London never seems to run out of unusual things to do. Just when you think you have experienced every possible type of concert, theatre show or immersive event, the buzzing city comes up with something completely different.
This week, I discovered In The Dark, a unique musical experience at St Bartholomew’s Church near Barbican, and I absolutely loved it. Imagine sitting inside a beautiful 12th-century church, putting on a sleeping mask, and spending 75 minutes surrounded by live music without ever seeing the musicians performing it.
The first thing to say is that In The Dark really is in the dark. Well, almost. Because the performances take place in historic buildings, there can be a small amount of natural light inside the venue. But when you arrive, you are given a sleeping mask which creates a complete blackout. I would definitely recommend using it. I swear I did not cheat, not a single peak.
There is something surprisingly liberating about not being able to see. Usually, when we attend a concert, our eyes are constantly busy: we watch the musicians, look at the stage, observe the audience, admire the lighting and perhaps, inevitably, check our phones. Here, all of that disappears. And that is precisely the point.
The venue, St Bartholomew’s Church, was definitively part of the experience. There is something rather special about experiencing contemporary, experimental music inside such an ancient London space that transports you almost 800 years back in time. But the church wasn’t chosen simply because it looks beautiful: the acoustics are also fantastic. The sound quality during the performance was amazing, and once the music started, I understood why this particular venue works so well for In The Dark: the architecture becomes part of the music.
Before the performance began, I wasn’t entirely sure what was going to be so special about a concert in darkness. The answer arrived almost immediately. The music wasn’t simply coming from one loudspeaker positioned somewhere in front of us. The sound was everywhere. There were live instruments strategically positioned around the space, and the musicians and singers were constantly moving. As a result, the music seemed to travel around us in a continuous, flowing stream. Sometimes a sound appeared to be in front of me. Then it seemed to move somewhere else. At other moments, I could hear music coming from different directions simultaneously.
It was completely different from sitting in an audience and watching a band perform on a stage. These were live vibrations, created by real instruments and voices positioned around us. Without being able to see where the sounds were coming from, my brain couldn’t quite predict what would happen next. The result was overwhelming.
The music performed by the hidden collective was arranged by Andrea Cockerton, who also performs on piano and harmonium. It crosses several musical worlds: ambient, Scandi, nu-folk and experimental music, with hints of electronic and classical sounds. But I think describing the genres only tells part of the story. The experience feels ethereal, profound, raw and cathartic. There is no flashy technology trying to impress you. No elaborate visual effects. No performers demanding your attention. Instead, the music slowly surrounds you. And because you cannot see, you listen differently.
For me, the whole experience became almost like a meditation. I found myself completely absorbed by the sound, the vibrations and the atmosphere of the church. For 75 minutes, there was nothing else to concentrate on.
No emails. No notifications. No visual distractions. Just music.
One of the cleverest aspects of In The Dark is that you don’t know who is performing. The collective of multi-instrumentalists and singers remains hidden from view throughout the concert. You can sense that they are nearby, but they don’t come into your personal space. This creates a lovely sense of mystery. You hear the voices and instruments, you sense the musicians moving around the church, but you don’t attach faces to the sounds.
Then, when the performance ends, something rather magical happens. We were told that the concert was over and could finally remove our sleeping masks. The lights came on. And there they were. The musicians and singers were right in front of us, smiling at the audience with friendly faces. After spending the whole performance imagining where the sounds were coming from, suddenly seeing the people who had created that incredible atmosphere was a wonderful ending. It felt like meeting the people behind a secret you had been sharing for 75 minutes.
The good news is that In The Dark is heading out on tour, with 2027 tour dates to be announced soon. If you get the chance to experience it when it comes to a venue near you, I really recommend going. It is a night out that is genuinely different from anything else and one you are likely to remember long after the lights come back on.
Follow In The Dark on Instagram and TikTok at @inthedark_live, and on Facebook at @inthedarkexperience for tour news and updates.
Hi, I’m Francesca! I live in central London and I’m rarely home — there’s always a gallery, gig, or show pulling me out the door. My real loves are music, art and theatre, but I’m just as happy exploring history, sport, or whatever’s newly opened and worth talking about. I’m on a constant search for London’s most enriching experiences, big and small, and I’m here to help you find them too.
