Rich Mix
Rich Mix is a multi-arts venue at 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, on the border of Shoreditch and Bethnal Green. The building houses a three-screen cinema, an art gallery, a performance space, rehearsal rooms, and a bar. The performance space hosts live music, comedy, spoken word, and club nights with a capacity of around 200. Programming reflects the area's cultural diversity, featuring world music, grime, jazz, and experimental electronic alongside mainstream acts. Ticket prices range from GBP 5-20 depending on the event. The bar is open independently of events, serving drinks at GBP 5-7 for beer and GBP 8-12 for cocktails. The rooftop terrace opens in summer.
What to Expect
A multi-purpose arts venue where the evening's experience depends entirely on which event you attend. The performance space is intimate enough for close engagement with artists. The bar area is a calm alternative to the louder venues on Brick Lane and Shoreditch High Street.
Cultural and community-driven. Less about partying and more about experiencing something. The crowd is diverse, engaged, and appreciative of the programming.
Highly varied: world music, grime, jazz, experimental electronic, indie, hip-hop. Programming changes weekly.
Casual. The venue is community-focused and welcoming. No dress code whatsoever.
Culture seekers, live music fans interested in diverse genres, and anyone looking for a different kind of evening from the standard bar or club circuit.
Cards and contactless accepted. Cash also works.
Price Range
Event tickets GBP 5-20, pints GBP 5-7, cocktails GBP 8-12
GBP 5-20 ≈ USD 6-25 / EUR 6-23
Hours
Mon-Sun 10 AM to 11 PM. Event times vary. Bar opens at 5 PM on weekdays, noon on weekends.
Insider Tip
Check the program in advance as events span wildly different genres and audiences. The cinema screens independent and foreign-language films that the multiplexes skip. The rooftop terrace is a hidden gem in summer.
Full Review
Bethnal Green Road marks the transition from Shoreditch's bar scene into a more residential, multicultural neighborhood. Rich Mix sits at this boundary, and its programming reflects both worlds. On any given week, you might find a Bollywood film screening, a grime night, a jazz concert, and a spoken word event all sharing the same building.
The performance space is a black-box room that configures differently depending on the event. For standing gigs, capacity runs around 200. Seated events hold fewer but offer a more comfortable experience. The sound system is good for a venue this size, and the intimate scale means you're always close to the stage.
The bar area operates as a standalone space, and it's a worthwhile stop even without attending an event. It's quieter and more relaxed than the main Shoreditch strips, with reasonable prices and a crowd that includes local residents rather than just nightlife tourists.
Rich Mix's programming is its greatest strength and its biggest variable. Some nights are outstanding. Others are niche to the point of obscurity. Checking the calendar before visiting is necessary because the experience depends entirely on what's scheduled.
The cinema screens are worth mentioning. Three small screens show independent, foreign-language, and classic films that the Odeons and Cineworlds ignore. A film followed by a drink at the bar makes for a quieter but equally satisfying evening to the Shoreditch club circuit.
The Neighborhood
Rich Mix sits where Shoreditch meets Bethnal Green, on the main road leading east from Shoreditch High Street. Brick Lane is a 5-minute walk north. The Bethnal Green end of the road has good Vietnamese and Bangladeshi restaurants.
Getting There
Shoreditch High Street (Overground) is a 5-minute walk. Liverpool Street (Central, Elizabeth lines) is 10 minutes. Bethnal Green (Central line) is 8 minutes. Multiple bus routes run along Bethnal Green Road.
Address
35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6LA
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