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The Southbank Centre is a classic example of brutal 60s concrete architecture. Everyone has an opinion (usually negative) on its distinctive design. Yet, if 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 South Bank 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. It mounts temporary exhibitions of contemporary and historical art. The gallery is also responsible for National Touring exhibitions and for the Arts Council Collection, which it manages on behalf of the Arts Council of England. The colossal Poetry Library houses the Arts Council modern collection, while the National Film Theatre's three cinemas show 2000 films (art house and classics) a year alongside many film festivals and director-led seasons.
Events such as the annual Meltdown musical extravaganza and Watch This Space festival draw wonderfully eclectic crowds and are highlights of the London summer. The terraces overlooking the Thames are rammed with people even in the middle of winter and the area seethes with creative activity at all hours of the day and night. 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.
There's something for everyone here, not least a truly fantastic location. During your visit make sure you have a drink on a bench outside the NFT or on one of the balconies attached to the Royal Festival Hall. Drink in the stunning riverside views as the sun goes down and the pretty strings of lights draped between the trees start to twinkle, reflected in the river.
NOTE: The Royal Festival Hall reopened 11th June 2007 after major refurbishment.
Best for:
Dance and drama, art and architecture, skateboards and sound-systems, jazz and classical.
Did you know?
The Royal Festival Hall was built for the 1951 Festival of Britain, which was held on the site now known as the “South Bank”. |
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Local
Entertainment Near Southbank Centre |
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7 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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8 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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9 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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Local
Event Near Southbank Centre |
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| London Event |
| Robin Rhode |
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Southbank Centre: The Hayward, Belvedere Road,
Lambeth,
London,
SE1
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0 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| Part graffiti artist, part animator South African born artist Robin Rhode uses trompe l'oeil techniques and performance to create his appealing images. Not so much...More...
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| London Event |
| Andy Warhol: Other Voices, Other Rooms |
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Southbank Centre: The Hayward, Belvedere Road,
Lambeth,
London,
SE1
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0 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| Andy Warhol's time in the spotlight has lasted well beyond the 15 minutes he predicted everyone would have. The painter, filmmaker, publisher and actor who...More...
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| London Event |
| World Press Photo |
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Southbank Centre: Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road,
Lambeth,
London,
SE1
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0 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| For the first time since 1980 a British photographer has won the World Press Photo of the Year, the world's most prestigious competition for news...More...
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| London Event |
| Southbank Cologne Christmas Market |
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Southbank Centre, Queen's Walk,
Lambeth,
London,
SE1
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0 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| This Christmas the Southbank Centre hosts two Christmas markets - the successful Slow Food Market returns and, for the first time ever, a German Christmas...More...
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| London Event |
| Sir Simon Rattle - Complete Schumann Symphonies |
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Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road,
Lambeth,
London,
SE1
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0 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| Sir Simon Rattle brings his Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment to the Royal Festival Hall to perform the complete Schumann symphonies over the course...More...
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| London Event |
| The Sixteen |
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Queen Elizabeth Hall, Belvedere Road,
Lambeth,
London,
SE1
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0 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| So many of our Christmas traditions found their first form in the 15th and 16th centuries, and 'The Sixteen' plan to take us back there,...More...
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Local
Hotels Near Southbank Centre |
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| London Hotels |
| London Marriott County Hall |
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Westminster Bridge Road,
Lambeth,
London,
SE1
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5 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| A simply unbeatable location for anyone who loves to keep themselves busy. London's County Hall is at the heart of the South Bank, surrounded by ...More...
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| London Hotels |
| Park Plaza County Hall |
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1
Addington Street,
Lambeth,
London,
SE1
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13 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| Close to Waterloo, the 4 star Park Plaza is – as the name suggests – just behind County Hall. Near to the Thames, it’s also ...More...
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Local
Event Near Southbank Centre |
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| London Event |
| The Gallery |
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Ministry of Sound,
103
Gaunt Street,
Southwark,
London,
SE1
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22 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| The Gallery ran for fourteen years at Turnmills, launching the careers of Tall Paul, Judge Jules and dozens of others before the famous old venue ...More...
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| London Event |
| Borough Market |
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Southwark Street,
Southwark,
London,
SE1
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27 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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Local
Sights and Attractions Near Southbank Centre |
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| London Sights and Attractions |
| Southbank Centre |
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Belvedere Road,
Lambeth,
London,
SE1
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0 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| Huge, thriving riverside arts complex.
The Southbank Centre is a classic example of brutal 60s concrete architecture. Everyone has an opinion (usually negative) on its distinctive ...More...
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| London Sights and Attractions |
| Southbank Centre: The Hayward |
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Belvedere Road,
Lambeth,
London,
SE1
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2 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| 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, ...More...
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Local
Shopping Near Southbank Centre |
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| London Shopping |
| Konditor & Cook |
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22
Cornwall Road,
Lambeth,
London,
SE1
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7 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| Konditor & Cook specialise in the creation of amazingly tasty cakes which are also sold on to some of the finest restaurants in the city. ...More...
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| London Shopping |
| I Knit London |
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106
Lower Marsh,
Lambeth,
London,
SE1
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9 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| Stocking a wide range of yarns, needles, patterns and accessories, I Knit started as a knitting community in Vauxhall in January 2006, meeting at the ...More...
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Local
Dining Near Southbank Centre |
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| London Dining |
| Giraffe |
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Unit 1,
Royal Festival Hall Riverside,
Lambeth,
London,
SE1
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0 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| 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 ...More...
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| London Dining |
| Ping Pong |
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Festival Terrace,
Southbank Centre,
Belvedere Road,
Lambeth,
London,
SE1
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0 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| Ping Pong offers diners its signature range of little parcels of deliciousness with a range of over 40 dim sum dishes, from the finest translucent ...More...
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Local
Education Near Southbank Centre |
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| London Education |
| Morley College |
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61
Westminster Bridge Road,
Southwark,
London,
SE1
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14 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| Morley College, one of the oldest adult education colleges in the country, dates back to the early 1880s when it was set up by visionary, ...More...
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Local
Leisure Near Southbank Centre |
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| London Leisure |
| London Bicycle Tour Company |
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1a
Gabriel's Wharf,
56 Upper Ground,
Lambeth,
London,
SE1
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7 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| Located on the South Bank, in the heart of one of London's prettiest thoroughfares, The London Bicycle Tour Company is ideally placed for a spot ...More...
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Local
Pubs Near Southbank Centre |
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| London Pubs |
| The White Hart |
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29
Cornwall Road,
Lambeth,
London,
SE1
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6 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| The chief attraction at this popular local is the wide choice of hand-pumped draught beers on offer as well as a very extensive range of ...More...
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| London Pubs |
| King's Arms |
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25
Roupell Street,
Lambeth,
London,
SE1
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7 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| 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 ...More...
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Local
Business Near Southbank Centre |
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| London Business |
| Skylon |
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Southbank Centre,
Belvedere Road,
Lambeth,
London,
SE1
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0 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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| London Business |
| Royal Festival Hall - Southbank Centre |
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Belvedere Road,
Lambeth,
London,
SE1
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0 minutes distance from Southbank Centre
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