Southbank Centre

This is an interesting cultural center that I can't quite put my finger on. It's like a cool local hangout that puts on shows and festivals of many different varieties, is open to the public at all times- minus a few rooms that hold private events from time to time- has great views of the city across the River Thames, is closely situated to a plethora of different restaurants, bars, lounges, and galleries, and is conveniently-located to several of the local tourist traps like the London Eye, the Tate Modern, and the OXO shopping center. It's best to check ahead and come when there's something interesting going on- which is fairly often- as there's more life to the place and a sense of excitement for both locals and tourists alike. If you happen to be in the area, however, you're more than welcome to come in, take a look around, maybe order something at the bar, and chill on a comfy couch in one of the lounges. The best part is, you're free to bring in any food or drink you may have bought from one of the other restaurants along the way and enjoy at the center.

This is for the Royal Festival Hall portion of the Centre, which I recently got to experience for some Beethoven and Mozart with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Lang Lang. Cool space for the concert, in line with the trend that you can see at the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Kauffman Performing Arts Center in Kansas City - "in the round" concerts where the audience wraps around the musicians. Only a couple quibbles: not a lot of seating on the outside for before the concert or during intermission, and the need for a better system of getting people out, as there was a bit of a jam (I know this is something that comes up in any large venue, but some places manage it better than others). Definitely worth a visit!

Convenient location with shops to check out, you can get a good view of the London Eye. Walk around to enjoy the city and hang out with some locals. They have free wifi so that's useful. They also have different events happening all the time so good to check the schedule for anything interesting.

Definitely check out this place, if you are visiting London. The South Bank Centre has amazing events going on throughout the week. Check out their website on upto date events. Lovely restaurants inside. I have personally never been into the restaurants as it looks pricey but maybe one day :) There is a bar area on various floors that sells decent snacks, bear and wines. I have tried their red wine and gin and tonic, and it was lovely. They have many seating areas on many floors, so if you are a little tried of site seeing around London Eye, Waterloo area then this is a perfect place to chill out over a cup of coffee. On the ground floor, there is often some kinda of free event going on.. I am a freelancer and often use the south bank centre to get some work done. They offer free wifi to everyone in the building. They also have a members area on the top floor. I would not however recommend it as there is no guarantee, members will get a seat as often during a popular event, it does get over crowded. I used to have a membership with them but was disappointed on a number of occasion for not finding seating in the members area in-spite of paying for membership :( Hence my reason for giving it two star less.. But having said that, I still come here, attend events, get work done or just hang out with my friends. I like the vibe to this place and highly recommend it :)

The Southbank Centre offers a hugely diverse range of artistic performance from opera to ballet, classical performances by the worlds top musicians, spoken word and poetry, visual and performance art, and contemporary music. Located on the beautiful Southbank area of the Thames, The Southbank Centre is just a short walk from either Waterloo and Embankment tube stations, though I personally prefer to start at London Bridge and meander my way along the river. Always at the cutting edge of artistic innovation The Southbank Centre embraces artistic endeavour from the past and future hosting bands, DJs and Orchestra's in beautiful venues like Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Purcell Room and The Royal Festival Hall. With an ever-changing variety there is something to charm every visitor and the opportunity to branch out to something new. Tickets for orchestral performances run from 4 to about 40 pounds and are a brilliant opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the culture of London. There is also a cafeteria style restaurant where you can order food and enjoy by the river. The Purcell Room serves a range of alcoholic beverages. The sheer variety this place offers is enough to convince even the most hardened of cynics to try something a little different.

Great area for festivals and for just walking along the river. You get a great view of the city and take a nice leisurely stroll. We went over here for both the Christmas and Chocolate festivals and had a great time. There seem to be a lot of random cafes and restaurants nearby as well.

Always interesting events and shows going on here, just a nice place to hang around on the weekend. There is a great food market behind in the summer. I've been at the woman of the world festival; it's great!!

The Southbank Centre is an excellent place to spend an afternoon or evening. The centre provides numerous events and if you are a lover of the arts you will certainly find something to enjoy. If you just want to sit and enjoy the view from the Southbank, there is a cafe inside the main hall. The prices are not bad and even if they were a bit high the local, view and venue are worth a few extra quid. It really doesn't matter what you're interested in, the Southbank Centre will have something. In December you can enjoy the Lost and Found Orchestra or walk over to the Hayward and explore Andy Warhol's work. This is a great place to just get lost.

