A walk through Camden’s music history, stop by stop

Five stops, all in NW1, all free to look at from the pavement, and a good half day if you stop for a pint. Start in Chalk Farm, finish at the top of Camden High Street. Check what is on at each place before you go, because a music walk is much better if you can end it with a gig.

1. The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road (NW1 8EH)

Nearest tube is Chalk Farm. The building began as a railway engine shed, officially from 1847, a circular shed with a turntable for locomotives. It was a roundhouse for about a decade, then a warehouse, and in 1964 it reopened as a performing arts venue when playwright Arnold Wesker launched Centre 42 with trade union backing (Official London Theatre).

The date to remember is 15 October 1966. Pink Floyd and Soft Machine played the all-night launch party for the underground paper International Times, and neither band had a record deal. The Kentish Towner reports that IT described Pink Floyd using slide projections and spotlights timed to the drums, one of the first psychedelic light shows (Kentish Towner). The Roundhouse’s own anniversary site lists a New Year’s Eve 1966 night with The Who, The Move and Pink Floyd.

Later decades brought The Doors in 1968 and The Clash in 1976, according to Punk77, and the venue closed in 1983. Time Out says a major refurbishment began in 2004 and it reopened in 2006 as an arts space with a strong community focus. Inside, the main room has a high domed ceiling and Victorian metal ribs, and the floor can be seated or standing (Time Out).

Tip: the box office phone is 020 7424 8455. Access includes step-free lift access to the bars and performance spaces, plus an induction loop and an infra-red hearing system.

2. The Amy Winehouse statue, Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road (NW1 8AH)

Walk a few minutes from the Roundhouse to the Stables Market at 407 Chalk Farm Road. The bronze statue is by Scott Eaton and was unveiled on 14 September 2014, which would have been Amy Winehouse’s 31st birthday. It shows her beehive and heels, and a real red rose was placed in her hair at the unveiling. It stands beside The Lock Tavern, one of her favourite haunts. It was first meant for a first-floor balcony at the Roundhouse, but that was vetoed on safety grounds (Londonist).

3. The Hawley Arms, Castlehaven Road

The pub dates to 1851, when it was the Hawley Arms Tavern. In the 2000s it was known as an Amy Winehouse haunt, with Noel Fielding, Pete Doherty and Kate Moss also named in its story (Layers of London). Culture Trip says her reputed favourite drink was a Rickstasy, a drink unique to the pub made with vodka, banana liqueur, Southern Comfort and Baileys. Allegedly.

On 9 February 2008 a huge fire in the market behind the pub destroyed the back of the building. It was rebuilt and looks much as before. Wikipedia records that the pub reopened on 31 October after a three-day private party for supporters. Because its ownership has changed hands in recent years, look at the pub from outside first and check it is trading before you plan a pint around it.

4. The Dublin Castle, 94 Parkway (NW1 7AN)

A short walk from Camden Town tube. This is a pub with a separate live music room at the back. It dates to around 1856 and originally served Irish railway and canal workers (DesignMyNight).

The big story is 1979, when the pub gave Madness a residency that started the band’s career, per Atlas Obscura. A Performing Right Society plaque inside commemorates them. Landlord Alo Conlon is credited with making the pub a springboard for new acts in the 1980s and 90s. Bands credited with playing the back room include Blur, Supergrass, Coldplay, The Killers, Arctic Monkeys and The Libertines, and Amy Winehouse was a regular performer. Songkick lists gigs here through 2026 (Songkick), so check the listings for the night you want.

5. KOKO, 1 Camden High Street (NW1 7JE)

The last stop is on the corner of Crowndale Road, a one minute walk from Mornington Crescent and about eight from Camden Town. It opened as the Camden Theatre around Christmas 1900, one of London’s largest theatres outside the West End, and reopened as the Camden Hippodrome on 6 December 1909 (Arthur Lloyd). It became a cinema in 1913.

Wikipedia lists later names including BBC Camden Theatre, The Music Machine from 1977 and Camden Palace from 1982, when it was a New Romantic hub run by Steve Strange and Rusty Egan. Madonna made her UK debut there in 1983, and in 1987 it hosted the early house night Delerium. It closed for restoration and rebranding as KOKO in the mid-2000s.

KOKO closed on 27 September 2018 after the building was deemed unsafe during refurbishment, and a fire followed in 2020. It reopened on 29 April 2022 with Arcade Fire (Cinema Treasures). It is Grade II listed, with a capacity of about 1,410 for live shows.

Making a night of it

• Walk north to south: Roundhouse, statue, Hawley Arms, Dublin Castle, KOKO.
• Look at the Roundhouse and KOKO listings before you set off, so the walk ends with a ticket.
• The Dublin Castle is the best place to stop for a pint and some live music.