Spiritland Opens a Listening Bar Inside London's Barbican Centre
Spiritland, the London listening-bar brand, is teaming up with the Barbican Centre to open a new space called Spiritland At The Barbican on October 20. It lands in the Lakeside Room on Level 2 of the Barbican, overlooking the centre's courtyard pool and fountains, with room for 100 people. There's no ticket required — according to NME, it's walk-in access, open Tuesday through Sunday, running through July 2027. The launch also coincides with the tenth anniversary of Spiritland's original Coal Drops Yard location.
The practical details
- Name: Spiritland At The Barbican
- Opens: October 20
- Location: Barbican Centre, Level 2, Lakeside Room, London
- Hours: Tuesday–Sunday, through July 2027
- Capacity: 100
- Entry: Free, no ticket or booking required
Daily programming built around a 5pm album
The space runs on a daily program curated by musicians and record collectors, spanning jazz, classical, ambient and electronic music — a lineup designed to echo the Barbican's own arts programming. There are also evening listening sessions, plus talks, tastings and supper clubs planned.
The most distinctive fixture is the 5pm slot, when a single album is played in full each day — the selection ranging from classic Bach recordings to more contemporary picks like Beck, down to obscure releases from emerging artists.
Sound, food, and what the partners are saying
The sound system comes from Living Voice. The company's Kevin Scott says the goal is to capture a performance's "artistry and eloquence," calling emotional communication a key element of music. Spiritland's Paul Noble described the Lakeside Room as a chance for the team to go deeper into jazz, soul, contemporary classical, ambient and electronic music through a high-end sound system.
Barbican's Director of Experience, Beau Vigushin, called the project "yet another exciting reason" to visit the Barbican, describing it as a coming-together of two London brands that offers a space you can walk into without booking.
Food is provided jointly by Lardo, Smoking Goat, Milroys and St. John, with the Spiritland bar team also designing seasonal signature cocktails for the project.