Night Time Queue at the Royal Albert Hall.jpg
Night Time Queue at the Royal Albert Hall

Royal Albert Hall

  • Music | Music venues
  • South Kensington
  • Recommended
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Time Out says

What is it?

Built as a memorial to Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert in 1871, the Royal Albert Hall’s vast rotunda was once described by the monarch as looking like ‘the British constitution’. It has been the venue for the (now BBC) Proms since 1941, despite acoustics that do orchestras few favours. The Royal Albert Hall's splendid exterior is matched by the regal red and gold interior which is crowned by a domed stained-glass skylight. Over its 153-year history, the Royal Albert Hall has hosted talks from countless iconic figures, including key members of the Suffragette movement, Winston Churchill and Albert Einstein.

Why go?

To see one of the 360-odd events programmed by the Royal Albert Hall each year that range from classical orchestral concerts and contemporary gigs to circus, charity events and live readings. Aside from the world-famous BBC Proms, key events in the calendar include an annual residency from circus extravaganza Cirque du Soleil, the ‘In Concert’ series and a hugely eclectic season of Christmas concerts. 

Don’t miss: 

In addition to seasonal tours during the Proms, the RAH also runs tours of the venue which gives an insight into its rich history and hidden secrets. Expect to hear stories about the time the Hall was flooded with 56,000 litres of water for an opera concert and the séance that once took place there. Who knows? You might even be lucky to catch a sound check as you're guided around the venue. 

When to visit: 

Tours of the world-famous venue run 10am-4.30pm daily. 

Ticket info: 

Adult tickets for tour cost £18.50, Concessions £16.50 and Children £10.50. Tickets for the Royal Albert Hall’s other events are available via the website

Time Out tip:

To get early access to events at the RAH, we’d suggest joining the ‘become a friend’ scheme for £45 per year. The privileges include priority booking, 10% off in the shop and free use of the cloakrooms

Details

Address
Kensington Gore
London
SW7 2AP
Transport:
Tube: South Kensington
Price:
Various
Opening hours:
Tours run most days from 10am-4.30pm, but check website for details.
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What’s on

BBC Proms 2025

Another year, another spectacular line-up of classical music. This year, the orchestral extravaganza will feature 86 concerts across eight weeks, with over 3,000 artists taking to the stage, with the majority of the action taking place inside the grand surroundings of London’s Royal Albert Hall.  Sakari Oramo will conduct the First Night of the Proms, with tenor Caspar Singh, baritone Gerald Finley, violinist Lisa Batiashvili – including the world premiere of The Elements by Master of the King’s Music Errollyn Wallen. The Last Night of the Proms will be conducted by Elim Chan and features trumpeter Alison Balsom and soprano Louise Alder, with two world premieres, by Camille Pépin and Rachel Portman.  And there’s plenty more in between. See international orchestras, including the Vienna Philharmonic, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Look out for major soloists, such as pianists Yunchan Lim and Sir András Schiff, violinists Hilary Hahn and Janine Jansen, and soprano Golda Schultz. Plus, there’ll be plenty of special events, including: Sir Simon Rattle conducting the Chineke! Orchestra for the first time, in their tenth-anniversary year; the first overnight Prom since 1983, featuring pianist and YouTube sensation Hayato Sumino; The Traitors Prom hosted by Claudia Winkleman hosts and exploring themes of treachery and betrayal in classical music; a new CBeebies Prom titled A Magical Bedtime Story; non-classical artists will present their...

The Grand Sumo Tournament

What do Tokyo and London have in common? As well as both being sprawling metropolises, and world-class centres for fashion, food and technology, they’ve also both hosted the Grand Sumo Tournament. In fact, London is the only place outside of Japan to ever host a professional sumo wrestling competition, at the Royal Albert Hall in 1991. Staging the competition was no mean feat, with a strengthened stage having to be built to hold the wrestlers’ weight, and specialist soil imported to the UK to create the wrestling ring.  Kensington’s 153-year-old Italianate music hall must have done a pretty decent job as hosts, though, because it is also due to host the second-ever overseas Grand Sumo Tournament in autumn 2025. More than 40 of Japan’s top sumo wrestlers will be competing in the London arena across five days in October, with tickets due on sale in spring. It’s an incredibly rare opportunity to see Japan’s famous, 1500-year-old sport up close without having to hop on a plane, and we absolutely can’t wait. 
  • Sumo wrestling
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