Free Rock & Roll Tour of Soho

Schedule

Sun, 25 Apr, 2021 at 03:30 pm to Tue, 31 Mar, 2026 at 04:00 pm

UTC+01:00

Location

Golden Square | London, EN

Explore the heart of the old Red Light District and hear tales of debauchery and drunken misadventure through the ages.
About this Event

The tour begins from the middle of Golden Square, W1R 3AD

Google maps link - https://goo.gl/maps/uaPPF34BQKDmw7BaA

Look for the guide holding a red umbrella!
Soho has always been London’s bad influence and that’s exactly why it matters. This Rock ’n’ Roll Soho Walking Tour dives into the stories of sex, scandal, music, fashion, and rebellion that made this small neighbourhood one of the most influential cultural hotspots in the world.

For hundreds of years, Soho has been a magnet for outsiders: artists, musicians, radicals, lovers, and criminals. From the smoky taverns of the 18th century to the neon-lit streets of the 1960s, this is where London came to misbehave.

Discover how Soho became a crossroads of ideas and excess. Learn about Karl Marx’s secret meetings, the child prodigy Mozart, the notorious exploits of Casanova, and the devastating cholera epidemic that forced the city to confront its own filth and inequality.

Then the amplifiers were switched on.

The tour explores the golden age of Soho’s music scene, when tiny clubs and recording studios changed the sound of the world. Stand where The Beatles played historic shows, where Beatlemania erupted, and where managers, groupies, and journalists fuelled the chaos of the British Invasion.

We visit locations tied to The Rolling Stones, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, and other icons of rock history, uncovering tales of banned gigs, drug busts, trashed hotel rooms, and unforgettable performances. You’ll also walk through the remains of Soho’s red-light district, once a maze of peep shows, strip clubs, and underground venues that blurred the line between crime and culture.

A stroll down Carnaby Street reveals how fashion and music collided during Swinging London, transforming youth culture forever and exporting British style across the globe. From the birth of the miniskirt to mod fashion and counterculture, Soho led the charge.

This walking tour also traces Soho’s modern transformation — from dangerous no-go zone to global brand — while asking what has been lost along the way.

Tour highlights include:

  • London Palladium
  • Leicester Square
  • Carnaby Street
  • Liberty London
  • Beatles-related locations
  • Jimi Hendrix’s final gigs
  • The historic cholera outbreak
  • Soho’s former red-light district

Perfect for music fans, culture lovers, photographers, locals, and travellers, this tour reveals a Soho most visitors never see.

Book now and experience the sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll history that shaped modern London.

The tour operates on a ‘pay what you think it’s worth’ basis. There is no booking fee and no payment is required to join, so that it is accessible to every budget. However our guides are all freelancers who work for tips, so if you enjoy the tour, you are welcome to make a donation at the end. The value is up to you, whatever fits in with you budget and your levels of enjoyment.

We do not accept any groups larger than 6, or any educational groups or organisations. If you would like to book a private tour, please email us at [email protected]. If you have more than 6 people and have booked across multiple bookings, you will not be able to join the tour and will be turned away.

You can contact us on +447709703141 or email [email protected].

F or more information, visit www.londonwithalocal.com


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Where is it happening?

Golden Square, Golden Square, London, United Kingdom
Tickets

GBP 0.00

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