Sofar Sounds secret concert in a surprise location

Tickets from £20

Where? You will be told the general area of the secret concert (such as Covent Garden, Paddington, Piccadilly Circus or Soho, for example), but the actual venue won't be revealed to you until 36 hours before it's due to start When? Every day Usually starts between 7 PM and 8 PM Running time? Up to 3 hours Price? £20 to £25 per person Note: You must be over 18 and bring valid ID (some of the concerts are over 21)

Sofar Sounds are famous for holding 'secret concerts' all around London, bringing artists and audiences together in surprising spaces.

The only thing you're told before purchase is the general area of the gig -- which could be somewhere like Covent Garden, Westminster, Shoreditch or Soho -- but the actual venue won't be revealed to you until 36 hours before it's due to start.

Grabbing hold of a ticket to a secret location all adds to the excitement of the night, because nobody knows what they're going to see.

What concert venues do they use?

The venues are usually fairly intimate and could be located absolutely anywhere... inside a museum, on a rooftop, or even inside someone's home!

They have a special series of shows called Elevate which are always located inside a place of worship with soaring soul music and R&B, whereas High Key are high-energy standing-only shows with funky, feel-good music.

Regular areas include Aldgate, Angel, Barbican, Bermondsey, Canary Wharf, Covent Garden, Farringdon, Hackney, Hammersmith, Hampstead, Holborn, Knightsbridge, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, Marble Arch, Mayfair, Paddington, Piccadilly Circus, Shepherd's Bush, Shoreditch, Soho, St. Paul's, Trafalgar Square, Vauxhall, Victoria and Westminster.

Which music artists will you see?

The music could be from any genre and the shows typically consist of two or three short sets by different artists. Sometimes they'll also include a bit of stand-up comedy, dance acts and spoken word performances.

If you're lucky then you'll get to witness a generational talent before they go on to achieve greater fame and fortune -- artists like Andra Day, Leon Bridges, Yebba, Lianne La Havas, Khruangbin, Jamila Woods, Billie Eilish and Hozier all performed a set with Sofar Sounds early on in their career.

Frequently asked questions

The event page always reveals the general area of the show, but the attendees won't know the actual address until they receive an email 36 hours before the show starts. (If you bought a ticket with less than 36 hours to go then you'll receive it within 15 minutes.) The artist line-up will be revealed on the night.

Bear in mind that some of the shows take place outdoors, but this is always mentioned on the event page. If a show doesn't say that it's happening outdoors then it's safe to assume that it's inside. The event page will also mention whether it's fully-seated, semi-seated or a standing-only show.

Most of the venues also have alcohol available to buy on the night.

London Squire book The author Craig Cross owns londondrum.com and has spent the last decade reviewing the capital’s landmarks, attractions and hotels. His guidebook London Squire is available from Amazon