Today, US tech company Apple has announced that it will open a next-generation music venue inside Battersea Station next Monday, September 28. Designed to bridge the gap between live performance and production, Apple Music Hall (located underneath Apple’s UK headquarters) will employ state-of-the-art technology that will allow artists to perform intimate shows, capture multicamera video and prepare broadcast-ready mixes – all within the venue.
Battersea Power Station has already cemented its status as a landmark in rock history; its Brutalist silhouette was the iconic backdrop to Pink Floyd’s 1977’s Animals album. But next week, the former power station (which reopened in 2022 after being closed for nearly 40 years) will open a new creative chapter. The 600-capacity Apple Music Hall will feature a giant glass wall, offering sweeping views to the concourse and the Thames beyond. Its design nods to the original art deco details by the power station's architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, with heritage brickwork, fluted arches and bronze balconies.
The 38-foot-wide stage can be configured in multiple ways, accommodating front-facing sets or in-the-ground gigs. The space is designed to let each audience member feel close to the performer; some artists will use the 48-speaker spatial sound system positioned around the audience. Unlike traditional stereo sound (using left and right channels), spatial audio creates a three-dimensional experience, so that sounds feel as if they come from all around you.
Beyond the audience experience, Apple Music Hall will make it easier than ever to record and stream high-quality mixes and concert videos. The venue will operate as a full production facility, with studios capturing multitrack recordings of gigs, and mixing them in spatial audio live or afterwards. The venue is wired to hold up to 16 cameras, which will feed back to the control room for live streaming or broadcasting.
Apple Music Hall is yet to announce its first live shows, but fans are invited to sign up on the website for on-sale announcements.
“This is a huge vote of confidence in the UK as a global creative powerhouse,” culture secretary Lisa Nandy said in a statement. “When a company of Apple’s scale backs British music and talent, it’s a signal of just how strong our creative sectors really are.”
Apple Music Hall will open on September 28.
