Shepherds Bush Empire

Shepherd's Bush Empire has been a prominent landmark on London's entertainment scene since 1903. Designed and built by Frank Matcham as the flagship of the "Empire" chain of variety theatres, it was taken under the wing of the BBC in the 1950s and converted into a television theatre. Shows such as Crackerjack, The Old Grey Whistle Test, That's Life, Hancock and Wogan were transmitted from there.

After a £2million refit, which retained the BBC's technical infrastructure, the Empire opened in March 1994 as a 2000 capacity live venue. The music industry embraced the Empire upon its opening concert, Soundgarden (March 12th 1994), and has consistently provided a wealth of talent ever since.

Artists that have played at the Empire include Bob Dylan, Kylie Minogue, The Sex Pistols, Eric Clapton, Radiohead, Paul McCartney, Iggy Pop, Iron Maiden, Placebo, The Smashing Pumpkins, Coldplay, Stereophonics and many more. Comedy also plays a part at the Empire with successful shows from artists such as Jo Brand, Eddie Izzard, Dylan Moran and Harry Hill.