At least one of this week’s suggestions offers a refreshingly practical approach to live entertainment. Annie Mac’s Before Midnight at Gunnersbury Park acknowledges what many won’t admit: sometimes you want proper music without the 3am comedown. Her event runs from from 2pm to 10pm with Jayda G and Gilles Peterson in support.
Elsewhere, Blondshell’s Electric Brixton shows demonstrate why Barack Obama included her debut on his year-end playlist — her follow-up album reportedly balances vulnerability with genuine wit. The team behind south London’s Heated night are throwing their final party before an extended break, promising “music with words” and breakbeat singalongs.
Lewis Capaldi’s O2 Arena comeback after his Tourette’s-related hiatus has generated the kind of ticket demand that suggests genuine public affection rather than mere curiosity. Meanwhile, Manchester’s The Slow Country — currently existing on just two Spotify tracks — represent the sort of calculated risk that makes Hackney’s Next Door Records 2 worth watching.
All that said, if you still fancy going wild? There’s a final chance this summer, with the Waterworks Festival. See you out there.
Music in London tonight and this week (September 10 – 17)
Top pick: Waterworks Festival
September 13, Gunnersbury Park
It’s the last of the summer. Closing out the festival season is Waterworks in Gunnersbury Park, and it’s got an absolutely stacked line-up. Look for Calibre, DJ Stingray (pictured at the top of this page), John Talabot, Peach, Bakey, Max Cooper, Special Request, Chloé Caillet, Palms Trax, Chaos In The CBD, right, Two Shell, Dr Banana and Yung Singh, to name just a handful of the brilliant artists on offer. I know you said you couldn’t hack it. I know you said you were done. But maybe one more won’t hurt.
Annie Mac
Dave Benett/Getty Images
Annie Mac presents Before Midnight
September 12, Gunnersbury Park
For those who don’t fancy the late nights anymore, Annie Mac has your back. She returns with her Before Midnight event here, allowing early-bird ravers the chance to catch the proverbial worm from 2pm to a very reasonable 10pm. Mac, above, will play a long set alongside support from Jayda G, Gilles Peterson, Femi Koleoso and Heartless Crew.
Blondshell
Press handout
September 11 & 12, Electric Brixton
American indie rock singer-songwriter Sabrina Mae Teitelbaum, aka Blondshell, is probably one of those names you’ve heard knocking around for years. And with good reason: she’s been making captivating music since 2020, and her 2023 self-titled debut received critical acclaim (including a coveted place on Barack Obama’s end-of-year music round-up). The follow-up, If You Asked for a Picture, was described by Paper magazine as “a vulnerable, often funny, always honest record delivered in melodic, pop-leaning indie rock”. See her perform it live at Electric Brixton tonight and tomorrow.
Unstable Hotties: Goodbye for Now
Looking for a party this weekend? The team behind cult south London night HEATED (named after the hit Beyoncé track) are running one of their final events before an extended hiatus. Expect to hear pop diva vocals set against breakbeat, speed garage, trance and techno, with sing-along classics at the centre. And by sing-along, we’re talking Green Light, not Gimme Gimme Gimme. As they put it: “We play music with words — and put a donk on it.”
Lewis Capaldi
PA Wire
September 16, 17 & 18, The O2 Arena
It’s the big comeback! Following a two-year hiatus due to his battle with Tourette’s, Lewis Capaldi returns to the road this month, with three dates at the O2. The beloved Scottish crooner teased his return at Glastonbury 2025, in one of the most highly anticipated and emotional secret sets of the weekend, and his stadium tour has seen unprecedented demand. You know what they say: absence only makes the heart grow fonder.
September 17, Next Door Records 2
Take a chance on this one… The Slow Country are a seven-piece band formed in Manchester with just two tracks currently live on Spotify. But those two tracks are very good, and Next Door Records 2 is quickly becoming one of the hottest venues in Hackney. Hovering in the sweet spot between alt-rock and alt-folk, The Slow Country intertwine guitars, mandolins, violins, duelling vocals, surrealism and realism with “darn right stupidity”.
