Barfly Camden on Chalk Farm Road: gigs, tickets and getting in
Barfly reopened in June on Chalk Farm Road: doors are normally 19:00, tickets run from about £7 to £22, and the Lock Tavern is next door-ish for after.
By Only Camden Editorial
Doors are normally 19:00, tickets for most small gigs sit in the low to mid teens, and the gig room is up 22 steps. That is Barfly Camden in short: 49 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AN, Chalk Farm, a pub downstairs and a live room above. Check each listing before you go, because acts and times change.
What it is
A Victorian former pub with a gig room above a ground-floor bar. Pollstar describes it as a 200-capacity live music room, and the Camden New Journal calls it the old Victorian pub with a 200 capacity for gigs. The venue’s hire page quotes 400 across the building, so call it about 200 for the gig room and arrive early for anything popular.
The history, briefly
The building was previously a pub called The Monarch that hosted gigs from the 1980s, according to Wikipedia and Billboard. The Barfly brand was founded by Nick Moore, Jeremy Ledlin and Be Rozzo, and the venue’s own site dates it to the mid-1990s. NME gives 1996 to 2016 for the first run.
NME and Radio X list Coldplay, Muse, Adele, The Killers, The Libertines, Amy Winehouse and Kate Nash among the early names, and NME notes Ed Sheeran played four shows in one night in 2011. Pollstar says Frank Turner played his first sold-out solo show there in 2006 and has played a record six.
In 2016 Columbo Group bought it and relaunched it as the Camden Assembly. In December 2025 the Camden New Journal reported that Propaganda Independent Venues had bought the place and wanted the Barfly name back. It returned on Monday 22 June 2026 with a Frank Turner gig, and Turner unveiled a blue plaque on the night, per NME. Pollstar says more plaques are planned. The owners are Propaganda Independent Venues, run by Dan Ickowitz-Seidler and Richard Buck, with Camden resident Chris McCormack of 3 Colours Red as co-owner, according to Time Out and the Camden New Journal.
What to see inside
- A Tokyo-style vinyl listening bar and a vintage 1959 jukebox, per the Camden New Journal.
- A Wall of Fame of archive imagery, per Pollstar.
- An upgraded PA and lighting rig in the main room, per Headliner Hub.
We have no verified drinks menu, so go for the pub, the records and the jukebox rather than a set order.
When to go
The pub’s summer opening times, per the venue’s FAQ page:
- Monday and Tuesday: closed
- Wednesday and Thursday: 17:00 to 23:00
- Friday: 17:00 to 03:00
- Saturday: 12:00 to 03:00
- Sunday: 12:00 to midnight
Gigs usually open doors at 19:00. Listings on the venue site and DICE include a Propaganda indie club night most Saturdays, Camden Rocks all-dayers (Saturday 24 October runs ten acts to an 23:00 curfew), K.Flay on Monday 14 September at 19:00 (14+), and shows from Focus, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Alfie Castley, Mouth Culture and Ist Ist. Treat that as a snapshot.
Tickets and prices
Book through barflycamden.com, DICE or See Tickets. DICE showed roughly £7 to £22 including fees: about £7.42 for the indie club night, around £12 for the Camden Rocks all-dayer, £17.62 for Abbie McCarthy’s Good Karma Club and £22.15 for alexsucks. Bigger names will cost more, and we have no published door price.
Getting in
- Age: generally 14+, and under-16s need an adult over 18. Some shows differ, and the Frank Turner relaunch was 18+.
- ID: carry valid ID. Passports and driving licences are accepted.
- Access: the gig room is on the first floor, up 22 steps, with no lift or ramp. The pub has one step at the entrance. Accessible bookings go to accessibility.camdenassembly@propagandavenues.com, and essential companions must be 18+.
Getting there
The nearest Tube is Chalk Farm on the Northern line, per Time Out. Camden Town is the other Northern line option. The pub is on the Roundhouse and Stables Market stretch of Chalk Farm Road.
For after: the Lock Tavern
The Lock Tavern, 35 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AJ, is on the same road, just north of the Stables Market. McMullen describes a main bar and beer garden downstairs, and a candle-lit cocktail bar and roof terrace upstairs. The Nudge mentions firepits in the heated garden and DJs upstairs, and CAMRA lists food including Sunday roasts. It closes late at weekends, so check hours before you commit.
One warning: Monarchy Camden at 40 to 42 Chalk Farm Road is a different pub, so do not mix up the two.
