Handel & Hendrix in London re-opens

Separated by a wall and 200 years, visit the newly restored Mayfair homes of two musicians who chose London and changed the face of music.

• A mixed reality audio-visual display about the writing of Messiah in the very room in which it was composed.

In 1968, Jimi Hendrix moved into an adjoining flat at number 23. Here, Hendrix entertained, inspired and collaborated with other icons of British 60s rock music. In 2016, Jimi Hendrix’s flat was brilliantly restored and opened to the public.

The Hendrix experience has been expanded and includes:

• For the first time, visitors can walk up and down the stairs to his flat.

Hallelujah! Handel’s London home has been fully restored with exhibitions shedding new light on the great composer and his next-door neighbour, rock legend Jimi Hendrix. Handel Hendrix House cares for and presents the homes of two of the greatest musicians ever to have lived in London.

George Frideric Handel lived at 25 Brook Street from 1723 until his death in 1759. It was here that Handel wrote and rehearsed his greatest works, including Messiah and its ever popular ‘Hallelujah chorus’ – perhaps the most famous piece of classical music ever written. His stirring anthem ‘Zadok the Priest’, was also written here and has accompanied the coronation of every British monarch since George II (for whom it was written in 1727), including HM King Charles III.

Handel Hendrix House has completed a £3million project to open all of Handel’s house to the public for the first time, with restorations including:

• The front façade of 25 Brook Street restored so visitors can finally enter Handel’s home through his front door.

• Historic rooms presented as they might have been in the 1740s.

• A new exhibition featuring a film exploring Hendrix’s legendary guitar technique and his influence on musicians with high quality sound supported by Bang & Olufsen

• Material uncovered via a national appeal for memories, images and stories of people’s encounters with Jimi Hendrix

A final exhibition looks at London’s vibrant cultural scene in the 18th century and 1960s, exploring why the capital was a magnet for both Handel and Hendrix, and how they shaped and changed the city they made their home. Tickets can be purchased in advance via handelhendrix.org and on the day at the museum.