Karaoke in London for a Date: Private Rooms, Prices, Late Hours and Access

Why karaoke can work for a date

Karaoke gives a date something to do with its hands and its nerves. You pick songs, you laugh at the bad ones, and the conversation fills itself in between tracks. It also tells you quickly whether the two of you share a sense of humour, which is worth knowing early.

The private karaoke room, often called a karaoke box, is the format that suits a first or second date best. Wikipedia describes the karaoke box as originating in Japan and now popular worldwide, particularly in Asia. In practice it means a small, soundproofed room booked for a set time, with a screen, microphones and a song system, and usually drinks brought to the door. Nobody else hears you, which takes most of the pressure out of it.

Open karaoke, where you sing to a whole bar, is a different date. It suits people who already like performing, or a later date when you know each other well enough to cheer each other on. London's queer bars have run karaoke nights for years, but schedules change often, so the guide flags clearly which nights come from a venue's own page and which from a listing.

Lucky Voice: three London bars, priced per person

Lucky Voice lists three open London bars on its site. Soho is at 52 Poland Street, W1F 7NQ, with rooms for 2 to 15 guests; it opens Monday and Tuesday 5pm–1am, Wednesday to Friday 5pm–2am, Saturday 12pm–2.30am and Sunday 2pm–11pm. Holborn is at 84 Chancery Lane, WC2A 1DL, with rooms for 2 to 30; it is closed Monday and Sunday, and opens Tuesday and Wednesday 6pm–2am, Thursday and Friday 6pm–3am, and Saturday 12pm–3am. Liverpool Street is in Devonshire Square, EC2M 4YP, with rooms for 2 to 25, and opens every day, until 2.30am from Wednesday to Saturday. Islington and Waterloo appear on the site but are marked closed.

The site does not give a per-room or per-hour rate. It says rooms are from £12 per person, that standard sessions are usually two to three hours and priced per person, and that rooms carry minimum capacity charges that vary by day, which it asks you to check by emailing hello@luckyvoice.com. For a date of two, that minimum matters more than the headline price, so ask what the smallest room costs on the night you want before you commit.

Lucky Voice says all its venues are strictly 18+, apart from family sessions at set times. It recommends booking ahead, especially in the evening, and you can book online, by phone, by email or at reception. For standard bookings, it refunds the deposit if you cancel at least 72 hours ahead; later cancellations lose the full deposit. Its own blog describes the rooms as soundproofed, with in-room volume control, mood lighting, touch-screen or phone song selection and drinks delivered to the room.

On access, Lucky Voice is unusually direct: it says none of its three London venues currently has step-free access, and asks you to contact the venue or hello@luckyvoice.com before visiting to talk through specific needs.

• Lucky Voice Sohoprivate karaoke rooms

  52 Poland Street, Soho, W1F 7NQ

  Rooms for 2 to 15; from £12 per person according to the operator; open to 2am Wednesday to Friday and 2.30am on Saturday; strictly 18+ outside family sessions; not step-free.

• Lucky Voice Holbornprivate karaoke rooms

  84 Chancery Lane, Holborn, WC2A 1DL

  Rooms for 2 to 30; closed Sunday and Monday; open to 3am Thursday to Saturday; not step-free.

• Lucky Voice Liverpool Streetprivate karaoke rooms

  Devonshire Square, City, EC2M 4YP

  Rooms for 2 to 25; open seven days, to 2.30am Wednesday to Saturday; not step-free.

Karaoke Box: Soho and Mayfair, open until 3am at weekends

Karaoke Box runs two London sites. Soho, at 18 Frith Street, W1D 4RF, has eight private rooms and opens Monday 12pm–11pm, Tuesday and Wednesday 3pm–2am, Thursday and Friday 3pm–3am, Saturday 12pm–3am and Sunday 12pm–11pm. Mayfair, in the basement at 14 Maddox Street, W1S 1PQ, has ten private rooms and opens Monday 3pm–11.30pm, Tuesday 3pm–1.30am, Wednesday 3pm–1am, Thursday and Friday 3pm–3am, Saturday 12pm–3am and Sunday 3pm–11pm.

The site does not publish room prices or room sizes, so you will see the cost only in the booking flow. It says online bookings open up to three months ahead and are paid in full at booking, and that walk-ins are welcome when a room is free; you can also book by phone or WhatsApp. When checked, it was running an October early-session offer of 30% off the room charge, ending on 30 October 2026.

