| Venue name: | Royal Albert Hall | Contact: |
|---|---|
| Address: |
Kensington Gore London SW7 2AP |
| Opening hours: | Tours run daily 10.30am-4.30pm (Apr-Oct), 10.30am-3.30pm (Nov-Mar) |
| Transport: | Tube: South Kensington |
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Music
Theo Jackson
Soulful vocalist and pianist Theo Jackson is a skilled songwriter with an authentic delivery.
Jazz Thursday September 29 2016 - Sunday October 23 2016Read more -
Music
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: A Celebration Of John Williams
Robert Ziegler conducts the orchestra in a tribute the one of the world's leading film composers, performing a selection of his greatest works. Presented by Tommy Pearson.
Classical and opera Saturday October 1 2016Read more -
MusicClassical Coffee Mornings: Emily Sun & Jennifer Hughes
The violin and piano duo perform works by Debussy, Mendelssohn and Stravinsky while guests enjoy a hot drink and a pastry.
Classical and opera Sunday October 2 2016Read more -
MusicLive Music Brunch: The Hot Club Of Jupiter
Set up in 2013, the band bring their unique mix of infectious gypsy swing and hot jazz to songs of middle-class angst and caddish behaviour.
Jazz Sunday October 2 2016Read more -
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Debashish Bhattacharya
Indian slide-guitarist Bhattacharya got his first guitar at age three and has since been lauded by everybody from India’s Ministry of Information to the BBC. Deeply schooled in the Hindustani classical tradition, he also delves into Islamic mysticism,...
Latin and world Sunday October 2 2016Read more -
MusicLate Night Jazz: Juliet Kelly Trio
The jazz vocalist and composer performs songs from her Spellbound Stories album, which draws inspiration from her favourite novels.
Jazz Thursday October 6 2016Read more -
MusicFree Friday Music: Note Noire Quartet
The quartet mixes Hungarian and Romanian folk themes with modern styles and jazz improvisation, performing traditional melodies as well as original compositions from their new album Oltreconfine.
Folk, country and blues Friday October 7 2016Read more -
TheatreMrs Armitage And The Big Wave
Surfs up! Gaga Theatre adapt Quentin Blake's story of a woman and her loyal dog Breakspear, who go to sea in search of the perfect wave. This show mixes live performance and digital projection to tell a wet and wild story of an unlikely friendship. Suitable...
Children's Saturday October 8 2016 - Thursday October 27 2016Read more -
MusicNational Brass Band Championships
The annual National Brass Band Championships return to the Royal Albert Hall, with the nation's top brass bands battling for the Challenge Trophy.
Cabaret and standards Saturday October 8 2016Read more -
Music
Brit Floyd
The tribute band celebrates 50 years of Pink Floyd.
Covers bands Monday October 10 2016Read more
Average User Rating
4.7 / 5
Rating Breakdown
- 5 star:7
- 4 star:3
- 3 star:0
- 2 star:0
- 1 star:0
This is a jewel in London's crown. The most stunning place to see a gig if you have a decent seat, or if you are standing for The Proms. I have spent some memorable nights here. The best ever was Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli and Sammy Davies Junior. If I had a time machine I would return every night. I also have memories of Les Miserables 10th Anniversary and wild nights in the company of Eric Clapton. Come to think of it there have been too many to list including the most bonkers Blues Set from Robert Plant and his World Orchestra. Sublime - nearly as good as The Last Night of the Proms which is the calendar highlight here.
But .... and it's a big but.
Beware of the balcony seats, rear choir and balcony standing.
Unless you are desperate to be there or really tight , don't bother.
Also, don't bother writing to the management if the sound is bad.
I had one of the worst nights ever here when I saw Paul Weller "Waking up the Nation". The sound was appalling. I wrote to the The Albert Hall and the letter I got back was between arrogant and insulting - hoping I would have a better night next time (or words to that effect)
Well fortunately I have had better nights and encourage all of my friends to go to at least one gig at The RAH. Get a good seat , soak up the views and hopefully the sort of crisp sound they hoped for when the mushrooms were hung from the ceiling.
It was a dark Halloween night last Thursday that I found myself sat at the Albert Hall waiting for the emergence of former Led Zeppelin front-man Robert Plant. The audience were excitable in anticipation, and thankfully there was nothing gloomy about the performance. Rivalling Brain May for the best hair in rock, Plant appeared ready to have a fine time. The wonderfully gifted voice that Plant has possessed since the ‘60s was in fine form, having matured with age and showcasing rich tones that blended so well with the mix of rock, blues and African rhythms vibrating around the hall to much applause. The appearance of the Gambian musician Juldeh Camara added to the layers of high quality musicianship that the band (which featured musicians from Bristol and Liverpool) had in droves. A friend had told me that he had seen Plant play on tour with Alison Krauss last year and that he looked tired and thought that he may be finding it hard to keep up. I have to say the opposite was true here; it is possible that Plant’s decision to not make another album with Krauss after all their success (winning 5 Grammys for their album ‘Raising Sand’ as well as much acclaim)and instead pursue working on something different to keep music fresh and interesting for him seemed to be paying off. While a lot of his peers look tired and worn with their best days behind them, he looked fitter and stronger than he has in the last few years and he was flying around the stage, throwing the microphone around with ease and prowling around with an unbelievably menacing presence; and who wouldn’t feel 10 feet tall with such a remarkable voice? I could have closed my eyes and believed that the man on stage was the Plant of old not a man of pensionable age. He seems to be enjoying the aging process (‘I can travel for free now’) as well as the music more than ever. ‘This is an invigorating time for me’. Quite. The quality of the band was obviously helping to keep him on his toes and he looked to be having the time of his life, and wonderfully, so were we. With the music ranging from old blues classics to Led Zeppelin numbers (which were met with roars of approval), it all blended in together beautifully. ‘Whole Lotta Love’ , ‘What Is and What Should Never Be’ and other classics went down a storm and Plant looked like he could continue all night. Despite finishing at 10 minutes past midnight (leaving most struggling to make the last tube home) I think we would have all quite happily stayed all night for a lock in. Greedy yes, but it truly would have been heavenly. Trick or treat? Treat definitely. A really thrilling night out. Rating; 10/10
This is a beautiful venue with a huge variety of shows and the home of the proms, which was the reason for my most recent visit.
