The Carnaby Area
The Carnaby area includes the surrounding streets, such as Newburgh Street, Kingly Street, and Kingly Court. The adjacent streets have many fashion stores, while Kingly Street to the west is more concentrated on food, bars, and entertainment. The Liberty department store is located on the north end of the street. If you need food or a drink, you can access Kingly Court, a courtyard with three floors of dining options. You shouldn’t miss the Spirit of Soho Mural in the middle of the 200-meter-long street.
History
Carnaby Street, located in London’s West End near Soho, is historically renowned as the epicentre of “Swinging London” in the 1960s. It rose to international prominence as a hub of cutting-edge fashion and youth culture, attracting designers, musicians, and style-conscious shoppers from around the world. Small independent boutiques, tailor shops, and fashion-forward retailers characterised the scene, cultivating trends that influenced global style and helped define the era’s creative ethos.
In addition to its fashion heritage, Carnaby Street became associated with the mod movement and was closely tied to the British music scene. Famous bands and pop icons like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Jimi Hendrix frequented the area, lending it further cultural cachet.
Stores
The Carnaby Quarter is a centre of fashion in London and has over 100 shops, with fashion and cosmetics stores being the most common. These include well-known brands such as Dr. Martens and Levi’s and unique independent stores. There is also a shop from the Rolling Stones, RS N. 9 Carnaby. You’ll find the Liberty department store on one end of Carnaby Street.
Food and Drinks
The area has many restaurants and bars. Some places for a quick bite are on the north end of the street. The Shakespeares Head pub in the corner of Foubert’s Place is very popular and a good place for a quick pint or pub food. For dining, Kingly Court is a covered courtyard with over twenty restaurants on three floors, with different types of food, such as sushi, Korean, Greek, and Peruvian food. Kingly Street, the next street from Carnaby, is lined with bars, some of which have live music.
Christmas Lights
Carnaby Street Christmas Lights is a big event every year, and many visitors come there to see this year’s design. The Christmas Lights are in partnership with a charity organisation, bringing important social topics to light. In 2024, the organisation was Global’s Make Some Noise.