Under-18s are welcome during the day but must leave by 6pm, and both venues close on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Neither page states anything about step-free access. Mayfair's listed address is a basement, so if stairs are an issue, ask before you book.

• Karaoke Box Sohoprivate karaoke rooms

  18 Frith Street, Soho, W1D 4RF

  Eight private rooms; open to 3am Thursday to Saturday; full payment at booking; walk-ins when a room is free; prices and access not stated.

• Karaoke Box Mayfairprivate karaoke rooms

  Basement Level, 14 Maddox Street, Mayfair, W1S 1PQ

  Ten private rooms in a basement; open to 3am Thursday to Saturday; prices and access not stated.

Bunga 90 in Covent Garden: rooms, a bar stage and a bathroom

The old Bunga Bunga web address now redirects to Bunga 90, which lists one London venue at 167 Drury Lane, WC2B 5PG, a few minutes' walk from Covent Garden and Holborn stations. It offers three kinds of karaoke: themed private rooms you book online, karaoke on the bar for walk-ins or bookings, and what it calls bathroom karaoke, open to everyone.

That mix makes it one of the few places where a date can start in a private room and move to the open bar if the mood is right, or the other way round. It opens Monday 4pm–midnight, Tuesday to Thursday 4pm–1am, Friday 4pm–3am, Saturday 12pm–3am and Sunday 12pm–midnight, with last food orders at 10.30pm. Walk-ins are welcome subject to capacity, except on Saturdays before 4pm, and there is a waitlist if it is full.

The page does not give karaoke room prices, room sizes, an age policy or access information; the only prices on it are for brunch and a pre-theatre menu. Contact the venue by phone or email for those before you go.

• Bunga 90karaoke bar with private rooms

  167 Drury Lane, Covent Garden, WC2B 5PG

  Themed private rooms, bar karaoke and bathroom karaoke; open to 3am on Friday and Saturday; room prices, sizes and access not stated.

Two places that publish their prices: BAO City and Bloomsbury Lanes

BAO's New York Room in the City is the most date-sized room in this guide on paper. Its page lists a capacity of 2 to 12 people for a two-hour slot, with no room hire charge: instead you spend at least £35 per person on food and drink. For two people, that is a £70 minimum for two hours that you would largely spend on dinner and drinks anyway. The room page does not give the address or opening hours, so check the BAO City restaurant page when you book.

Bloomsbury Lanes, on Bedford Way, WC1H 9EU, is a bowling alley with five private karaoke rooms priced by the hour: £60 for 8–10 people, £70 for 10–12, £80 for 13–15, £100 for 16–20 and £120 for 21–30. Its FAQs give a one-hour minimum and say rooms are half price on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, excluding the festive period, with festive rates from 18 November. Even the smallest room is sized for a group, so on a quiet weekday at half price it can work for two, but at full price a per-person venue is likely to cost less.

Bloomsbury Lanes' terms say you can eat and drink in the rooms, late arrivals lose playtime, there are no refunds but you can reschedule with at least 72 hours' notice, and no outside food or drink is allowed. Under-18s must leave by 8pm from Sunday to Thursday and 7pm on Friday and Saturday. The pages checked do not mention opening hours or step-free access, so call reception.

• BAO City: New York Roomprivate karaoke room

  City of London

  2 to 12 people for two hours; no room hire; £35 per person minimum spend on food and drink. Address and hours not on the room page.

• Bloomsbury Lanesbowling alley with karaoke rooms

  Bedford Way, Bloomsbury, WC1H 9EU

  Five rooms from £60 an hour (8–10 people) to £120 (21–30); one-hour minimum; half price Sunday to Tuesday outside the festive period.

Open karaoke in queer bars: check the night before you go

Queer bar karaoke is the open-mic version: a host, a list, and a room full of strangers who are usually on your side. It is a good second or third date if you both enjoy an audience. The difficulty is verification. Bars change their weekly programmes often, and many publish them only on social media.

The White Swan at 556 Commercial Road, Limehouse, E14 7JD, near Limehouse DLR, is listed by The Gay Passport with karaoke on Thursdays, followed by disco on Fridays and a single-artist pop night on Saturdays, and Thursday hours of 5pm–3am. That listing was last updated in July 2025 and we could not reach an official site for the bar, so phone ahead before you plan a date around it.

