CROYDON MUSIC HERITAGE TRAIL
As part of This Is Croydon, the Mayor of London’s London Borough of Culture, we are celebrating Croydon's rich music history, heritage, musical past, present and future with the unveiling of a new Music City Mural, a walking tour of publicly nominated and voted artists and venues, and a programme concluding with the Music Heritage Trail exhibition coming January 2024.
Croydon's Music Heritage Trail Project is made possible thanks to generous funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Mayor of London with the support of the Museum of Croydon and Croydon Council.
The Mayor’s London Borough of Culture award brings Londoners together. It puts culture at the heart of local communities, where it belongs, illuminating the character and diversity of London’s boroughs and showing culture is for everyone. Launched in 2017, there have been two rounds of London Borough of Culture so far.
The programme for London Borough of Culture 2023, This Is Croydon, will be a celebration of everything Croydon has to offer – created, directed and presented by the people of the borough. From major events with internationally renowned artists performing alongside home-grown talent, to dozens of cultural activities from Croydon’s diverse creative communities, the programme will showcase the very best of Croydon to London and the world.
Listen here to Radio 365, King of the Road with Ian ‘Griff’ Griffiths as we talk Croydon’s Music Heritage and more!
Listen Here!
“Croydon’s rich musical heritage stretches across time, geography and genre”
THE TRAIL
Through the Central, Northern, and Explore Further Trails, you will experience a taste of Croydon across multiple genres and decades.
The Central Trail takes you through the heart of Central Croydon starting at The Queen's Gardens where you will see 'Croydon Symphony' the mural showcasing artists who made Croydon their home and inspiration. The Central Trail takes you from Fairfield Halls to The Star, now The Broad Green Tavern, where Jimi Hendrix once climbed through a back window to perform.
The Northern Trail explores the hometown of Stormzy and Nadia Rose while also visiting The BRIT School and the home of Avril Coleridge Taylor as well as famed recording studios that played a role in Indie, new-wave, reggae and more.
Explore further stretches across the borough to sites of festivals, the ballroom where Strictly Come Dancing originated, and more. From school grounds, parks, and the centre of Purley, this section of the trail will grow over the next year as we receive nominations.
Together, these trails highlight the ranges, diversity, expression, history, art, and passion that has made Croydon a music hub.
To view all the extended written content for the 25 highlighted venues, artists, and more, click here.
CLASSICAL MUSIC
PUNK
/ROCK
/INDIE
BASS
MUSIC
(Reggae/Grime/Dubstep/ Dancehall)
BLUES
/JAZZ
INDIAN
MUSIC
(Classical to Bollywood)
The Mayor of London's London Borough of Culture: About the Trail
Croydon's Music Heritage Trail Project is made possible thanks to generous funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Mayor of London with the support of the Museum of Croydon and Croydon Council. As part of This Is Croydon, the Mayor of London’s London Borough of Culture, we are celebrating Croydon's rich music history, heritage, present and future with the unveiling of a new Music City Mural, a walking tour of publicly nominated and voted artists and venues, and a programme concluding with the Music Heritage Trail exhibition coming January 2024.
Central Trail
This trail takes you through the heart of Central Croydon's Music Eras starting at The Queen's Gardens where you will see 'Croydon Symphony' the mural showcasing artists who made Croydon their home and inspiration. The Central Trail takes you from Fairfield Halls to The Star, now The Broad Green Tavern, where Jimi Hendrix once climbed through a back window to perform--Let's go!
Northern Trail
The Northern Trail includes The Brit School, Stanley Arts, and showcases the hometown of artists Stormzy and Nadia Rose. Walk from The Brit School to The Thornton Heath Library to learn about Grime, Rock, Indie, Reggae and more!
Learning Activities: Engage with the trail
The Museum of Croydon has produced a learning pack for schools to help bring Croydon’s music heritage to the classroom. It is suitable to use with pupils primarily at Key Stage Two but activities can also be adapted for Key Stage One. The pack includes warm-up activities, lesson plans and drop-down day options. It has been designed for the This is Croydon programme, but it can also be utilised by primary schools outside of the borough as well. You can find the pack in our leaning activities. Follow the link below to download the pack:
Music Heritage Trail School Learning Pack
A pack for secondary schools will be coming soon so watch this space!!
Explore Further
Explore further stretches across the borough to sites of festivals, the ballroom where Strictly Come Dancing originated, and more. From school grounds, parks, and the centre of Purley, this section of the trail will grow over the next year as we receive nominations from you!
Croydon Music Heritage Trail: Creating the Trail
This project was developed with the people of Croydon in mind. Therefore, we opened up our channels and accepted nominations for musicians, performing artists, venues, and other music heritage assets over a two-month period. The project set out to highlight 25, but we recognised how rich Croydon's Music Heritage is and therefore we chose to combine selected artists with venues they performed at to be more inclusive. Over 11,000 people engaged to nominate and vote. This list is just a taste of the great music stories there are in Croydon and this project will continue to add stories and sites to this map throughout 2023 based on community feedback. We welcome feedback and thank you for helping us creating this community content.
Over 4,000 votes went towards the top 25 artists and venues who have contributed to Croydon's Music Heritage, but we recognise that over 200 heritage sites, music organisations, performing artists, producers, and venues were nominated in the process. This is a collection showcasing artists from over a century spanning five genres including but not limited to: Bass, Classical, Indian Classical Music, Punk, and Blues and Jazz. Other sounds you will experience along the trail include Reggae, Dubstep, Rock, Grime, Folk, Indie and more. Listen to the sounds of Croydon!
DOWNLOAD THE APP
Go to the google play store or app store and search for Croydon Music Heritage Trail.
Click download and start exploring the sights and sounds of Croydon's Music Scene.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Croydon's Music Heritage Trail Walking Tours
Whether you’re a Londoner looking for something new, a teacher interested in attending a Music Heritage Trail walk to gather learning resources for your students, a parent planning a fun family day out, an overseas visitor seeking an interesting museums and heritage experience or a simply looking to meet others with similar interests, the Music Heritage Trail has a fantastic offer for you.
Starting at our brand new Mural by ATMA in Queen's Garden's, join us for a guided walking tour of our Music Heritage Trail led by a group of dedicated volunteers ready to take you on a storytelling adventure of Croydon's rich musical scene. These tours are made possible by a kind donation by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
There are currently no new dates for walking tours at the moment
