The Eventim Apollo — still known to generations of music fans simply as the Hammersmith Apollo — is one of London’s most iconic live music venues. Located in Hammersmith, West London, it holds up to 5,300 people for part-standing concerts and 3,655 for fully reserved seated shows, ranking it among the largest indoor venues in the capital and a clear step up from a typical West End theatre.
Opened on 28 March 1932 as the Gaumont Palace cinema and designed by Robert Cromie in a sweeping Art Deco style, the building has hosted nearly a century of landmark performances. Today it is a Grade II* listed structure jointly operated by AEG Presents and Eventim UK — a venue where The Beatles played 38 shows across 21 nights and where Kate Bush staged her long-awaited return to the stage after nearly 35 years away.
Quick Answer: Eventim Apollo Capacity
The Eventim Apollo has a capacity of 5,300 for part-standing (open-floor) concerts and 3,655 for fully reserved seated events. The auditorium is split into two tiers — Stalls on the ground level and Circle above — and sits in Hammersmith, West London. It is the same venue as the Hammersmith Apollo and Hammersmith Odeon; the Eventim Apollo name has simply been in official use since 2013.
Eventim Apollo Capacity: Standing vs Seated Configurations
The venue’s total capacity shifts between two main configurations depending on the type of event. For concerts where the Stalls floor is left open as standing room, capacity reaches 5,300 — one of the highest figures of any indoor music venue in London. For shows requiring fully reserved seating throughout, including the Stalls, the venue accommodates 3,655.
The flexibility comes from the Stalls floor, where the seating is removable. Introduced in 2003, this system lets promoters choose between a standing configuration for high-energy gigs or a fully allocated seated arrangement for theatre productions, comedy shows, orchestral performances, and family events. Before 2003, the venue had a fixed seated capacity of around 3,487 and standing configurations simply weren’t offered — so today’s 5,300 standing figure is a relatively recent development in the building’s 90-plus-year history. The raised Circle tier remains fixed in a seated configuration for every event regardless of how the Stalls are set up. Within the standard seated layout there are also small designated standing areas: a zone directly in front of the stage at Stalls level and a rear standing section in the Circle holding roughly 178 people, for fans who prefer to stand even during otherwise seated shows.
How the Capacity Compares to Other London Venues
At 5,300, the Eventim Apollo sits well above a mid-size theatre but is still a fraction of London’s true arenas — OVO Arena Wembley holds around 12,500 and The O2 arena scales up to roughly 20,000. That gap is exactly why the Apollo occupies its own niche: it’s the venue promoters choose for acts and productions that have outgrown a 2,000-seat theatre but don’t need — or don’t want — arena scale. That mid-size sweet spot is a large part of why it has stayed one of the most sought-after bookings in London for both music and comedy.
Seating Plan: Stalls and Circle
The auditorium divides into two tiers. The Stalls occupy the ground floor and hold approximately 1,417 seats arranged across nine sections. Rows run from A at the front through to FF at the rear, with the widest rows containing up to 70 seats. Multiple aisles make movement easy, and step-free access into the Stalls is available from street level.
The Circle sits above and holds approximately 1,924 seats spread across eleven blocks. Rows A through F at the front of the central Circle blocks are widely regarded as among the best-value seats in the house — they deliver unobstructed views of the stage and are typically priced the same as rear Stalls rows, where sightlines are less clear. Reaching the Circle means climbing roughly 30 steps to the circle foyer, with further steps up to individual rows; there is no lift to the upper tier. Two dedicated wheelchair platforms in the rear corners of the Stalls accommodate up to eight wheelchair users plus one companion each, with step-free street access and unobstructed sightlines to the stage. An upgraded hearing loop covers the whole auditorium, and amplification headphones or neck loops are available for a refundable deposit at the venue.
Is Eventim Apollo the Same as Hammersmith Apollo? History and Name Changes
Yes — the Eventim Apollo, the Hammersmith Apollo, and the Hammersmith Odeon are all the same building. Robert Cromie’s Gaumont Palace opened on 28 March 1932 as a cinema seating around 3,500, distinguished by a Moorish-influenced Art Deco facade and an ornate, lavishly decorated auditorium. It operated as a cinema for three decades before transitioning to live music in 1962 under the name Hammersmith Odeon, a name that became synonymous with rock and roll for the next thirty years — this is the era, and the capacity, most fans mean when they search for the venue’s old name.
