# London Jazz Festival 2026 Night Out: Jazz First, Party After

> Plan a London Jazz Festival night out for 13 to 22 November 2026: pick the gig by finish time, get to the West End and book the club after the last set.

- Canonical URL: https://londonnightguide.com/london-jazz-festival-night-out/
- Published: 2026-10-29
- Last updated: 2026-10-29

**By [James Whitmore](https://londonnightguide.com/about-the-editor/), Editor-in-Chief**

*Last updated: 29 October 2026*

The London Jazz Festival 2026 runs from Friday 13 to Sunday 22 November, and a jazz night out works best when the gig is the first half of the evening rather than the whole of it. This guide covers how to plan a festival night that starts with live jazz and carries on at a London club once the last set ends, from choosing the right show to booking a table for later.

Ten days of concerts across the city means ten days of choice, which is also the trap. A concert hall in the City, a chapel in Islington and a club in Mayfair are not next door to each other, so the plan has to be built around geography and finish times as much as around the line-up.

## What the 2026 festival looks like

According to [Time Out's festival listing](https://www.timeout.com/london/music/efg-london-jazz-festival), the EFG London Jazz Festival fills the city for ten days and nights, from major arts venues such as the Southbank Centre and the Barbican to smaller gig spaces such as Village Underground, EartH Theatre and Union Chapel. The 2026 programme opens with Coltrane 100, a night marking the centenary of John Coltrane, at the Barbican on Friday 13 November.

It is not only straight jazz. The same listing names trip-hop from Morcheeba at the Troxy on Friday 13 November, electroswing from Caravan Palace on Saturday 14 November, and Portuguese fado from Mariza at the Royal Festival Hall on Sunday 15 November, alongside newer names such as the Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet at Kings Place the same Sunday. There are also talks, film screenings and workshops, many of them at the festival's pop-up hub, The Jazz Social.

That range matters for a night out. A high-energy show sets a group up for a club far better than a quiet, seated set of free improvisation, so match the gig to the night you want afterwards. Line-ups, times and prices are the festival's to confirm: check your ticket before you plan around it, as details can change.

## Pick the gig by its finish time

The most useful question about any concert is not when it starts but when it ends. Most of the clubs we book open their doors at around 11pm, so a show that finishes in mid-evening leaves a gap that needs filling, and a late show can run straight into door time.

- **An early show** is the easiest to build around. Dinner after the gig, then a short trip to the club, is the classic shape of the night.
- **A mid-evening show** leaves time for one drink near the venue before moving on, which is often the best part of the evening for a group that wants to talk about what it has just heard.
- **A late show** is for people who want to arrive at the club with the music still in their heads. Book the table in advance so there is no queue at the end of a long night.

Whichever you choose, tell the group the finish time and the next stop before the gig starts. A group that knows the plan moves together; one that decides on the pavement at 10:30pm tends to split up.

## Geography: get from the concert hall to the club

The festival is spread across London, and most of the clubs we book sit in the West End. Plan the move before you buy tickets.

**Southbank Centre and the Royal Festival Hall** are the easiest starting point for a West End night. A walk across the river over Waterloo Bridge or the Hungerford footbridge puts you in Covent Garden or by Charing Cross, with Soho and Mayfair a short taxi ride further on.

**The Barbican and Milton Court** are in the City. The Elizabeth line from Farringdon runs to Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street, which covers Soho, Fitzrovia and Mayfair without a long taxi ride.

**Kings Place** sits beside King's Cross, and **Union Chapel** is in Islington near Highbury and Islington station. Both are on the Victoria line, which runs straight to Oxford Circus and Green Park.

**Village Underground, EartH and the Troxy** are in east London. From there the West End is a longer journey, so either commit to an east London night or allow a proper taxi ride before the club.

## Where to go after the last set

Once the gig is done, the choice of club depends on the night of the week. As of October 2026 these are the regular nights of the clubs we book that line up with festival dates.

| Festival night | Clubs open (as of October 2026) |
| --- | --- |
| Friday 13 and Saturday 14 November | Tape, Cirque le Soir, Rumour, 99 Regent Street, The Box, Selene, Dear Darling Mayfair, Reign, Maya |
| Sunday 15 November | Tape, Selene, Dear Darling Mayfair |
| Monday 16 November | Cirque le Soir |
| Tuesday 17 November | Tape, Reign |
| Wednesday 18 November | Cirque le Soir, Rumour, 99 Regent Street, The Box |
| Thursday 19 November | Rumour, 99 Regent Street, The Box, Selene, Dear Darling Mayfair, Reign |
| Friday 20 and Saturday 21 November | as Friday 13 and Saturday 14 |
| Sunday 22 November | Tape, Selene, Dear Darling Mayfair |

A few pairings make particular sense after live music:

