100 Club
The 100 Club, located at 100 Oxford Street in London, is widely regarded as the oldest independent music venue in the world. Live music began at this address on October 24, 1942, when the space was rented out for a jazz club. The venue officially adopted its current name in 1964. Tucked away in a basement accessed by a simple staircase, the club has an intimate, gritty atmosphere that has remained largely unchanged since the 1980s, with walls covered in posters from its storied past. Throughout its decades of operation, the venue has championed a wide range of genres, including blues, mod, punk, reggae, Northern Soul, indie, and hardcore punk. It gained particular fame for its pivotal role in the punk rock movement, hosting the first international punk festival in 1976. The 100 Club faced the threat of closure in 2010 but was saved through a public campaign supported by musicians and a partnership with Converse. Its long-term future was further secured in 2020 when Westminster Council granted it Business Rate Relief as the first Grassroots Music Venue to receive such support.
