Southbank Centre
Nearby
Email to a friend
London's hub of cultural arts, The Southbank Centre announced in March 2013 that it's set for a £100 million revamp that will see the 1960s design finally move into the 21st century with a proposal that includes a floating glass pavilion, two more roof gardens, a space for riverside arts and a large pedestrian area. Currently, the centre is a classic example of brutal 60s concrete architecture. Everyone has an opinion (usually negative) on its distinctive design - famous detractors include Prince Charles, who once described it as looking like a "nuclear power station". Yet, if the The West End is the centre of popular culture in London, it is the Southbank Centre that is the centre of true excellence in the arts. Comprising the Royal Festival Hall and the Hayward Gallery, the complex consistently produces classical and world music events and fine art exhibitions of high renown. Over 150,000 hours of music have been performed at the Royal Festival Hall - the largest venue in the Southbank Centre - since its completion in 1951. Welcoming over three million visitors a year, the Royal Festival Hall is primarily a classical music venue. It benefits from the residency of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonia and four associate ensembles. The programme also includes events from opera to the London Jazz Festival. The Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Purcell Room host regular recitals, dance performances and choral concerts. Free lunchtime concerts held in the foyer offer a more relaxed musical experience. The Hayward Gallery has been the originator or host of influential exhibitions since 1968. The colossal Poetry Library houses the Arts Council modern collection, while the BFI Southbank (previously the National Film Theatre) shows 2,000 films (art house and classics) a year alongside many film festivals and director-led seasons. A happy architectural accident has also made this complex the best spot for skateboarding and BMXing in the capital, meaning it is loved by London's counter-culture as much as by its highbrow elite. In the last ten years, the building of Tate Modern and the London Eye adjacent to the centre has been the final step in making the South Bank of the Thames into the beating heart of a thousand years of British culture.
Southbank Centre events
Imagine Children's FestivalImagine Children's FestivalKeeping kids entertained over the February half-term, the Imagine Children's Festival delivers 12 days of family fun for 0-12 year olds. Head to the Southbank Centre for a fun sing-along screening of We're Going on a Bear Hunt with a live soundtrack from the City of London Sinfonia, theatrical pirate adventure with Captain Flinn: The Magic Cutlass 2019-02-17T00:00:00+00002019-02-24T00:00:00+0000
Where:
event > Kids Events
PRICING Various, some Free
DATES 13th to 24th February 2019
Keeping kids entertained over the February half-term, the Imagine Children's Festival delivers 12 days of family fun for 0-12 year olds. Head to the Southbank Centre for a fun sing-along screening of We're Going on a Bear Hunt with a live soundtrack from the City of London Sinfonia, theatrical pirate adventure with Captain Flinn: The Magic Cutlass ... More about this event
diane arbus: in the beginningdiane arbus: in the beginningClose to 100 photographs on view at the Hayward Gallery's Upper Galleries offer an in-depth look at the formative first half of Diane Arbus' career. The early years, from 1956 to 1962, were when the American master developed the direct, psychologically acute style for which she later became so widely celebrated. This solo show includes some fifty p2019-02-17T00:00:00+00002019-05-06T00:00:00+0100
Where:
event > Exhibitions > Art exhibitions - Multimedia
PRICING £15.50 / £12.50 (includes entry to lower galleries Kader Attia: The Museum of Emotion)
DATES 13th February to 6th May 2019
VENUE The Hayward Gallery
Close to 100 photographs on view at the Hayward Gallery's Upper Galleries offer an in-depth look at the formative first half of Diane Arbus' career. The early years, from 1956 to 1962, were when the American master developed the direct, psychologically acute style for which she later became so widely celebrated. This solo show includes some fifty p... More about this event
Kader Attia: The Museum of EmotionKader Attia: The Museum of EmotionAddressing issues of colonialism, domination and politics, leading international artist Kader Attia explores the ways in which Western societies represent and engage with non-Western cultures. The Hayward Gallery gathers his multimedia works created over the past two decades for The Museum of Emotion. Attia, who was born in 1970 in France, grew up 2019-02-17T00:00:00+00002019-05-06T00:00:00+0100
Where:
event > Exhibitions > Art exhibitions - Multimedia
PRICING £15.50 / £12.50 (includes entry to upper galleries diane arbus: in the beginning)
DATES 13th February to 6th May 2019
VENUE The Hayward Gallery
Addressing issues of colonialism, domination and politics, leading international artist Kader Attia explores the ways in which Western societies represent and engage with non-Western cultures. The Hayward Gallery gathers his multimedia works created over the past two decades for The Museum of Emotion. Attia, who was born in 1970 in France, grew up ... More about this event
event > Concerts > Classical
PRICING £9, child £6.75
DATES Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th February 2019 at 10am, 11am, 12.30pm and 1.30pm
An immersive storytelling concert featuring new chamber arrangements of Schumann's music and an original story from Kate Wakeling a critically acclaimed poet who is Aurora Orchestra's writer-in-residence.