Village, at 81 Wardour Street in Soho, describes itself as a safe and inclusive LGBTQIA+ space and opens until 3am on Thursday to Saturday. Its own site, when checked, did not mention a karaoke night, so treat any listing you see elsewhere as something to confirm. For a wider view of the bars themselves, see our guide to LGBTQ+ bars and clubs in Soho, Vauxhall and East London.

• The White SwanLGBTQ+ bar and club

  556 Commercial Road, Limehouse, E14 7JD

  Listed with Thursday karaoke in a third-party listing last updated July 2025; no official site found, so confirm by phone.

• VillageLGBTQ+ bar

  81 Wardour Street, Soho, W1D 6QD

  Open to 3am Thursday to Saturday; its own site did not list a karaoke night when checked.

Choosing by group size, time and budget

For two people, the per-person models are usually the fairer deal: Lucky Voice from £12 a head (subject to the room minimum), or BAO City's £35-a-head food and drink minimum. Hourly room pricing, as at Bloomsbury Lanes, is built around groups of eight or more, and makes most sense on its half-price days.

For a late finish, Lucky Voice Holborn and both Karaoke Box sites stay open until 3am on Thursday to Saturday, and Bunga 90 until 3am on Friday and Saturday. On a Sunday, Lucky Voice Soho closes at 11pm, Karaoke Box Soho and Mayfair at 11pm and Bunga 90 at midnight; Lucky Voice Holborn is closed. For getting home after a late one, see our guide to getting home safely in London after a date.

If you plan to bring friends along for a group date or a birthday, the bigger rooms are at Lucky Voice Holborn (up to 30), Lucky Voice Liverpool Street (up to 25) and Bloomsbury Lanes' largest room (21–30). Bunga 90 asks groups of 21 or more to contact the venue about a standing drinks area.

Before you go

• Ask about the room minimum, not just the headline price. Lucky Voice says minimum charges vary by day, and Karaoke Box shows prices only in its booking flow.
• Check cancellation terms before you pay. Lucky Voice refunds deposits only with 72 hours' notice; Bloomsbury Lanes reschedules with 72 hours' notice but does not refund; Karaoke Box takes full payment at booking and refunds, less a 10% admin fee, only with 72 hours' notice.
• If you need step-free access, contact the venue first. Lucky Voice says none of its London bars is step-free, Karaoke Box Mayfair is in a basement, and the other venues do not state access on the pages checked.
• Bring photo ID. Lucky Voice is strictly 18+ in the evening, and Karaoke Box and Bloomsbury Lanes both ask under-18s to leave by early evening.
• Confirm open karaoke nights on the day. Queer bar programmes change, and the White Swan's Thursday karaoke comes from a 2025 listing rather than the bar's own site.

Questions people ask

How much does a private karaoke room cost in London?

It depends on the pricing model. Lucky Voice says rooms are from £12 per person with minimum charges that vary by day. Bloomsbury Lanes lists £60 to £120 an hour depending on room size, half price Sunday to Tuesday outside the festive period. BAO City's New York Room has no room hire but a £35-per-person minimum spend for two hours. Karaoke Box and Bunga 90 do not publish room prices.

Which London karaoke bars stay open latest?

On the venues' own pages, Lucky Voice Holborn and both Karaoke Box sites in Soho and Mayfair open until 3am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Bunga 90 in Covent Garden opens until 3am on Friday and Saturday. Lucky Voice Soho and Liverpool Street run to 2.30am on Saturday.

Can two people book a karaoke room?

Yes at several places. Lucky Voice lists rooms from two guests at all three London bars, and BAO's New York Room takes 2 to 12 people. Bloomsbury Lanes' smallest room is listed for 8 to 10 people, so two people would pay the full hourly room rate.

Are London karaoke rooms wheelchair accessible?

Lucky Voice states that none of its three London venues currently has step-free access. Karaoke Box, Bunga 90 and Bloomsbury Lanes do not state access on the pages checked, and Karaoke Box Mayfair's address is a basement. Contact each venue before booking.

Is there queer karaoke in London?

Some LGBTQ+ bars run open karaoke nights, but schedules change. The Gay Passport lists Thursday karaoke at the White Swan in Limehouse, in a listing last updated July 2025. Village in Soho did not mention karaoke on its own site when checked. Confirm with the bar before you go.