U9 Karaoke Bar to open in London’s West End

U9 Karaoke Bar, a new East Asian-inspired karaoke venue, will open in London’s West End on 12 September.

Located on Whitcomb Street near Leicester Square, the venue describes itself as the “city’s first high-end” karaoke and cocktail bar influenced by the KTV tradition popular in Japan, Korea and China.

The underground bar will feature nine private karaoke suites, including a VIP room for up to 40 guests. 

Each suite will have club-style lighting, concierge bottle service and in-room ordering. The site will also host a cocktail lounge with live DJs.

With a library of more than 450,000 songs spanning multiple genres and languages, U9 aims to cater both to seasoned karaoke fans and first-time visitors.

The food menu will include sushi, dim sum, temaki and Korean fried chicken. Drinks have been developed by bar manager Egidio Bizzotto, formerly of Disrepute and Hakkasan, with cocktails using ingredients such as Szechuan pepper, star anise and lemongrass.

The interiors have been designed with a minimalist, space-themed style, combining LED lighting and sleek materials to create what the operators describe as a “spacecraft meets speakeasy” aesthetic.

U9 Karaoke Bar, located at 47 Whitcomb Street, U9 Karaoke Bar will open Tuesday to Sunday, operating from 5pm until late on weekdays and until 3am on weekends. Cocktail prices will start at £18 and karaoke rooms will run on a minimum spend basis.

Chiara Artico, opening manager of U9 Karaoke Bar, said: “Karaoke has been a huge part of social life across East Asia for decades – it’s where people come together to laugh, unwind and connect. We felt it was time for London to experience that, but in a way that feels elevated and considered.”