event > Music
PRICING £30-£40
DATES Tuesday 19th February 2019 - 7.30pm
The Brittany-born composer and musician presents a set of his original experimental sounds and film scores.
event > Concerts > Classical | PRICING Free
DATES Thursday 21st February 2019 - 6pm
The musicians perform Bach's Contrapunctus 1, Canon Per Augmentationem In Contrario Motu From The Art Of Fugue, Chorale, Aus Meines Herzens Grunde, Chorale-Prelude and Es Ist Das Heil Uns Kommen Her, Stravinsky's Concertino For String Quartet and Piazzolla's Suite Punta Del Este.
Southbank Centre images
Southbank Centre
LondonTown.com - Southbank Centre Location Map
Underground Stations
Railway Stations
Further articles featuring Southbank Centre on LondonTown.com
Plan the perfect year in the capital with our pick of the best events in London 2019. From January to December, every month boasts an impressive line-up of entertainment. So take a look at our guide and be sure not to miss a thing.
Booking multiple rooms?
Visit our group bookings page or call 020 7437 4370 for assistance
Room 1
London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel from £107 25% off
1 Addington Street, SE1 | 6 minutes from Southbank Centre
Close to Waterloo, the 4 star Park Plaza is - as the name suggests - just behind County Hall. Near to the Thames, it's also convenient ... More
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel from £146 37% off
2 Whitehall Court, SW1A | 6 minutes from Southbank Centre
Emulating the style of a French chateau, this grand Victorian residence, built in 1884, occupies a prime location within Westminster. It's worth staying at the Grade ... More
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel from £325 36% off
Whitehall Place, SW1A | 6 minutes from Southbank Centre
With 294 bedrooms, multi-level penthouse suites and terraces offering spectacular views of the River Thames, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall - the £300 million restoration of the ... More
London > Entertainment > Arts Centres
Arches 228-232 Station Approach Road, SE1 | 5 minutes from Southbank Centre
In the midst of Leeke Street tunnel, one of the biggest graffiti canvases in London, and opposite The Vaults you'll find House of Vans, ... More
London > Entertainment > Arts Centres
Strand, Covent Garden, London WC2R | 7 minutes from Southbank Centre
Somerset House, once the site of a spectacular Tudor palace, now includes a magnificent 18th century art gallery housing celebrated collections belonging to the Courtauld Institute ... More
London > Entertainment > Arts Centres
44 Lambeth High Street, Albert Embankment, SE1 | 17 minutes from Southbank Centre
Once the fire engine workshops of the London Fire Brigade, The Workshop on Albert Embankment in Lambeth is opening its doors once again, as a temporary ... More
London > Entertainment > Classical Music
Belvedere Road, South Bank, London SE1 | Same location as Southbank Centre
Housed in the same modernist block as the Royal Festival Hall and sandwiched between it and the Hayward Gallery, the Purcell Room has a 372-seat auditorium, ... More
London > Entertainment > Live Music
Belvedere Road, South Bank, London SE1 | Same location as Southbank Centre
Located by the River Thames, with sweeping views of the capital from the London Eye to St Paul's Cathedral, the Southbank Centre is a unique metropolitan ... More
London > Entertainment > Theatres
Jubilee Gardens, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London SE1 | Same location as Southbank Centre
Each summer, from May to September, a Speigeltent (from the Dutch for 'mirror tent') is set up in the shadow of the Southbank Centre, to host ... More
London > Events > Theatre Dates: 14th February to 26th March 2019
Southbank Centre, South Bank, SE1 | 2 minutes from Southbank Centre
After a sold-out run, Follies, winner of the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival in 2018, returns to the National Theatre in 2019. Joanna Riding takes ...More
London > Events > Theatre Dates: 15th and 17th February 2019 at 6.25pm & 16th February 2019 at 3.25pm and 6.25pm
Southbank Centre, 10 Leake Street, SE1 | 5 minutes from Southbank Centre
Chris White directs Hayley Wareham's reflection on the human impact of refuge closures and funding cuts to women's services....More
