emerging British talent. That gives the project a welcome local dimension: this is not simply an American venue importing a familiar format, but a new London stage intended to sit within the city’s own musical community.

The original Blue Note opened in Greenwich Village, New York, in 1981. The business has since expanded internationally, with clubs in cities including Tokyo, Milan, Beijing, Shanghai, São Paulo and Los Angeles. The London opening marks its first permanent UK home.

Robert Glasper leads the opening night

Robert Glasper will lead the grand opening on 23 September, a date that also marks 100 years since the birth of saxophonist and composer John Coltrane. Glasper’s work moves freely between jazz, R&B and hip-hop, making him a fitting choice for a venue that wants to treat jazz as a living, evolving form rather than something kept behind glass.

In a statement reported by The Guardian, Glasper said London had supported his career from the beginning and praised the UK’s musical culture. He described the new club as a place where jazz, R&B, hip-hop and other sounds could meet, with artists able to take chances in an intimate setting.

The wider opening programme has plenty of UK interest. Announced performers and residencies include Jamie Cullum, London saxophonist Nubya Garcia, drummer and producer Yussef Dayes, Afrobeat collective Kokoroko and East London artist Hak Baker. Internationally, neo-soul star Erykah Badu is also among the names confirmed.

A new stage for Britain’s jazz scene

The timing feels significant for British jazz. Over the past decade, a new generation of musicians has reached audiences far beyond traditional jazz venues, often mixing the form with soul, electronic music, Afrobeat, hip-hop and club culture. Blue Note London’s early line-up reflects that open approach, with several artists whose work resists being squeezed into one genre.

The smaller B-Side room could prove particularly valuable. A 100-capacity space gives developing performers somewhere to build an audience, while sharing a home with established international acts. Blue Note Entertainment Group co-owner Tsion Bensusan said the ambition was for the club to become a home for musicians and a gathering place for the community, as well as part of London’s cultural life.

That promise will ultimately be judged by the artists the venue supports over time, but the opening programme makes its direction clear. British performers are not being treated as an afterthought: they sit alongside the visiting stars at the heart of the announcement.

When tickets go on sale

Tickets for the first run of Blue Note London shows are due to go on general sale on 14 August. The main room is expected to present two shows nightly, while B-Side will follow later in 2026.