O2 Forum Kentish Town
A historic live-music venue in Kentish Town, London, operating as part of the O2 Academy Group.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
O2 Forum Kentish Town is a live-music venue in Kentish Town, north London. The building opened on 17 December 1934 as an art deco cinema, giving the venue an architectural identity that remains central to its appeal. It was designed by J. Stanley Beard, while the interior was designed by William Robin Bennett, and the original cinema included a Compton organ. Herbert Yapp was the venue's original owner, and ABC Cinemas acquired it in 1935. After the cinema closed in 1970, the building was reused as a bingo hall. It later became a music and entertainment venue under the name Forum Dancehall. In 1985, it was relaunched as the Town & Country Club and developed into a recognised London concert venue. The final show under that name was performed by Van Morrison on 21 March 1993. Mean Fiddler Music Group acquired the venue in 1993 and renamed it the London Forum. The venue subsequently went through several naming and ownership phases reflecting changes in London's live-entertainment industry. MAMA & Company purchased it from Mean Fiddler in 2007 and invested £1.5 million in renovations. Those works increased capacity to approximately 2,300 people and helped modernise the building while retaining its historic character. From 2009 to 2013, the venue operated under the sponsored name HMV Forum. In 2010, it received a licence permitting operation until 6 a.m. for Friday-night events, supporting late-night programming alongside conventional concerts. Live Nation acquired the venue in 2015. It was then rebranded O2 Forum Kentish Town and incorporated into the O2 Academy Group, aligning it with Live Nation's wider network of branded music venues in the United Kingdom. The O2 naming arrangement provides a consistent commercial identity, while the Kentish Town name distinguishes the site from other O2-branded venues. The venue's principal activity is presenting live music, including concerts by touring artists and emerging performers. Its scale places it between a small club and a large arena: the approximately 2,300-capacity room can support substantial touring productions while preserving a relatively intimate audience experience. Its Grade II listed status, granted in 1990, adds heritage value and places the building within London's protected architectural environment. O2 Forum Kentish Town remains an active London music venue. Its business model is based on ticketed events, venue operations, hospitality and related live-entertainment services rather than the sale of a standalone consumer product. The brand is therefore closely associated with the physical building, its history of changing names, and its role in the United Kingdom's concert circuit.
History
The building now known as O2 Forum Kentish Town opened on 17 December 1934 as an art deco cinema in Kentish Town, London. J. Stanley Beard designed the building, and William Robin Bennett was responsible for the interior design. The original cinema featured a Compton organ, reflecting the scale and theatrical ambitions of interwar cinema architecture. Herbert Yapp was the original owner, and ABC Cinemas acquired the property in 1935. The cinema closed in 1970. Rather than being demolished, the building was converted for use as a bingo hall and later developed into a music and entertainment venue known as Forum Dancehall. A further transformation came in 1985, when it became the Town & Country Club. This period established the building as a live-music site rather than a cinema or bingo venue and connected it with London's expanding concert and club scene. The Town & Country Club identity ended in 1993. Van Morrison played the final show under that name on 21 March, after which Mean Fiddler Music Group acquired the venue and renamed it the London Forum. The Mean Fiddler era placed the site within one of the United Kingdom's best-known independent live-music businesses and reinforced its role as a dedicated concert venue. The building received Grade II listed status in 1990. This designation recognised its architectural and historic significance and has shaped the way later operators have renovated and marketed the venue. Its preserved art deco character became an important part of the site's differentiation from newer, purpose-built concert facilities. In 2007, MAMA & Company purchased the Forum from Mean Fiddler. The new operator undertook renovations costing £1.5 million and increased capacity to approximately 2,300 people. The works improved the venue's ability to host contemporary touring productions while maintaining the historic structure. Between 2009 and 2013, the sponsored name HMV Forum was used. In 2010, the venue received permission to remain open until 6 a.m. for Friday-night events, enabling a broader range of late-night music programming. Live Nation acquired the venue in 2015. It subsequently became O2 Forum Kentish Town and joined the O2 Academy Group, Live Nation's United Kingdom venue network. The current name combines the O2 commercial identity with the established Forum name and the Kentish Town location. The venue continues to present live music and related events in a room of roughly 2,300 capacity, occupying a middle position between intimate clubs and major arenas. The site's history is therefore defined by repeated changes in use, ownership and naming rather than by a single uninterrupted brand identity. Cinema, bingo, dancehall, club and concert-venue functions have all contributed to its current reputation. Its protected architecture and long performance history remain core elements of the O2 Forum Kentish Town proposition.
