PHOTOGRAPHY James Polley for Good Karma Club
In an industry obsessed with overnight success, Good Karma Club has always backed the slow burn. There’s something quite profound about watching an emerging artist step onto a tiny stage in a sticky-floored venue, playing to a room full of people who are there simply because they love music. As 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of Abbie McCarthy’s much-loved gig night, its influence on the UK’s grassroots scene feels clearer than ever.
Launched in 2016, Good Karma Club began with a simple idea: put emerging artists front and centre, and build a community around genuine music discovery; not algorithms, metrics or hype. What started as an intimate gig night has grown into a trusted platform for spotting talent early and supporting artists at the most crucial point in their journey. Some of those artists now headline festivals and top charts, but for many, their first truly meaningful moments on stage happened here.
Over the past decade, Good Karma Club has hosted early shows from the likes of Sam Fender, Olivia Dean, Paris Paloma, Jalen N’Gonda, Tom Grennan, Artemas and Pale Waves – often long before wider industry attention arrived. In today’s post-COVID, hyper-online landscape, independent artists rarely get the chance to perform in front of an audience that’s ready to listen, connect and believe. For working-class artists in particular, financial and systemic barriers, from rehearsal costs to touring expenses, can make those opportunities even harder to come by. Good Karma Club has always set out to break down those obstacles, offering space, support and an audience that genuinely shows up.
The club has hosted hundreds of sold-out shows across London, toured the UK three times, and appeared at festivals including Barn On The Farm, Live at Leeds and SXSW in the US. Its reputation as a tastemaker has seen established artists, including Alex Turner, Lewis Capaldi and Ellie Rowsell spotted in the crowd, drawn by the thrill of seeing what’s next. At the heart of it all is McCarthy’s belief that music scenes are built by people, rather than social media platforms.
Every big artist started in a small room – everyone needs those moments,” McCarthy says. “I’ve always loved the grassroots scene because it’s driven by people showing up for each other. Good Karma Club is as important and vital as ever because it creates space for new artists, real connections, and live moments you remember long after the show finishes.
That sense of community continues to set Good Karma Club apart in an era dominated by streaming numbers and viral clips. TikTok and Spotify might launch songs into the spotlight, but they can’t replace the experience of watching an artist command a room for the first time, or the loyalty that grows when fans witness a career being built from the ground up.
Artists feel it too. Speaking about the return of Future Karma, The Guest List highlights how vital these nights remain for new acts: “The grassroots scene is where everyone starts. For new artists, it’s hard to cut through the noise of Spotify and TikTok, so shows like Future Karma give us a chance to play for real music fans who want to see us succeed.”
To kick off its tenth year, Good Karma Club is doing what it does best: looking forward. Future Karma returns in early 2026 with seven shows across London, spotlighting the next generation of artists and reaffirming the club’s role as a launchpad for talent that might otherwise be overlooked. The line-up includes The Guest List, Aimée Fatale, Tooth and Brooki, alongside a host of equally exciting newcomers.
Ten years in, Good Karma Club still feels radical. It hasn’t lost its intimacy or its sense of purpose. Instead, it has grown alongside the artists and fans who have passed through its doors, staying rooted in the belief that live music, at its best, is about connection.
In an industry that moves at lightning speed, Good Karma Club is a reminder that some things don’t need reinventing. The tenth anniversary shows kick off on 27 January at The Lexington, running through to 12 February across some of London’s best independent venues, and showcasing a new wave of the country’s most exciting independent bands. With Independent Venue Week taking place from 26 January to 1 February, there’s no better time to support grassroots music – tickets are available now.
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