Iconic South London music venue that saw Kate Bush's debut is getting a major spruce-up

An artist's rendition of the Half Moon pub in Putney.

(Image credit: Young's)

Bad news: Putney’s iconic The Half Moon has shut.

Good news: it's set to open up again in April with more than just a fresh coat of paint.

The pub-slash-venue has posted an artist’s rendition of the refreshed design on its Instagram page. And it includes an “additional terrace bar” on the first floor, with a spiral staircase leading up to it, and a retractable roof.

These plans were initially announced back in November 2025, with a warning that some of The Half Moon’s events would have to be cancelled or shifted to another date — what with the whole place closing down from January to at least the end of March.

A live music legend

If you’ve never been, The Half Moon is one of South London’s top casual spots for live comedy and music.

Rifle through its listings, which show events starting up again on April 2nd, and you’ll find a whole host of tribute bands planned for the rest of the year. But there are also original acts including Rosie Frater Taylor and Paul Young's Los Pacaminos coming up soon.

"While we’re modernising the space and adding extra room, we’ll remain true to our historic roots and continue to build on our reputation as a legendary grassroots venue,” says The Half Moon team.

Sunday 4th January was the last date the pub was open, the day after a performance from The Jam tribute act A Band Called Malice.

The new upstairs space will eventually be home to a weekly quiz, and will be available for private hire too.

The Half Moon has been Young’s pub since 2024 when the chain’s acquisition of the City Pub Group was completed.

It has been a live music venue since the 1960s. Among its claims to fame are that it was where Kate Bush gave her “first public performance,” according to the pub’s own history retelling — although there does seem to be a bit of a disagreement online about whether U2 actually played at the Half Moon in Herne Hill or Putney back in 1980.

Either way, this is one to add to your must-visit list when The Half Moon opens up again in April.

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Andrew Williams has written about all sorts of stuff for more than a decade — from tech and fitness to entertainment and fashion. He has written for a stack of magazines and websites including Wired, TrustedReviews, TechRadar and Stuff, enjoys going to gigs and painting in his spare time. He's also suspiciously good at poker.

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