APPLE has been secretly building a hi-tech live music venue in the heart of London – and I’ve already had a look.

Dubbed Apple Music Hall, the “state-of-the-art” gig spot was quietly constructed just out of public view at the capital’s Battersea Power Station, and is now officially open.

An empty music hall event space with a stage, tiered seating, and balconies.
Apple Music Hall is a brand new concert hall and is officially open for business Credit: Apple
The exterior of Apple Music Hall.
The new gig venue is tucked inside London’s Battersea Power Station Credit: Apple

The iconic building was already home to Apple’s UK headquarters, but now features a 600-capacity concert space with panoramic views of the River Thames.

And there’s even a dedicated afterparty room with a huge window that faces into the Battersea shopping centre, where fans may be able to catch a sneak peek of artists who choose to pull back the curtain.

Apple invited me to take a look at the hot new venue before construction completed – revealing an intimate space where some of the world’s top artists are expected to perform.

The visit was so secretive that I was ushered in through back corridors, and I was explicitly forbidden from taking any pictures.

But I did get to comb every inch of the mammoth venue, which I could hardly believe was almost hiding in plain sight.

Regular guests will enter via the Battersea Power Station shopping centre, ascending into the space through a pair of lifts.

You’ll be able to head straight into the venue, or peek left at a VIP area – both of which are backed by a terrace that overlooks the Thames.

And once you enter the venue, you can peek through an enormous glass window behind the seating to look out over that terrace to catch a glimpse of the river.

It’s rare to see any natural light in a music venue like this, never mind one of the world’s most famous rivers.

“Apple’s deep love for music dates all the way back to the very beginning,” said Oliver Schusser, VP of Apple Music.

Interior of the Apple Music Hall event space.
The concert hall features acoustic arches, with a capacity of 600 and a panoramic glass window at the back Credit: Apple
The foyer of Apple Music Hall with a large screen displaying the Apple Music logo, a smaller screen above a doorway leading to a hallway, and red couches with a coffee table on a red rug.
Apple will use its gig venue to livestream concerts to music fans globally Credit: Apple

“From the launch of the iPod to the long-running iTunes Music Festival to the debut of Apple Music.

“Today, with the opening of Apple Music Hall, we are once again taking an unprecedented step further in our commitment to artists and fans.

“By supporting live music in ways only Apple can do.”

One of the big sells for the venue is its “spatial” sound system, which surrounds the audience with speakers to deliver audio from all angles.

Apple AirPods owners might already be familiar with “Spatial Audio”, but fitting out a room with the system is a much more expensive affair.

And Apple has gone all-out, stuffing the space with a staggering 48 speakers that will blast guests with music from almost every direction.

Even the seats at the very back are just a stone’s throw from the 38-foot-wide stage.

But the cosy venue is equipped with everything a top musician or band would need for an arena tour.

Interior of the Apple Music Hall foyer with a red velvet sofa, lounge chairs, a wooden coffee table on a round red rug, and a modern staircase leading to an upper level.
Visitors will enter through the Battersea Power Station shopping centre, ascending in a pair of lifts Credit: Apple
A long, dark corridor with framed photographs of musical artists on the left wall and a long orange bench under windows on the right.
Apple’s gig venue is hiding in plain sight, with shoppers unaware that it was being secretly constructed Credit: Apple

And more, because the speaker set-up allows the artist to perform with unique Spatial Audio.

The Apple Music Hall also allows the artist to walk away with a full Spatial Audio recording, multi-camera videos, and a broadcast-ready mix.

And Apple says that performances at the very will be live-streamed globally, so if you can’t make it down, you can still watch the “one-time-only shows”.

“We care deeply about music, the artists who make it, and their life stories,” said Apple Music 1 anchor Zane Lowe.

“We’re always looking for new opportunities to connect the artists and the fans because we are fans.

“What better way to celebrate this relationship than a new music venue where we get to experience amazing music in an amazing space and share it with the world?

“Great music and memories will be made at Apple Music Hall.”

As well as the music venue itself, Apple has built a load of infrastructure to support it.

A green room with wood paneled walls and vanity, two hanging pendant lights, and a blue chair.
Musicians will have their own dressing rooms inside the venue Credit: Apple
A luxurious living room with a red sofa, armchairs, coffee tables, and a framed painting of Billie Eilish.
The headline act will have an enormous apartment-style space to relax and work in Credit: Apple

That includes radio studios where Apple Music Radio can blast out its broadcasts from Battersea.

“This is a huge vote of confidence in the UK as a global creative powerhouse,” said culture secretary Lisa Nandy.

“When a company of Apple’s scale backs British music and talent, it’s a signal of just how strong our creative sectors really are.

“Our industrial strategy is all about making Britain one of the best places in the world to invest, and the creative industries are a key part of that.

“These sectors are not only a source of immense national pride, but they also deliver real economic value for the country.”

I even got to tour the hospitality areas where artists and their teams will be able to relax.

The headliner’s suite was like a very posh apartment crossed with an Apple Store, and I’d gladly have spent a few nights there.

Sadly I suspect I’ll never go back in one of those rooms – I reckon it’s a bit late for a music career now – but it was a treat to peer behind the curtain.

A modern lounge with red brick walls, red couches, and a large dining table.
There’s a special entertaining room for celeb afterparties – and it has a panoramic window facing down into the shopping centre Credit: Apple
A spacious Apple store with light wooden walls and tables, with multiple customers and employees interacting.
Apple already operates an Apple Store at Battersea Power Station – as well as a vast UK HQ Credit: Apple

And speaking of curtains, celebs will be able to peer out from behind a very public one right above the Nando’s inside Battersea shopping centre.

So if you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of a star, it’s worth standing around there and looking up at the broad window sweeping across the monolithic power station wall.

You might just see someone very famous waving down at you if you’re lucky.