The DJs Behind KOKO Electronic: Who Plays Camden's Biggest Room
Last updated: 11 September 2026
The question I get about KOKO is almost never "what is the venue like" — it is "who is playing". KOKO Electronic has been running since 2022, and in that time it has turned a Camden theatre into one of the more reliable places in London to catch a name you would otherwise have to travel for. Here is how the programme works and who actually turns up on the bills.
What KOKO Electronic Actually Is
KOKO Electronic is the venue's own club-night strand, launched in 2022 when the building reopened after its restoration. It takes over Friday and Saturday nights with doors at 10pm, which is the only time the theatre operates as a late club rather than a live music venue. Everything else in the week is programmed separately, so when people say "KOKO on Saturday" they mean this.
The important structural point is that it is a booking-led programme rather than a residency. The bill changes every week and the guests are international, which is why the room attracts a crowd that has actually checked the line-up.
The Names on the 2026 Bills
The autumn 2026 calendar gives a fair sense of the range. Gordo and Fideles opened September, with Franky Rizardo selling out mid-month and RIVO, Lee Burridge and DESIREE following. October runs Green Velvet, Oscar Mbo, Swimming Paul, Hernan Cattaneo and Shanti Celeste, with the Halloween weekend split between Arodes and Ahmed Spins.
That is a deliberately broad spread. Green Velvet and Hernan Cattaneo are decades-deep headline bookings. Oscar Mbo and Ahmed Spins sit in the Afro house wave that has taken over a lot of London's bigger rooms. Shanti Celeste and Lee Burridge pull different crowds again. If you only look at one month you will get a misleading impression of what the club is.
Earlier seasons have brought through names including Louie Vega, Anané, Sébastien Léger and Roy Rosenfeld, and the venue's free-entry parties have featured guests such as Skream, Roger Sanchez, Dusky and Artwork.
The Range: House, Disco, Melodic and Afro House
KOKO Electronic does not commit to one sound. Across a season you will find deep house, techno, nu disco, melodic house and techno, and Afro house, often with a disco-leaning night sitting next to something considerably harder the following evening. There are also daytime formats — all-day raves and daytime disco sessions — that use the same room in a completely different mood.
For booking purposes this matters more than it sounds. Two Saturdays at KOKO can be genuinely different nights out. I always ask clients which DJ they are coming for rather than which venue, because that determines the crowd, the timing and how the room will feel.
Why the Room Matters for a DJ Set
A lot of large venues flatten a good set. KOKO does the opposite, because the crowd is stacked vertically around the booth rather than spread across a flat floor. The energy is concentrated, and from the balconies you get the whole room moving in front of you, which is a different and honestly better way to experience a headline set than standing three quarters of the way back in a shed.
It is also why the boxes go first on the bigger bills. If a name you care about is playing, the balcony positions tend to be gone well before the night.
How to Book for a Big Name
The practical advice is simple: the better the DJ, the earlier you need to move. Sold-out Friday and Saturday Electronic dates are routine, and tables and boxes go before general entry does. Minimum spends start from around £1,000 and shift with the night and the position you want.
If you are flexible on date, tell us the kind of sound you want rather than a specific name and we will point you at the right weekend. If you are locked to one DJ, come to us early and we will tell you honestly what is still available.
How a KOKO Electronic Night Actually Runs
Doors are 10pm, and the shape of the night is worth understanding before you plan around it. The room does not fill immediately — the first hour is warm-up, and if you arrive at 10pm you will be early in the best sense, with space at the barrier and no queue behind you. By midnight the floor is committed and the balconies are full.
Headline sets typically land in the back half of the night, which is the single most useful thing to know if you are building an evening around one DJ. Groups who eat in Camden first and roll in around 11.30pm tend to get the timing about right. Groups who plan a long dinner and arrive at 1am routinely miss half of what they came for.
Because the venue is also a live space, check whether a gig is running earlier the same evening. On those nights the club session starts after the show clears, and the atmosphere in the first hour is noticeably different — the room resets rather than building from empty.
The Heritage Behind the Bookings
It is easy to treat KOKO Electronic as a new venture, and technically it is — it launched in 2022. But it is programming inside a building that has hosted the Rolling Stones, the Sex Pistols, the Clash, Grace Jones, Madonna's first UK show and Amy Winehouse. That history is part of why serious artists take the booking. Playing KOKO means something to a DJ in a way that playing a generic large room does not, and it shows in the effort that goes into the sets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which nights does KOKO Electronic run?
Friday and Saturday, doors at 10pm. Midweek the venue mostly runs live music with 7pm doors.
Do KOKO Electronic nights sell out?
Regularly, particularly for headline bookings. Tables and balcony boxes usually go before general admission.
Can I book a table for a specific DJ?
Yes, and it is the right way to do it. Tell us the date and the act, and we will confirm what is available and what the minimum spend is for that night.
Do I need ID for a KOKO Electronic night?
Yes. For Friday and Saturday Electronic events it is no ID, no entry — passport, driving licence, foreign national ID or PASS card.
Know which KOKO night you want? Send us the date and the DJ and we will handle the table or the guestlist. message us on WhatsApp and we will take it from there.
Marco F.Nightlife Editor
London nightlife specialist and VIP concierge with over 5 years helping guests experience Mayfair's best clubs. Marco has personally visited every venue we cover and works directly with club management to secure the best tables and guestlist spots.