Blue Note Details London Opening With Robert Glasper as Creative Ambassador

The Blue Note Jazz Club is crossing the Atlantic. Its first UK outpost will open on September 23 in London’s West End, planting the New York institution on St. Martin’s Lane with a programme that reflects the label’s current, porous relationship with genre.

The opening date coincides with John Coltrane’s centennial, a detail that goes unmentioned in the club’s own announcement but sits heavily in the context. Headlining that first week is Robert Glasper, who will perform September 23–24 before returning for a seven-show residency in November. Glasper has also been named a creative ambassador for the venue, a role that formalises his long association with the Blue Note brand—he has run his annual Robtober residency at the New York flagship for years.

“London has been a big supporter in my career from the very beginning,” Glasper said in a statement. “Starting this new club is about creating a space where jazz, R&B, hip-hop and everything in between can meet, evolve and surprise people.” That language is borne out by the first wave of bookings: Erykah Badu, Jamie Cullum, Nubya Garcia, Yussef Dayes, Kokoroko, and Hak Baker all appear on the calendar, a lineup that leans into the club’s stated intention to house music that moves laterally across scenes rather than holding to any narrow tradition.

The 250-capacity main room will host two nightly performances. A second, 100-capacity space dedicated to emerging UK artists is expected to open later in the year. Blue Note Entertainment Group co-owner Tsion Bensusan called the opening “one of the most significant milestones in our company’s history,” signalling the weight the organisation places on this move.

Tickets for the inaugural season go on sale August 14, following member and venue presales on August 12.