Image source, Getty Images Image caption, The venue will inhabit the north side of the former power station, with views overlooking the Thames
Music correspondent Published 1 hour ago 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 by major recording artists and new bands, 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. We're not trying to compete with anyone.
"We're going to run the venue like a venue, with tickets and everything, but the sole purpose for us is to do great work with artists, to connect artists with fans, and to broadcast the content on Apple Music.
"We have really no interest in trying to be in the way of anyone else, and that's one of the main reasons it's a smaller space."
Image source, Apple Music Image caption, The venue has been designed so that artists can configure the stage for everything from huge televisual productions to intimate acoustic sets
Image source, Apple Music Image caption, Artists will arrive on stage after walking past photos of previous Apple Music concerts
The venue, known as Apple Music Hall, marks the company's return to London, nine years after it scrapped the popular iTunes Festival, which saw acts like Lady Gaga, Elton John, Britney Spears and Adele play free concerts at venues such as Koko and The Roundhouse.
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.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, 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 w…