KOKO occupies a grand former theatre at Mornington Crescent, on the southern edge of Camden, with a plush tiered interior of gilt and red velvet that makes it one of the most atmospheric mid-size music venues in London. Opened in 1900 as the Camden Theatre, it has been a BBC studio, the Music Machine, and the Camden Palace, and it reopened after a major restoration following a fire.
Today it hosts touring bands, club nights, and album-launch shows, with added bars and a rooftop in the restored building. The balconies give good sightlines over the stage, and the room's history is part of the appeal. A Camden institution and a reliable bet for a night out.