Apple is preparing to open a new concert venue beneath its European headquarters at Battersea Power Station in London. The venue, named Apple Music Hall, will hold up to 600 people and will feature one-off performances by major recording artists and emerging bands. These shows will be filmed and broadcast live online, offering a unique blend of in-person and digital music experiences. According to Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music, the venue will be equipped with "more cameras and speakers than any venue of its size, anywhere in the world," enhancing the audio and visual experience for both live audiences and online viewers. This new space marks Apple's return to London after a nine-year hiatus from live music events, following the discontinuation of the popular iTunes Festival. The festival once featured performances by artists like Lady Gaga, Elton John, Britney Spears, and Adele. The Apple Music Hall is designed as a small, intimate venue with Art Deco-inspired architecture, including fluted vaults and brick-lined walls. The acoustics have been carefully considered, with specially selected bricks to absorb sound and a 38-foot stage that can be configured for different performance styles. The facility includes dressing rooms with showers, costume storage, and new studios for Apple Music's radio stations, which are relocating from King's Cross. It also offers spaces for DJ mixes, writing camps, and band rehearsals, all wired for video and audio to allow artists to record podcasts, appear on radio shows, and live-stream concerts in a single day. Apple has emphasized that the venue is not intended to compete with existing live music spaces. Schusser clarified that Apple's goal is to "do great work with artists, to connect artists with fans, and to broadcast the content on Apple Music." The company aims to support the UK's struggling live music scene, which has seen significant closures in recent years. In London alone, 45 venues closed last year, and nationally, around 400 clubs have shut down between 2020 and 2025. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy praised the development, calling it "a huge vote of confidence in the UK as a global creative powerhouse." Apple aims to use the venue to produce unique content that differentiates its service from competitors like Spotify and Amazon Music. This effort aligns with comments from music mogul Jimmy Iovine, who has argued that streaming services risk becoming obsolete if they fail to foster a connection between artists and listeners. Iovine, known for working with artists like Bruce Springsteen and Tupac Shakur, believes that "the artists want to communicate with their fans, period." Schusser echoed this sentiment, stating that Apple wants its music services to be more than "an anonymous place on the internet where you press a button and music starts playing." The company aims to help promote new and emerging artists, ensuring they can reach audiences in an era where listening habits are becoming increasingly static.