London’s favourite jazz club is now even better

The defining Soho fixture, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, has reopened following a rebuild that changes how the club operates spatially and acoustically. Long used as an informal performance space, the room now functions as a 140-capacity listening venue designed for higher performance velocity, inclusive of reduced ensembles.

Upstairs at Ronnie’s, London

The renovation, completed after a year-long closure, reworks the floor plate around proximity and sightlines. Tiered cabaret seating brings the audience forward, tightening the relationship between performer and listener. The stage is compact and shallow, suited to small groups and voice-led performances, with circulation organised to keep entry and exit unobtrusive during set changes.

The interior has been designed by Archer Humphryes, with attention given to how the room performs acoustically over long evenings. Upholstered banquettes absorb excess reverberation; reflective surfaces return presence and definition. Overhead panels admit daylight during rehearsals and daytime use, then recede after dark as lighting concentrates attention toward the stage. Materials and finishes are comfortably restrained, chosen for durability and consistency.

Sound sits at the centre of the project, with a Yamaha grand anchoring the stage and a d&b sound system tuned for even coverage across the room. The emphasis is on intelligibility at low to moderate volume, allowing vocals and instrumental detail to remain clear from front row to back. This calibration supports a programme structure built around multiple sets per night, including late performances running through to 3 am, without escalation in volume.

‘There was a challengingly short window between the building being finished and welcoming our first guests,’ says Fred Nash, managing director of Ronnie Scott’s. ‘Just days before opening, we weren’t entirely sure the piano was going to make it up the staircase – despite months of careful measuring – so getting it in place without scuffing the deep red walls felt like a small victory.

Since the relaunch, the most rewarding moment has been watching guests’ reactions as they enter the room for the first time. That sense of warmth and intimacy is exactly what we hoped for. The soft orange and yellow tones, combined with familiar Ronnie Scott’s details like the table lamps, create an atmosphere that feels inviting without distraction. In the first week alone, we’ve hosted everything from R&B and gospel to classical and Cuban salsa, and it’s been satisfying to hear each style presented exactly as intended, with clear sound and a real sense of closeness.’

Programming follows the room’s scale and technical setup, upstairs now hosts two performances nightly alongside late shows, with ticket prices set below those of the main club. The 2026 schedule includes contemporary soul, gospel, vocal jazz, global music and chamber-scale classical formats, with projects shaped for smaller ensembles and shorter sets. Early highlights include the debut of the Ronnie Scott’s Gospel Choir under Daniel Thomas, a piano trio series featuring Joe Webb, Ashley Henry, Bill Laurance and Charlie Stacey, Tomorrow’s Warriors–curated late shows for emerging artists, and a classical series designed for reduced arrangements.

Later this year, the club will open The Greene Rooms, occupying the building’s upper floors. Conceived as a members’ and artists’ space, it includes a bar, fireplaces, a piano and direct access from the stage. With its own street-level entrance and controlled access, the rooms formalise the backstage and post-performance activity that accompanies the club’s nightly programme, providing a dedicated zone for musicians, guests and members without expanding audience capacity.

Upstairs at Ronnie’s reinforces what has long kept the club relevant: a capacity to adjust without losing its bearings. The spaces are set up to carry on, supporting the kind of long-running, late-night culture that has made the club a constant in Soho’s musical life. The club is positioned to carry that musical life forward without interruption.

Ronnie Scott’s is located at 47 Frith St, London W1D 4HT, UK

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Reeme Idris is an Irish-Sudanese writer based in London. Her work examines how art, design, and travel intersect, often offering nuanced reflections on the role creativity and material culture play in shaping lived experience.