Southbank Centre
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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
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 p2019-04-21T00:00:00+01002019-05-06T00:00:00+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 2019-04-21T00:00:00+01002019-05-06T00:00:00+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 > Exhibitions > Art exhibitions - Photography
PRICING £14, child £6.75, concs £11
DATES 13th February to 6th May 2019
Explore the first seven years of the photographer's career, from 1956 to 1962. Her photographs of children and eccentrics, couples and circus performers, female impersonators and pedestrians are among the most intimate, surprising and haunting works of art of the 20th century.
event > Exhibitions > Art exhibitions - Modern and Contemporary Art
PRICING £14, child £6.75, concs £11
DATES 13th February to 6th May 2019
Using a wide range of media, Attia explores the ways in which Western colonialism has shaped not only how we see other cultures, but also how identities are constrained in our own societies.
SoundpitSoundpitAn interactive musical instrument from artist Di Mainstone, with giant sandpits which are brought to life with graphics, sounds, and motion sensor technology.2019-04-21T00:00:00+01002019-06-02T00:00:00+0100
Where:
event > Kids Events > Theatre Productions - Kids Shows
PRICING £8
DATES 13th February to 2nd June 2019
VENUE Southbank Centre: Royal Festival Hall
An interactive musical instrument from artist Di Mainstone, with giant sandpits which are brought to life with graphics, sounds, and motion sensor technology.... More about this event
event > Concerts > Classical
PRICING £15-£40
DATES Monday 22nd April 2019 - 7.30pm
Anthony Parnther conducts Errollyn Wallen's Concerto Grosso For Piano, Violin And Double Bass, Philip Herbert's Elegy: In Memoriam - Stephen Lawrence, Jessie Montgomery's Starburst, Avril Coleridge-Taylor's Sussex Landscape and Beethoven's Symphony No 8.
event > Dance > Modern Dance - Physical Theatre
PRICING £18-£24
DATES Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th April 2019 - 7.30pm
Director Suzy Willson assembles a moving sculpture of dancers in a piece set to Paul Clark's original score, which features Irish folk singer Thomas McCarthy and soprano Melanie Pappenheim.
event > Concerts > Classical
PRICING £16.50-£52.50
DATES Friday 26th April 2019 - 7.30pm
Alan Titchmarsh introduces the orchestra and the City Of London Choir as they perform great English classics including Vaughan Williams's The Lark Ascending and works by Walton, Delius, Parry, Butterworth, Elgar, Handel, John Rutter, Holst and others. Conducted by Hilary Davan Wetton.
event > Concerts > Rock & Pop - Swing
PRICING £29.50-£42.50
DATES Friday 26th April 2019 - 7.30pm
The close-harmony trio joins forces with the UK's premier dance band to perform ballroom and Latin classics including Dancing Queen, Tico Tico and Sing Sing Sing.
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Find out the best London 2019 events with our comprehensive guide to the top entertainment in the city throughout the year. From January through to December, 2019 is packed with unmissable events - so read on to get the best out of London town.
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London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel from £99 26% 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 35% 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 £335 37% 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 April 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: Sunday 21st April 2019 - 1.15pm
Southbank Centre, Jubilee Gardens, Belvedere Road, SE1 | Same location as Southbank Centre
The company presents its version of the classic love story as a comedy with an all-male cast....More
London > Events > Theatre Dates: 15th to 22nd April 2019
Southbank Centre, Jubilee Gardens, Belvedere Road, SE1 | Same location as Southbank Centre
From the creators of Aliens Love Underpants comes Monstersaurus, an energetic show full of science, songs, magic and mayhem. There's original music and lots of audience ...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
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Hotels Near Southbank Centre What's On Today Near Southbank Centre Gravity & Other Myths: A Simple Space Dance | Until 5th May 2019 The circus show by the acclaimed Australian company sees seven acrobats pushed to their physical limits, supported by live percussion....More  A Simple Space Theatre | Until 5th May 2019 The circus show by the acclaimed Australian company sees seven acrobats push to their physical limits, supported by live percussion....More  Little Death Club Theatre | Until 23rd June 2019 The darkest, funniest and most debauched kabarett club this side of Berlin! A Weimar-punk jazz band soundtracks a night of ...More  Soundpit Kids Events | Until 2nd June 2019 Southbank Centre: Royal Festival Hall An interactive musical instrument from artist Di Mainstone, with giant sandpits which are brought to life with graphics, sounds, and ...More  Variety Club 4 Kids Theatre | Until 8th June 2019 Award-winning cabaret star Mat Ricardo and Comedy Club 4 Kids join forces to bring his critically-acclaimed variety shows back to ...More  Shakespearience Theatre | Until 14th July 2019 High-octane tour of three of Shakespeare's plays....More  Monstersaurus: Big Wooden Horse (Over 3s) Theatre | Until 22nd April 2019 From the creators of Aliens Love Underpants comes Monstersaurus, an energetic show full of science, songs, magic and mayhem. There's ...More Rubbish Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet Theatre | On 21st April 2019 The company presents its version of the classic love story as a comedy with an all-male cast....More  Underbelly Festival Theatre | Until 29th September 2019 The unrivalled Underbelly Festival returns to South Bank, between the Southbank Centre and London Eye, from April 2019, presenting over ...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 New on LondonTown  Parrillan Dining Outdoor dining doesn't come much better than sitting out on the terrace at Parrillan....More  Barrafina Coal Drops Yard Dining Creating superior Spanish tapas in London since 2007, Barrafina Coal Drops Yard, opened in 2018, ...More  Morty & Bob's Dining After the huge success of their first restaurant in Hackney, Morty & Bob's, named after ...More  Ballroom London Dining Italian meatballs are the hero dish in the New York styled Ballroom which comes with ...More  Gold Dining On the site of the Portobello Gold pub, Gold is a neighbourhood restaurant and late-night ...More  Suzi Tros Dining Greek neighbourhood restaurant Suzi Tros covers the whole of Northern Greek cuisine....More  Flamboree Dining Bringing a taste of Alsace to London, Flamboree offers a contemporary spin on this quintessential ...More  O ver St James's Dining Launched in 2016 by Mauro Palomba, 'O ver is a Neapolitan street food restaurant which ...More  Hello Darling Dining A restaurant by 2013 Masterchef winner Natalie Coleman, a botanical bar and theatrical event spaces....More  No.5 Social Dining In spring 2019 Jason Atherton's Little Social, on this Mayfair spot since 2013, closed to ...More  Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell Theatre | From 7th May Soho institution Norman's Coach & Horses becomes a theatre in a stand against Fullers by ...More The Comedy Of Errors Theatre | From 6th May The Lord Chamberlain's Men present Shakespeare's most riotous and farcical play, in which merchants, masters, parents, servants and a long-suffering wife find themselves comically entwined. Staging The Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare's Globe presents one pair ...More The Merry Wives Of Windsor Theatre | From 17th May Shakespeare's well-known comedy, The Merry Wives of Windsor, is about Sir John Falstaff setting about improving his financial situation by wooing Mistress Page and Mistress Ford. Staged at ...More  Ed Sheeran Live at The Haymarket Concerts | On 14th July Ed Sheeran comes to London this July to ...More  The May Fair Kids Events | From 5th May Bringing the seaside to London, The May Fair will take over Grosvenor Square for two ...More  BBC Music Introducing Live Exhibitions | From 31st October Pitched towards anyone aspiring to get into the ...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 places to stay to luxury 5 star suites see our deals for Southbank Centre hotels, including The Royal Horseguards - A Guoman Hotel from 81% off. |
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