London has long catered for the entertainment needs of its population. From the 1930s, when places such as the Caravan Club in Soho were a hideaway for the LGBT community, through the 'swinging sixties', to when nightclubs such as The End, Four Aces, Plastic People or Bagley’s were homes for underground music that would later go on to dominate the charts.
Now, London is Europe’s music capital. Data from Songkick, published by IQ magazine, shows that in 2016 there were 19,940 live music events in London – more than San Francisco (13,672), Paris (11,248) and Chicago (11,224), and more than the self-described ‘live music capital of the world’, Austin, Texas (6,781).
The World’s 50 Best Bars awards puts four of the top 10 in London – indeed the best bar in the world (The American at the Savoy) is here. And the pubs, bars and restaurants are responsible for almost 100,000 jobs