London, the world's number one student city
London has been officially named as the world's number one student city The rankings are based on a range of measures including the quality of universities, facilities for students, affordability, the "desirability" of the city for students, access to employers, the international nature of a city, levels of tolerance, pollution and safety.
London's rich cultural as well as academic experience is a draw for students from across the world. London's universities also rate highly on quality - "no city has a superior variety and quality of universities to London" - and the falling value of the pound after the EU referendum has improved their affordability for overseas students.
*QS Best Student Cities, a spin-off from the annual QS World University Rankings
An International hub of music and culture
When you’re starting a career in music, it’s indisputable that London is the place to be. As well as being one of the most exciting and vibrant cities in the world, London is at the heart of the global music industry. It’s constantly at the cutting edge of music, defining popular culture throughout the world and offering unparalleled opportunities to make the right connections.
ICMP’s London location is a real asset, as it means you’re in the best place to start off and thrive in your musical career. From the celebrated locations of Denmark Street, Soho and Camden to the up-and-coming hotspots of East London, you’ll have the opportunity to help create the future of London as a musical landmark and innovator.
A major international hub of popular music and culture, London is home to many of the top record labels such as Universal, Island Records, Sony, as well as world-famous music venues like the Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Arena, the O2, Abbey Road Studios, the Roundhouse, Shepherd's Bush Empire, Brixton Academy, and many other top London locations where ICMP students have had the opportunity to play and perform.
This means you’ll have unrivaled opportunities to play and perform on some of the world’s greatest stages, be seen by leading music industry executives and scouts, gain direct experience, and build that all-important network of contacts – a crucial element of commercial and critical success.
LONDON’S £1BILLION LIVE SCENE
London’s world-renowned live music scene continues to flourish. In 2017, London was named the busiest city in the world for live music, leaping ahead of both New York and Los Angeles.* Every night nearly 14,000 people attended a gig at one of the city’s grassroots venues. London’s live music scene generated over £1billion in 2016**, showing that it is truly the world’s biggest stage for performers, artists and music industry entrepreneurs.
* Data from Expedia
** UK Music’s 2017 ‘Wish You Were Here’ report
If you're looking to explore your creativity and start a music career there really is no better place to be located.
Some of our favourite London venues
The Camden Assembly
Ronnie Scott’s
The Roundhouse
The O2 Forum Kentish Town
Brixton Academy
ICMP alumna and bassist Julia Lamb has also performed at Brixton Academy as a session player for Tom Grennan – who became BBC Music Introducing’s Artist of the Year in 2018 – as well as KOKO (Camden) and the Royal Albert Hall (itself famous for concerts by the likes of Eric Clapton, Iggy Pop, the BBC Proms, David Gilmour, Bring Me The Horizon, Opeth, the Eurovision Song Contest, Phil Collins, Sting, Elton John, and Paul McCartney).