- 2015
Live Nation acquisition and O2 rebranding
[1]Live Nation acquired the venue and relaunched it as O2 Forum Kentish Town within the O2 Academy Group.
- 2010
Extended late-night licence
[1]The venue obtained permission to operate until 6 a.m. for Friday-night events.
- 2007
MAMA & Company renovation
[1]MAMA & Company bought the venue, invested £1.5 million in renovations and increased capacity to approximately 2,300.
- 1993
Mean Fiddler acquisition and London Forum relaunch
[1]Mean Fiddler Music Group acquired the venue and renamed it the London Forum after the final Town & Country Club performance.
- 1990
Grade II listing
[1]The building was granted Grade II listed status, recognising its architectural and historical importance.
- 1985
Launch of the Town & Country Club
[1]The site became a live-music venue under the Town & Country Club name.
- 1970
Cinema closure and later conversion
[1]The cinema closed and the building was subsequently reused as a bingo hall before becoming a music venue.
- 1935
Acquisition by ABC Cinemas
[1]ABC Cinemas acquired the newly opened cinema from its original owner, Herbert Yapp.
- 1934
Opening as an art deco cinema
[1]The building opened on 17 December 1934 as a cinema designed by J. Stanley Beard, with an interior by William Robin Bennett and a Compton organ.
Products and positioning
A historic, centrally branded London concert venue combining an art deco listed building with contemporary touring, club and live-entertainment programming.
Live music · 1985
Concert programming
The venue's core offering is ticketed live music by touring artists and other performers. Its capacity of approximately 2,300 provides a substantial production environment while retaining the closer audience relationship associated with a club-sized room.
Nightlife and music events · 2010
Late-night events
Following its 2010 licensing change, the venue could host Friday-night events continuing until 6 a.m. This expanded its role beyond standard concert hours into late-night music and club programming.
Audience services
Venue hospitality
The venue also provides the operational and hospitality services required for ticketed public events, including audience access, event facilities and on-site support. Specific hospitality packages and service details are not established in the supplied sources.
Controversies
2022
Fan sues The Forum and others over crowd-surge injuries
A woman who attended a 2019 Harry Styles concert sued The Forum, show promoters and ticketing services, alleging she was seriously injured in a crowd surge and that the defendants failed to provide adequate security and crowd-control resources.
Brand decisions
2015
Live Nation acquisition and network integrationM&ABackground
The venue changed ownership during the consolidation of the United Kingdom's live-entertainment sector.
Action taken
Live Nation acquired the venue and rebranded it O2 Forum Kentish Town as part of the O2 Academy Group.
Aftermath
The venue became part of Live Nation's branded United Kingdom concert-venue network.
2010
Extension of operating hoursStrategyBackground
The venue sought to support late-night programming in addition to conventional concerts.
Action taken
A licence was obtained allowing Friday-night events to continue until 6 a.m.
Aftermath
The venue could accommodate a wider range of late-night music and club events.
2007
Renovation and capacity expansionStrategyBackground
MAMA & Company acquired the venue and sought to strengthen its position in the London live-music market while preserving the historic building.
Action taken
The operator invested £1.5 million in renovations and increased capacity to approximately 2,300.
Aftermath
The refurbishment improved the venue's ability to host larger contemporary touring productions.
Renovation investment. £1.5 million (2007)
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Fan sues The Forum and others over crowd-surge injuries[3]
Reported:
A woman who attended a 2019 Harry Styles concert sued The Forum, show promoters and ticketing services, alleging she was seriously injured in a crowd surge and that the defendants failed to provide adequate security and crowd-control resources.
Sources3 sources
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