What Kind of Shows Does Phoenix Arts Club Host?

Updated

Phoenix Arts Club hosts nightly multi-line-up cabaret and variety shows spanning drag, musical theatre, burlesque, aerial performance, comedy, and more. The Soho venue describes its programme as one of London's most diverse, bringing new and emerging artists to the West End. If you want a single evening that mixes several performance styles rather than one genre, this format is the draw — and because the line-up changes nightly, the specific acts vary by date.

The show format

Shows are built as multi-line-up cabaret bills rather than a single headliner. That means one ticket typically covers several performers across different disciplines in the same night. The club says you "never know who might take to the stage," so the running order is part of the experience rather than something fixed.

Genres named by the venue include:

  • Drag
  • Musical theatre
  • Burlesque
  • Aerial
  • Comedy
  • Cabaret and variety more broadly

Where the shows sit in the venue's history

The club has been running for 35+ years and is known in the showbiz world as "that Soho bar." It describes itself as truly independent, created by entertainers for entertainers, and says it welcomes 100,000 cabaret lovers a year. Its programme is described by Secret London as "one of the most diverse in London."

After the show

The venue shifts into "Post Show" mode as a late-night cocktail bar and hangout, open 9pm 'til late for showtunes singalong. It draws West End theatre workers, actors, writers, painters, and film-makers through its art deco doors — so the crowd after the curtain is part of the appeal for some visitors.

Practical points for deciding

  • Booking: Advanced booking is essential.
  • Access: Non-members can buy a ticket to a show and receive temporary membership for the night.
  • Prices: The club states prices start from just £15, with yearly membership starting at £150. All money raised is reinvested back into the Club.
  • Timing: Shows are nightly; the bar runs from 9pm until late.

If your interest is a specific genre — say, only burlesque or only musical theatre — check the line-up for your chosen date before booking, since the bill is mixed and changes nightly. If you're happy to see a range of acts in one sitting, the multi-line-up format is exactly the point.