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A new Tube map showcasing London’s impressive range of music venues, artists and heritage has been published as part of a campaign championing the capital’s grassroots music scene.
The map highlights London’s record shops, nightclubs and historic locations connected with the city’s music history, such as the house where both Jimi Hendrix and George Frideric Handel lived.
Each line has been reimagined as a different aspect of the city’s music scene, with the Jubilee line displaying London-made albums, the Metropolitan line showing independent record labels, and the District line listing “25 artists to see in 2025”.
The map was devised as part of the London Creates campaign, which has seen mayor Sir Sadiq Khan and Transport for London (TfL) join forces with the music industry and media leaders. Over the next month, it will be displayed at Outernet London - Europe’s largest digital exhibition space.
Sir Sadiq said: “London’s grassroots music scene is renowned around the world. From providing opportunities for talented aspiring artists to develop their trade, to giving Londoners a great night out, our venues are an essential part of our life at night and provide a huge boost to our economy.
“However, they have faced huge challenges in recent years, which is why we’re joining with partners across the capital to champion all parts of London’s grassroots music scene.
“This special edition Tube map is a great way to highlight what a huge impact the scene has on our capital, as we continue to do all we can to support venues and build a more prosperous London for everyone.”
According to City Hall, London is home to 179 grassroots music venues, which in the last year have welcomed more than 4.2m audience members, hosted performances by more than 328,000 artists, employed nearly 7,000 people and contributed £313m to the economy.
With an average ticket price of £11, the mayor’s office points out that these venues are a vital part of the city’s pipeline of music talent, as they give artists a place to start out before breaking through into the mainstream.
Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of Iron Maiden, said: “London’s diverse music scene and its grassroots venues are essential to nurture and support new artists, to bring music fans together and create lifelong passions and memories.
“We need to cherish it, celebrate it and protect it. There’s nothing like it anywhere else in the world, so get out there and enjoy it!”
Darryl Chamberlain, editor of the Greenwich Wire news website, pointed out however that the new Tube map cannot reflect the full range of music venues across the city, because most of south-east London is not covered by the TfL network.
He posted on Bluesky: “The trouble is with having a ‘grassroots music Tube map’ is that places like the Birds' Nest, Endeavour, Fox & Firkin, Morden Arms, Pelton Arms, Lord Herbert, a chunk of record shops and even Woolwich Works get missed off.”
In a nod to the mayor’s ‘Loved and Wanted’ campaign, launched on Valentine’s Day this year, he added: “You are loved and welcomed in London, except when you're not on the Tube…”
