Spiritland, the King’s Cross listening bar, has opened a bar inside the Barbican Centre. It opened on Tuesday 20 October in the Lakeside Room on Level 2 and will stay until July 2027.
The bar holds 100 people and looks out over the Barbican’s lake and fountains. The Barbican says no ticket is needed.
Every day at 5pm an album is played in full. The Barbican and Spiritland say some weeks will be given over to a single artist, with names ranging from Bach to Beck and from Steve Reich to Suzanne Ciani.
The sound system
The music plays through a one-off system from Living Voice, built around a pair of its R252 loudspeakers.
“The Lakeside Room at the Barbican is a stunning space for us to go even deeper into the music we love,” said Paul Noble, who founded Spiritland with Sophie Uddin. The original bar at Coal Drops Yard is ten years old this year.
Beau Vigushin, the Barbican’s chief experience officer, said: “No ticket needed – just walk right in.”
Food and drink
Matt Cranston, formerly executive chef at Lardo Group, runs a European and Japanese-influenced bar menu, with brunch at weekends. The bar team has created seasonal signature cocktails for the site, alongside wine, beer and alcohol-free drinks.
The programme also includes talks, tastings and supper clubs.
The essentials
- What: Spiritland at the Barbican, a listening bar
- Where: Level 2, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS
- Opened: Tuesday 20 October 2026; open until July 2027
- Hours: Tuesday to Friday 4pm-11pm; Saturday 12pm-11pm; Sunday 12pm-7pm; closed Monday
- Album playback: a full album at 5pm every day
- Entry: no ticket needed; reservations through the Barbican page
- More information: Barbican: Spiritland Bar