- **[The Box](https://londonnightguide.com/the-box-london/)** in Soho is the natural follow-on for anyone who wants more performance. It opens at 11pm, runs Wednesday to Saturday and closes at 4am. There is no guestlist, and tables start from £1,000 minimum spend as of October 2026.
- **[Rumour](https://londonnightguide.com/rumour-london/)**, formerly Tabu, on Dover Street is one room of about 200 around red velvet booths, playing open-format hip hop, RnB and house from 11pm to 4am, Wednesday to Saturday. Booths start from £1,000 minimum spend as of October 2026.
- **[Tape](https://londonnightguide.com/tape-club-london/)** on Hanover Square is the answer for the Sunday and Tuesday festival nights, when much of the West End is quiet. The main room closes at 3:45am, and tables start from £750 minimum spend as of October 2026.
- **[Cirque le Soir](https://londonnightguide.com/cirque-le-soir-london/)** in Soho covers the Monday and Wednesday, with its own circus-style performers, and always finishes at 3:45am.
- **[Selene](https://londonnightguide.com/selene-london-review/)** at 4 Winsley Street, Fitzrovia, near Oxford Circus, is open Thursday to Sunday from 11pm to 4am, with private bowling lanes that can be booked with a table. Tables start from £800 minimum spend as of October 2026.

## Book the second half before the first

The common mistake on a gig night is to treat the club as something to sort out later. On a Friday or Saturday in November, with the Christmas party season starting, the West End fills up, and a group arriving at midnight without a booking can find the door difficult.

A table booked in advance solves most of that. It covers entry for the group at most of the clubs above, gives everyone somewhere to sit and put their coats, and means the night does not depend on how the queue looks at 11:30pm. On the quieter festival nights, Sunday to Wednesday, a guestlist place is often enough for a smaller group, and we can tell you which is the better option for the night you have chosen.

For a group that wants music all night, [our live music nights guide](https://londonnightguide.com/live-music-nights-london/) covers the wider gig-first format beyond the festival.

## Practical details for a jazz-to-club night

- **ID:** bring physical photo ID. The clubs above are 18+ at minimum, and 99 Regent Street is 19+. Cirque le Soir is 21+ at weekends.
- **Dress:** dress for the club, not the concert hall. A smart outfit works in both, while trainers and sportswear that are fine at a gig can be refused at a Mayfair door.
- **Bags and coats:** concert halls and clubs both have cloakrooms, but two cloakroom queues in one night is a lot. Travel light.
- **Food:** a seated concert means no dinner during the show. Eat before, or book a late table near the venue between the gig and the club.
- **Getting home:** the Night Tube runs on the Victoria, Central, Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines on Friday and Saturday nights. Check the TfL journey planner before you set off on a weeknight.

## A sample night

A Friday plan built around the opening weekend might look like this: an early concert at the Royal Festival Hall, a walk over Waterloo Bridge into Covent Garden for a late dinner, then a taxi to Mayfair for a table at Rumour or Tape for 11:30pm. A Sunday plan is simpler, as fewer clubs are open: a Kings Place show, the Victoria line to Oxford Circus, and a table at Tape on Hanover Square or Selene in Fitzrovia, both open on a Sunday.

The festival gives London ten nights of music in November, and the best of them do not end when the band leaves the stage. If you want the second half of the night sorted before the first set starts, message us on [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/447348644054) with your date, group size and the gig you are going to, and we will suggest the club and book the table or guestlist for you.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### When is the London Jazz Festival 2026?

The EFG London Jazz Festival 2026 runs for ten days, from Friday 13 to Sunday 22 November 2026, with concerts at venues across London including the Barbican, the Southbank Centre and Union Chapel.

### Which clubs are open after a jazz gig on a Sunday?

As of October 2026, Tape on Hanover Square, Selene in Fitzrovia and Dear Darling Mayfair are open on Sundays, so they cover the two festival Sundays, 15 and 22 November.

### Do I need to book a club table before the concert?

On a Friday or Saturday it is the safest option, as November weekends are busy with Christmas parties. A table covers entry for the group at most of the clubs we book. On quieter weeknights a guestlist place is often enough for a small group.

### What should I wear for a jazz gig followed by a club?

Dress for the club. A smart outfit works at a concert hall and at a Mayfair door, while trainers and sportswear that are fine at a gig can be refused at the club.

### How do I get from the Barbican to the West End clubs?

The Elizabeth line from Farringdon runs to Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street, which puts Soho, Fitzrovia and Mayfair within easy reach without a long taxi ride.

## How to Book via London Night Guide

- Free guestlist booking: https://londonnightguide.com/book-guestlist/
- VIP table booking: https://londonnightguide.com/book-vip-table/
- WhatsApp concierge (guestlist, +44 7348 644054): https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=447348644054&text=Hi%2C%20I%20found%20you%20on%20London%20Night%20Guide.%20I%27d%20like%20to%20get%20on%20a%20guestlist.
- WhatsApp concierge (VIP tables): https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=447348644054&text=Hi%2C%20I%20found%20you%20on%20London%20Night%20Guide.%20I%27d%20like%20to%20book%20a%20table.
- Email: concierge@londonnightguide.com