London > Events > Theatre Dates: 21st March to 15th June 2019
Southbank Centre, Northumberland Avenue, WC2N | 6 minutes from Southbank Centre
Proud father Tevye struggles to maintain his family's Jewish traditions in turn of the 20th century Imperial Russia in the West End transfer of Menier Chocolate ...More
Sights and Attractions near Southbank Centre
London > Attractions > Museums
Level 5, Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London SE1 | Same location as Southbank Centre
The most comprehensive and accessible collection of poetry from 1914 in Britain, The Poetry Library within the Southbank Centre contains 90,000 items and is still growing. ... More
London > Attractions >
South Bank, London SE1 | Same location as Southbank Centre
This stretch along the Thames is one of the cultural and social hubs of London with the Southbank Centre - which includes Royal Festival Hall, Queen ... More
London > Attractions > Art Galleries
Belvedere Road, South Bank, London SE1 | 1 minute from Southbank Centre
The Hayward Gallery has been the originator or host of influential exhibitions since 1968. It mounts temporary exhibitions of contemporary and historical art. The gallery, named ... More
London > Shopping > Books
Riverside, Level 1, Royal Festival Hall, South Bank Centre, South Bank, London SE1 | Same location as Southbank Centre
The family-run Foyles book shop has been in the book selling business since 1906. Around 30,000 books are stocked at this branch on a broad range ... More
London > Shopping > Delicatessens
22 Cornwall Road, South Bank, London SE1 | 6 minutes from Southbank Centre
Konditor & Cook specialise in the creation of amazingly tasty cakes which are also sold on to some of the finest restaurants in the city. This, ... More
London > Shopping > Markets
Lower Marsh, South Bank, London SE1 | 7 minutes from Southbank Centre
On weekdays a street food market runs along Lower Marsh displaying a diverse range of global food for all tastes, from Italian ... More
Restaurants near Southbank Centre
London > Restaurants > Cafes and Delis
South Bank Centre, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London SE1 | Same location as Southbank Centre
Food to go in its simplest form. Freeshly baked bread for hand-made made sandwhiches; home made soups; simple salads. Another high street option for fresh. fast ... More
London > Restaurants > Italian restaurants
Unit 6, Royal Festival Hall Riverside, South Bank, London SE1 | Same location as Southbank Centre
Strada has started something of a pizza revolution. The chain has blossomed thanks largely to its focus on fresh, high quality ingredients, and efficient, friendly service. ... More
London > Restaurants > International restaurants
Unit 1, Royal Festival Hall Riverside, South Bank, London SE1 | Same location as Southbank Centre
If you happen to be with the kids on the South Bank this summer this is a great little eatery in which to recharge their batteries. ... More
London > Education > Arts and Drama
Somerset House, Covent Garden, London WC2R | 7 minutes from Southbank Centre
The Courtauld is one of the most prestigious art schools in the country, affiliated with the Oxbridge system and boasting a huge private location and prime ... More
London > Education > Universities and Colleges
1 Sheffield Street, Holborn, London WC2A | 12 minutes from Southbank Centre
The award-winning Saw Swee Hock Student Centre, designed by Irish architects O'Donnell + Tuomey and awarded the RIBA London Building of the Year Award in 2014, ... More
London > Education > Universities and Colleges
24 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, WC2H | 13 minutes from Southbank Centre
The London Film School is the oldest-established international school of film technique in the world. The school has contributed significantly to ... More
Leisure near Southbank Centre
London > Leisure > Health and Beauty
Westminster Bridge Road, South Bank, London SE1 | 4 minutes from Southbank Centre
Fancy detoxing in the building where the Greater London Council used to run the city? The Spa at the London Marriott County ... More
London > Leisure > Parks and Gardens
3 Belvedere Road, South Bank, South Bank, London SE1 | 4 minutes from Southbank Centre