Since then the venue has been rebranded several times through commercial naming-rights deals: Hammersmith Odeon (1962–1993), Labatt’s Apollo (1993–2002), Carling Apollo (2002–2009), HMV Apollo (2009–2013), and Eventim Apollo (2013–present). Throughout all these changes, fans and the music industry have continued to call it simply the Hammersmith Apollo. The current era began in September 2013 following a £5 million renovation overseen by architect Foster Wilson, which restored the auditorium’s original Art Deco grandeur and upgraded the technical infrastructure for modern touring productions; the venue reopened on 7 September 2013 with a concert by Selena Gomez. Historic England first listed the building Grade II in 1990 and upgraded it to Grade II* in 2005, placing it among the most significant protected structures in England.
Landmark Performances That Define the Apollo
The Eventim Apollo has a performance history few venues in the world can match. The Beatles played 38 shows across 21 nights here during 1964 and 1965. David Bowie staged his farewell concert as Ziggy Stardust on 3 July 1973, a night captured on film by director D.A. Pennebaker in the documentary Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The venue also hosted the multi-night ‘Concerts for the People of Kampuchea’ benefit shows in December 1979, and Queen, Dire Straits, and Iron Maiden each recorded career-defining live albums within these walls.
The venue’s range has always extended beyond rock. Riverdance broke UK box-office records during its 1995 debut run, which stretched to 23 weeks. In 2014, Kate Bush staged her 22-date ‘Before the Dawn’ residency — her first live performances in nearly 35 years — to overwhelming critical and commercial acclaim. The building’s original 1932 Compton pipe organ, with a four-manual console and around 1,200 pipes, was fully restored to playing condition in 2007 and remains a working link back to its cinema-era opening.
Planning Your Visit: Tickets, Getting There & Accessibility
The venue is at 45 Queen Caroline Street, London W6 9QH, a short walk from Hammersmith station (District, Piccadilly, and Hammersmith & City lines), which is itself step-free and wheelchair accessible. Numerous bus routes stop nearby, and there is a drop-off point on Queen Caroline Street, but the venue has no on-site parking — Hammersmith & Fulham Council advises against parking in the surrounding residential streets, and the area participates in the Blue Badge scheme for accessible parking.
Only small bags (A4 size or smaller) are permitted inside; large bags, backpacks, and similar items aren’t allowed even in the cloakroom, and no bags at all are permitted in the Rear Circle Standing section. Access Card holders and guests with evidence of need can book a free companion ticket, and the venue works with the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower scheme and Attitude Is Everything. Tickets, exact seating maps, and up-to-date show times are all handled through the venue’s official ticket partner — see the official Eventim Apollo website for current listings, box office details, and full house rules before you book.
eventim apollo capacity FAQs
What is the capacity of the Eventim Apollo?
5,300 for part-standing concerts with the Stalls floor open, or 3,655 when the venue is fully seated. The split comes from removable seating in the Stalls, introduced in 2003.
Is the Eventim Apollo the same venue as the Hammersmith Apollo?
Yes. It’s the same building, renamed Eventim Apollo in September 2013 after a naming-rights deal with Eventim UK. Fans and the industry still widely call it the Hammersmith Apollo.
What was the capacity of the Hammersmith Odeon?
As the Hammersmith Odeon (1962–1993), the venue had a fixed seated capacity of around 3,487, with no standing configuration. The removable-seating system that enables today’s 5,300 standing capacity wasn’t introduced until 2003, a decade after the Odeon name was retired.
How many seats does the Circle have compared to the Stalls?
The Stalls hold approximately 1,417 seats across nine sections, and the Circle above holds approximately 1,924 seats across eleven blocks — for a combined fixed-seat total of around 3,341, before accounting for standing areas.
Is there parking at the Eventim Apollo?
No, the venue has no on-site car park. There’s a drop-off point on Queen Caroline Street, but the surrounding streets are residential with high car-theft rates, so driving isn’t recommended. Hammersmith tube station, a short walk away, is the easiest way to arrive.
Where do I buy tickets for the Eventim Apollo?
Tickets are sold through the venue’s official ticket partner, Eventim UK. Visit the official Eventim Apollo website for current show listings, seating views, and box office information.
Is the Eventim Apollo wheelchair accessible?
The Stalls level is fully step-free from the street, with two wheelchair platforms accommodating up to eight wheelchair users plus companions. There is no lift to the Circle, so upper-tier seating requires climbing stairs.
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