I actually went to the Cbeebies proms which is a great way to introduce preschool children to classical music. Tickets for the gallery or the pit are available the day before the show for a fraction of the ticket prices so if you don't mind a bit of discomfort then it is very worthwhile.
As well as the great variety of shows available, the venue itself is stunning and the walls of the ground floor are covered with frames depicting the history of this historic venue.
Not matter what you're in to, RAH will have something for you and at the very least it's worth passing by to see this beauty with your own eyes.
Magnificent venue that hosts a wide range of events, from music to politics, and everything in between. Saw Iggy Pop here last night and ended up dancing with him on the stage! Definitely something I can now tick off my bucket list. The acoustics are brill!
Do come here if you have a chance - even exploring the building is an experience in itself.
Oh, you really must go to the Royal Albert Hall. I couldn't use different words to say how much I recommend this place!
The area, South Kensington, is fabulous. You can have a nice stroll in Kensington Gardens, enjoy the scenery and the company of the many squirrels (they love eating biscuits by the way) and then reach the Royal Albert Hall for the concert or any other event you're going to see. You will be amazed how beautiful it is from the outside. And inside...it's just magnificent. The acoustic is perfect and the atmosphere is almost from another time lost in the past...
Acoustic at the Royal Albert Hall is perfect. I have only been to the Arena seats so I can't say much about the rest, however the website has a nice feature with which you can see the view from your seat with the different layouts, so you can have a better idea of what to expect.
One of the best places in London!
I have been to the RAH on a couple of occasions - the latest has been to see "Alice in Wonderland" with an live orchestra. A couple of years back I went to the same series watching Lord of the Rings. As my friend hasn't been there before once we arrived she had a look inside, which was lucky - as one of the staff told us that they were upgrading people. That's when we ended up in a box (first for me). The movie was secondary - as the orchestra and choir filled the hall with their music. I really love the acoustic and could spend hours there just listening. On one of my previous visits I watched the Christmas Carols, which has been fantastic too.
I think the RHA is a venue not to be missed and can't be compared to any newly built concert hall. It's not just impressive from the outside, but even more on the inside. So many great details to take in and just a look around the hall will set you back into another century.
The programme offers something for everybody - so there is no excuse not to visit this London gem.
There are so many iconic music venues in London that you'd be hard pressed to pick the best but standing firm at the top of the pile has to be the Royal Albert Hall. Apart from the fact that this place gets some of the biggest names in the business performing inside it - Eric Clapton, Shirley Bassey & the Last Night of the Proms to name but a few - it's also utterly gorgeous and has a wonderful atmosphere, whether you're there to see rock's biggest stars, the finest athletes in tennis or a ridiculously glamourous movie premiere.
You might be surprised to learn that there are multiple venues inside it as well - this year alone I've been lucky enough to see a fully orchestrated, live accompaniment to 'Star Trek', an intimate chat with Oscar winning composer James Horner and most recently, a dreamily beautiful carol service by candlelight on Christmas Eve...twinkling lights, a crimson robed choir, readings from 'A Christmas Carol' and more festive cheer than you can throw a brandy-buttered-mince-pie at? Excuse me a moment while I swoon, won't you?
Until you've been inside the hall, you can't fully fathom how big it is. It is huge. Enormous. Colossal. You truly cannot picture how many people can sit in it and how vast it is from outside and there are reviews which warn of poor sound depending on where you sit. Well I'm here to share the good news which is, if you're like me and can only ever afford the cheap seats, you'll never know how much better or worse it might be elsewhere because you'll only ever know the circle or the balcony and I have never had a problem with either. Sure you're quite high - a sincere word of caution there for you if you don't like heights - but you can totally see everything if you're watching a screen and hear everything if you're there for the music.
If you have an ounce of Christmassy-carolly love in your body, you really must put a service here on your to-do list for next year; there are plenty of songs that everyone knows (does 'Hark the Herald' make anyone else want to bawl like a baby with its beauty?) the orchestra are dressed like Mozart & his crew, there's a jolly choir, readings from seasonal literature and such a glorious feeling of goodwill, you'll be spilling over with it until Christmas Day and beyond.
A stunningly regal building, beautiful decor and the perfect setting for a good gig. Have seen a number of different events here from Jake Bugg's debut tour to Walking With Dinosaurs live, Cirque do Soleil and the Christmas Carol concert. All were spectacular, the acoustics were amazing and so different to the other theatres in London. So much history under one roof, makes you wonder what it would have been like when the old greats were performing...
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You cannot beat the English summer experience with going to the Proms at Royal Albert Hall. The atmosphere and acoustic at this venue are both fantastic. I have been first and last nights of the proms, concerts, solo, orchestras and other performances at this venue and never been disappointed. It does get hot inside on warmer days because of the design of this grand building. There was no air conditioning during the Victorian times. Overall it's definitely worthwhile attending at an event at this venue.
I agee the AH is not the best for sound although its better than it used to be before the hanging baffles were installed . However nothing in london has the same atmosphere as the Albert Hall it seems to have a buzz all its own with a unique feel of closeness to the action that no concert hall i have been can match. Imho the greatest concert venue in the world dispite any accustic failings.
