Southbank Centre
Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Hayward Gallery on the Thames.
The Southbank Centre is the UK's largest arts centre, a riverside cluster of venues that grew out of the 1951 Festival of Britain. The Royal Festival Hall, the only permanent building left from the festival, was designed by London County Council architects led by Robert Matthew and Leslie Martin, with Peter Moro, and is Grade I listed.
Beside it stand the Brutalist Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room, and the Hayward Gallery, all opened in 1967-68. Together they host orchestras, contemporary music, dance, literature, comedy and major art exhibitions, while free foyers, the National Poetry Library and outdoor spaces along the Thames keep the site busy throughout the day.
Highlights
- Royal Festival Hall, legacy of the 1951 Festival of Britain
- Hayward Gallery for major contemporary art shows
- Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room
- National Poetry Library and free riverside foyers