The concrete promenade along the South Bank greatly benefits from this large patch of green grass for striders, strollers and sightseers to relax on. Not ... More
London > Leisure > Parks and Gardens
Upper Ground, South Bank, South Bank, London SE1 | 6 minutes from Southbank Centre
Located between Oxo Tower Wharf and Gabriel's Wharf, Bernie Spain Gardens is a pleasant green space to stop off on a riverside walk along the South ... More
London > Nightlife > Pubs
25 Roupell Street, South Bank, London SE1 | 6 minutes from Southbank Centre
A short walk from the South Bank Centre, The Old Vic and The National Theatre this traditional old watering hole is a good place to have ... More
London > Nightlife > Pubs
10 Northumberland Street, Covent Garden, London WC2N | 7 minutes from Southbank Centre
Thirsty Sherlock Holmes fans look no further than this homage to the great detective himself and to original Victorian pubs. While you indulge in a soothing ... More
London > Nightlife > Pubs
62 Stamford Street, South Bank, London SE1 | 8 minutes from Southbank Centre
If you're the kind of drinker who gets thirsty, very thirsty, and you don't have the time or patience to queue for at a very busy ... More
Nightlife near Southbank Centre
London > Nightlife > Bars
Belvedere Road, South Bank, London SE1 | Same location as Southbank Centre
Designed by the Eden Project, the Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden is the place to be on a summer's evening for stunning sundown views over the ... More
London > Nightlife > Bars
Corinthia Hotel London, Whitehall Place, Westminster, London SW1A | 6 minutes from Southbank Centre
The cocktails in the Bassoon Bar are very good, expensive, yes, but very, very good. Not only that but the bar has a piano which is ... More
London > Nightlife > Wine Bars
47 Villiers Street, Covent Garden, London WC2N | 6 minutes from Southbank Centre
Home to Samuel Pepys in the 1680s, the building housing Gordon’s is now home to a regular, thriving crowd of drinkers of all ages and all ... More
Meeting venue hire near Southbank Centre
London > Business > Venue Hire
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London SE1 | Same location as Southbank Centre
The Royal Festival Hall's refurbishment has done away with 'The People's Palace', the marvellously 1950s restaurant that used to occupy this space, and replaced it with ... More
London > Business > Venue Hire
Belvedere Road, South Bank, London SE1 | Same location as Southbank Centre
Located by the River Thames, with sweeping views of the capital from the London Eye to St Paul's Cathedral, the Southbank Centre is a unique metropolitan ... More
London > Business > Venue Hire
South Bank, South Bank, London SE1 | 3 minutes from Southbank Centre
The Deck is a modern roof-top venue with stunning views over the Thames, available for hire at the National Theatre, part of the Southbank Centre which ... More
Also in Belvedere Road
Our recommendations in the same street as Southbank Centre
|
Hotels Near Southbank Centre What's On Today Near Southbank Centre  Kader Attia: The Museum of Emotion Exhibitions | Until 6th May 2019 The Hayward Gallery 1 minute walk from Southbank Centre Addressing issues of colonialism, domination and politics, leading international artist Kader Attia explores the ways in which Western societies represent ...More  diane arbus: in the beginning Exhibitions | Until 6th May 2019 The Hayward Gallery 1 minute walk from Southbank Centre Close to 100 photographs on view at the Hayward Gallery's Upper Galleries offer an in-depth look at the formative first ...More  Follies Theatre | Until 26th March 2019 National Theatre: Olivier Theatre 2 minutes walk from Southbank Centre After a sold-out run, Follies, winner of the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival in 2018, returns to the National ...More  Tartuffe Theatre | Until 30th April 2019 National Theatre: Lyttelton Theatre 3 minutes walk from Southbank Centre Director Blanche McIntyre and writer John Donnelly present a new take on Moliere's comic masterpiece, Tartuffe, at the National Theatre. ...More  The Winter's Tale Kids Events | Until 21st February 2019 National Theatre: Dorfman Theatre 3 minutes