Elton John to open Apple Music Hall in London on Sept. 28

Elton John will open Apple Music Hall, Apple's first live music venue, with a show in London on Sept. 28.

The 600-capacity room sits at Battersea Power Station, underneath Apple's UK headquarters, and launches its first season with John at the top of the bill, according to Billboard. It is a small stage for a stadium act. That is the point.

The opening-night set will be John's first public U.K. performance in more than three years. He wrapped his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour at Glastonbury Festival in June 2023.

Tickets for the opening show go on sale Sept. 28 at 9 a.m. U.K. time from the venue's official website. Tickets for the Baby Keem and Skye Newman dates go on sale Monday at 9 a.m. BST, Apple Music said in a social media post.

The opening season runs into December and crosses genres. Baby Keem plays Oct. 2, followed by Skye Newman on Oct. 7, Troye Sivan on Oct. 13, Arlo Parks on Oct. 22 and Burna Boy on Oct. 29. Chase & Status follow on Nov. 26, with Charli xcx closing the announced run on Dec. 2.

Inside, the hall has a 48-speaker spatial audio system, the surround-sound format that places instruments around the listener, and a customisable 38-foot-wide stage. Apple has partnered with U.K. promoter Communion ONE to support bookings and promotion.

For fans, this means close quarters. Six hundred seats puts the audience metres from the performers rather than in the upper tier.

Apple has staged live music before without owning a room. Its Apple Music Festival ran for several Septembers at London's Roundhouse theatre, with bills that included Elton John, Alicia Keys and OneRepublic. Past festival performers also included Adele, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake, according to Apple. The new hall, described as Apple's first permanent venue by The Verge, gives that festival idea a year-round home.