1. The Southbank Centre
  2. Southbank Centre Graffiti wall (Tove K Breitstein / Time Out)
    Tove K Breitstein / Time Out
  3. Southbank Centre Performance (Tove K Breitstein / Time Out)
    Tove K Breitstein / Time Out
  4. Southbank Centre views (Belinda Lawley / Time Out)
    Belinda Lawley / Time Out
  5. Gift Shop (Ed Marsahll / Time Out)
    Ed Marsahll / Time Out
  6. Southbank Centre window (Scott Wishart / Time Out)
    Scott Wishart / Time Out

Southbank Centre

  • Things to do | Cultural centres
  • South Bank
  • Recommended
Anya Ryan
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Time Out says

What is it?

Like a crowd-pleasing superhero, it’s Southbank Centre to the rescue when you need something to do in London and you’re out of ideas. With an astounding programme of cultural events – from visual art and music to literature workshops and performance – views over the Thames, and slap bang in the centre of London - no wonder it’s so many people’s trump card.

The lively arts and entertainment centre is the UK’s largest, putting on over 5,000 events a year. Expect a well-curated line-up that straddles world-class artists, niche poetry, music festivals and everything in between. The London Literature Festival, for example, brings together the greatest literary minds for 11 days of talks, readings, poetry and performance. Meanwhile the EFG London Jazz Festival invites groundbreaking artists onto the Southbank stages each year.

Events take place in multiple venues perfectly poised on the bank of the Thames. The Grade I listed Royal Festival Hall is at the heart of the complex, where you'll find - among many other things - a 2,700 seater auditorium and the National Poetry Library.

Why go?

With a full and varied programme of arts events, the Southbank Centre sits right at the cultural heart of London. Alongside the concerts and festivals, there are talks from the likes of Caroline Lucas and plays in every season. 

Don't miss:

Southbank Centre is not just for the culture vultures and is the perfect place to grab a bite to eat. Food fans circle the food market for their weekly helping of inspired street food, booze, coffee and artisan produce. The Southbank Centre restaurants are incredibly popular too, with big names like Wagamama and Las Iguanas feeding the masses, while off-beat joints like Topolski sling pizzas and prosecco to a smaller, savvy crowd. Head to the Queen Elizabeth Rooftop Garden in the summer months for drinks with views of the river and beyond. 

When to go: 

The Southbank Centre is open Monday and Tuesday 10am-6pm; and Wednesday-Sunday 10am-11pm

Ticket info:

Tickets for individual events are available via the Southbank Centre website.

Time Out tip:

The neighbouring Hayward Gallery is a stunning piece of brutalist architecture, and plays host to a range of inspiring and adventurous artists. We say, do both in one day!

Details

Address
Belvedere Road
Waterloo
London
SE1 8XX
Transport:
Rail/Tube: Waterloo; Tube: Embankment
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What’s on

History of Hip-Hop

Party alfresco to a soundtrack celebrating 50 years of HipHop and its place in British club culture. DJs will be taking over the Southbank Centre’s Riverside Terrace for a party where each set tracks the development of the genre, taking listeners from its 70s funk and soul foundations through to the explosion of house and then the power of jungle, garage and grime. Guided by a host who threads the story together live on stage, it’s an afternoon of music and memories.  Schedule3pm to 3.30pm: DJ 279 (1970s)3.30pm to 4.15pm: Mr Thing (1980s)4.15pm to 5pm: Spin Doctor (1990s)5pm to 5.15pm: Blak Twang live5.15pm to 6pm: Shejay (2000s)6pm to 6.15pm: JayaHadADream live6.15pm to 7pm: DJ Semtex (2010s – current)

K-Music Festival

Korean music isn’t just about K-pop and the return of K-Music Festival – now in its 12th year –will help you discover a whole range of the country’s diverse aural culture at iconic venues including the Barbican, the Southbank Centre, the Royal Albert Hall, and Kings Place. Highlights of this year’s programme include Seoul-based post-rock outfit Jambinai joining forces with the London Contemporary Orchestra for a one-off orchestral spectacle, composer Won Il delivering Dionysus Robot, an immersive piece merging sound, shamanic rhythm and drag, and genre-hopping quartet Gray by Silver bringing an idiosyncratic blend of contemporary, jazz and classical music incorporating Korean folk instruments to the Royal Albert Hall’s Late Night Jazz Series. Check out the full programme here. 
  • Music festivals

London Literature Festival

Each year, London Literature Festival aims to bring together readers of all ages to ‘celebrate the power of the written and spoken word’, with a big name celebrity curator leading the charge. And excitingly, the 2025 edition will have singer songwriter Rebecca Lucy Taylor (aka Self Esteem) in the hot seat, in a festival that runs from Tuesday October 21 - Sunday November 2. She'll be joined by Dolly Alderton for an event to launch her debut book, A Complicated Woman, followed by a night of music and poetry alongside multi-disciplinary artists Tom Rasmussen, Marged, Travis Alabanza, Seraphina Simone and Pam Ayres.  Elsewhere in the festival, there'll be appearances from massive literary and cultural figures including Sebastian Faulks, Jimi Famurewa, Zadie Smith, Adam Buxton, Malala Yousafzai, Claire-Louise Bennett and Reese Witherspoon & Harlan Coben. There'll also be a focus on international women's voices, with celebrations of new work from Sayaka Murata, Chris Kraus, Alexis Wright, Bora Chung and Olga Ravn. And the poetry line-up will Pfeature Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, Out-Spoken, Rachael Boast and the National Poetry Library open day. As ever, there'll be plenty of opportunities for kids to get involved too, with events with the children’s laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce and a run of Mog the Forgetful Cat. Visit the Southbank Centre's official website for full details. 
  • Literary events
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