walk from Southbank Centre After a successful run in 2017, Justin Audibert's child-friendly version of The Winter's Tale returns to the National Theatre this ...More  When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other Theatre | Until 2nd March 2019 National Theatre 3 minutes walk from Southbank Centre Cate Blanchett makes her debut at the National Theatre in January 2019 starring in the world premiere of Martin Crimp's ...More  Valentine's Day Onboard Glass Room Seasonal | Until 24th February 2019 Glass Room 4 minutes walk from Southbank Centre Set sail on a romantic river dinner date in a Tom Dixon designed dining room this Valentine's, taking in the ...More  Rainforest Adventure: SEA LIFE London Exhibitions | Until 24th March 2019 Sea Life London Aquarium 4 minutes walk from Southbank Centre Opening to the public on 24th March 2018, just in time for the Easter holidays, Rainforest Adventure brings the UK's ...More  Witness For The Prosecution Theatre | Until 1st September 2019 The Debating Chamber, County Hall 4 minutes walk from Southbank Centre Set the Debating Chamber of London's County Hall - a room which resembles a courtroom in every way - Lucy ...More FemFringe Comedy | Until 17th February 2019 The Vaults 5 minutes walk from Southbank Centre Two nights of comedy and theatre performances with female talent....More New on LondonTown  Queen's Yard Summer Party Foodie Events | From 4th May Expanding to a two-day event in 2019, the Queen's Yard Summer Party sees 20 venues ...More The Phlebotomist Theatre | From 19th March Following a sold out run Downstairs in 2018, director Sam Yates revives Ella Road's provocative drama about a dystopian future on the theatre's main stage. The "terrific" (The Guardian) Jade Anouka plays Bea, who falls ...More  Vapiano Centre Point Dining Located within the Centre Point development, Vapiano is a pasta place where you top up ...More  Alys, Always Theatre | From 25th February Joanne Froggatt, who played Anna in Downton Abbey, takes on the lead role of Frances ...More A Midsummer Night's Dream Theatre | From 3rd June Reuniting the creative team who presented Julius Caesar at the Bridge in 2018, an immersive production of A Midsummer Night's Dream comes to the Tower Bridge theatre in summer 2019. Nicholas Hytner directs Shakespeare's comedy ...More  A German Life Theatre | From 6th April Dame Maggie Smith returns to the stage for the first time in twelve years to ...More The Bay At Nice Theatre | From 14th March Penelope Wilton and Ophelia Lovibond star in a new revival of David Hare's The Bay at Nice at the Menier Chocolate Factory with Richard Eyre directing. In the 75-minute play, set in Leningrad in the ...More  Fiddler On The Roof Theatre | From 21st March Proud father Tevye struggles to maintain his family's Jewish traditions in turn of the 20th ...More Little Miss Sunshine: A Road Musical Theatre | From 21st March Michael Arndt's Academy Award-winning film brought a little ray of sunshine to our lives in 2006 and this musical adaptation directed by Mehmet Ergen is set to do ...More  Emilia Theatre | From 8th March Hailed as "an act of revolution" (The Times) and "a landmark moment in the history ...More  Bite Me Theatre | From 13th March Joanne McNally's play about a diet, where not only did she lose weight, she lost ...More  Teatulia Dining This Covent Garden tea bar serves single-origin tea, tea-infused cocktails, a library of books and ...More  Barullo Dining Victor Garvey, of award-winning Catalan restaurant Rambla, is behind this fun, colourful Spanish restaurant in ...More  Tate to Tate Transport This slick river service transports art lovers from one of the city's best galleries to ...More  W12 Studios Dining A creative, communal space with room for 450, W12 Studios combines street food with music ...More London Events 2019 Feature Cate Blanchett comes to the National Theatre in 2019, the Spice Girls reunite and Christian Dior is the Designer of Dreams at the V&A. New musicals are dedicated to Dolly Parton, Pirates and Mary Poppins, ...More 
Hotels near Southbank Centre
From cheap budget hotels to luxury 5 star hotels see our deals for Southbank Centre hotels, including Park Plaza County Hall Hotel London from 82% off. |
 |
