Blue Note Jazz Club has confirmed that plans to open a new venue in London, England will proceed following the granting of a late license by the local council. The 350-capacity venue will be the first Blue Note Jazz Club to be established in the U.K. and is slated for an early 2026 opening.
The news follows reports of opposition by the Metropolitan Police Service and local residents. In February a Licensing Sub-Committee Report from the City of Westminster outlined a number of objections from the local police enforcement, who objected to the venue’s opening on the grounds it would undermine the licensing objective of “prevention of crime and disorder”.
The move was criticised by a number of local musicians and industry figures, with claims that the council was stifling the capital’s nightlife scene. The venue was initially granted a license that would see the club close at 11:30 p.m., but Steven Bensusan – president of Blue Note Entertainment Group and son of the original Blue Note Cafe founder Danny Bensusan – told Sky News that the opening of its planned European flagship venue may not be viable without a late license. “If they’re not giving us a late license, I can’t imagine how they would be supportive of other smaller venues, which are important for the ecosystem in general.”
However the Westminster City Council has since reversed its opposition and said that the “venue management have engaged extensively with local people to improve their application and address the concerns that were raised by the police.”
The venue will be based in the basement of the St Martins Lane hotel in Covent Garden in central London. The license will allow the club to open until 1 a.m. on Monday to Saturday, to midnight on Sundays.
The Blue Note Jazz Club will host two performance spaces: a main room with 250 person capacity, alongside a secondary 100 person capacity space. The venue will host a full-service kitchen and beverage menu and will be open for dinner throughout the week.
The new venue will continue the expansion of Blue Note Jazz Clubs internationally. The original club in New York City was opened in 1981, and new venues have since opened in Milan, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Stevie Wonder, Tony Bennett, Ezra Collective and more have all performed at the club and its sister institutions.
Steven Bensusan, president of Blue Note Entertainment Group said in a statement, “We’re excited to be coming to London and grateful to Westminster Council for recognising what Blue Note can bring to the city’s nightlife. As we prepare to open in early 2026, we’re looking forward to bringing world-class jazz and a deep cultural legacy to one of the greatest music cities in the world.”
