Taking to the stage or the heckling from the audience? Here’s our guide to the best spoken word nights in London.
It’s no secret that London is a hot spot of live events… And that’s no different for poetry. There’s a host of spoken word nights going on all over the capital pretty much every night of the week.
Whether you want to see the nation’s best poets doing their thang, or a couple of laymen battling it out in a poetry slam, you can find it all in London. You can even try your own hand at a performance.
Whatever you’re after, you can find it here in our guide to all the best spoken word nights in London.
London’s Best Spoken Word Nights
Out-Spoken
Probably the most widely-known and well attended of all spoken word nights in London, Out-Spoken is the Southbank Centre’s regular offering.
Not only do they draw in the UK’s top poetic talent, they even even stream it online for those of you who don’t want to schlep it into the city centre. It’s always quite the performance.
Fancy trying your own stuff? You’ll have to be pretty sure of yourself to take to this stage, but if you think your poetry needs a bit of improvement before you can step into the big league, Out-Spoken also offers semi-regular masterclasses where you can hone your skills.
Check out their upcoming schedule here
Tongue Fu
South Bank
Whether you’re looking to watch some spoken word from the audience or take your talent to the stage, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better spot for either than at a Tongue Fu night. They’re a giant on the UK scene, and even host shows at London’s annual Literature Festival.
They focus on poetry, improv, film, music and more. And, in spite of their size, they’re an incredibly inviting group. They say one of their missions is to nurture new talent, so if you fancy taking to the stage with a varied mix of skills and backgrounds, this one’s for you.
Hammer and Tongue
Hammer and Tongue was started by a couple of mates who noticed that there used to be a major lack of poetry slams in our nation’s capital, and has now grown to be a bit of a giant in the world of spoken world.
If you need some proof look no further than the fact they held their 2021 poetry slam competition final at the Royal Albert Hall.
The London gigs run from their venue in Hackney and are pretty much guaranteed to crack you up. They also put a good bit of emphasis on audience participation, getting members of the crowd to become judges for the people on the stage.
Nowhere Nights
Elephant and Castle
If you’re looking for a slightly classier spoken word affair, head down to Toulouse Lautrec – French restaurant by day, jazz bar by night. And they also put on nights of spoken word poetry.
The performances often come from professional or semi-professional artists, so it’s unlikely you’ll get the charm of the more amateur end of the spectrum.
What you will find though are poets that are highly on their game, often backed by professional jazz musicians, and a menu of fine french wines to choose from.
Check out their full schedule here
Rhymes with Orange
Multiple Locations
This regular night jumps between venues around London. You’ll likely catch a good mix of new performers and their regular crew of talented and often laugh-a-minute acts.
Rhymes with Orange is also a good spot if you fancy taking to the stage yourself. They’ve got a welcoming atmosphere and a very non-judgemental audience.
If you kill it on the stage you can even win a chance for the big ten-minute slot at their next show. But you’ve gotta book quick, the slots sell out fast.
Check out their upcoming shows on their Instagram, here
Jawdance
Run by Apples and Snakes, England’s foremost organisation for the promotion of spoken word and poetry, Jawdance is their regular poetry night. It’s also partly connected to Rich Mix, another group of cultural pioneers out of East London.
The poetry nights here draw on a diverse range of cultures that reflect London’s multicultural makeup. They also offer a limited amount of £2 tickets to each show (regular tickets aren’t too steep either). With all that it’s no wonder they’ve been an institution on the spoken word scene for over a decade.
You can check out their upcoming shows here
Practical Tips for Seeing Spoken Word in London
- Looking for more spoken word nights in London? Check out The Albany, Spark at Catford Mews, Spoken Word London, and Genesis Cinema.
- Make sure you book a ticket in advance, especially if you want to perform. It’s London folks. These things sell out fast.
- If you’re not already familiar with the format, try out a few different nights. Spoken word is very community based, and you’ll want to find the community that fits you best.