Came to the Southbank Centre for their NYE party and it did not disappoint! Great food, people and music was amazing all night long. Then afterwards, watching the fireworks show over the river Thames was extremely impressive. An absolute must if you are in London over NYE.

Great place to eat or simply sit & chill really great place to be right now over the Olympics : so much going on all around: illuminated bridges,comedians,music etc

As a poor student, I'm pretty much always on the scour for cheap forms of entertainment. And luckily for me, southbank is sensitive to that! There are events happening almost every day of the week, either with speakers or comedy shows, and there are TONS and tons of classical music performances! Because the venue is so large, they almost always have extra seats at the end of the day, which you can purchase for half the price! And the seating is amazing!!! The acoustics in this place are great for symphonies and orchestras, and every time I'm in a rut or just feel a desire to escape, I always check what's playing at Southbank for the day and whether or not I can get discount tickets. I've been to 3 concerts here already, and they always leave me feeling refreshed and rejuvenated! Southbank is also just a really nice to place to hang out. There are tons of tables, a nice cafe, free wifi, so you can literally just sit there and do work without feeling the need to buy something. There is also a mini-stage for small acts, as well as a play area for children. In the daytime, you can always find tons and tons of families just hanging out together at Southbank. Southbank is also at an amazing location looking over the Thames, and the walk up to it is beautiful. During the winder there is the Holiday market, and there are often various forms of food markets and festivals arranged by Southbank just around the corner. I've happened to be there when I stumbled across the Chocolate Festival, Cheese Festival, and Real Food Festival. Southbank is one of my favorite places in London, if not my FAVORITE. It provides everything I want --lost of space, great food, new and interesting events, and a gorgeous view of london :)

Although it's in the middle of the city and holds some amazing events here... I find the building itself is a paradox. It is an ugly, grey, blocky, building, which somehow has the ability to look and feel beautiful. Maybe it's the Centre's excellent position along the Thames or the multitude of events they hold here, but it is aesthetically a weird building to me. My favourite thing about the Centre are all the festivals it holds all year around. From the Chocolate festival (just before Easter!), to the food van festival, to the Christmas markets, there is always something on to keep you interested. Within the building there are always free shows introducing you to new types of music and dance, and there is also the paid shows in the Festival Hall. There are loads of restaurants all year round and it's great to grab a bite in the summer and sit on top of the balcony and watch the people walk by and the boats drift down the Thames. One of my favourite things about the Centre is the fact there there are free toilet facilities and an ATM available in the centre. Double plus in my books.

I have visited the Purcell Room a couple of times, and should be noted that the seating is very comfortable, and you can usually see well over people's heads no matter where you are seated. Not much can be done however about the fanatics that think a disfavour has been done to them by not being brought on stage.... so they can become really annoying and disturb YOUR enjoyment of any performance. I would hope, and suggest more maintenance and upkeep should be done with the bathroom facilities, as they are in very bad shape. 1) People please FLUSH!!! 2) if (1) is taken care of... then the problem really stays with the Queen Elizabeth Hall's maintenance staff, and pipes that should probably should be changed/upgraded. Other than that, it's afantastic centre with great events.

The Southbank Centre is really awesome. Depending on when you drop by, there are a million different things going on here at any given moment in time--often for free! Plus! THE ELEVATORS SING!!! Currently, the Southbank Beach installation makes your average walk down the Southbank infinitely more enjoyable, with it's temporary sand-beach, beach chairs and other beach-themed decorations (it's awesome for touristy pictures). No matter when you visit, there's always something on, here. From one-time arts events to ongoing exhibitions that are often interactive and always really good fun. A few weeks ago, I came here and found an exhibit about London's youth culture, where I was invited to take vintage photos and make my own badges. It was wonderful to act like a kid again. On the weekends, the Southbank Centre Market (in the former location of the Real Food Market) is a great place to grab a delicious and affordable lunch in-between being checking out the art and free exhibitions.

Southbank features an eclectic variety of music including but not limited to classical, jazz and everything in between. Sometimes there are free events at the foyer space. So do keep an eye on their website. The venue is located in a very nice area by the Thames, which provides a perfect promenade route when the sun is out. In the winter, Christmas stores open up along the river, where you can get mulled wines and other festive treats to warm you up your soul. Also along the river is BFI Southbank and National Theatre built side by side. Southbank itself has a café and bar, and there are also a few good chain eat-outs nearby like Ping Pong and Le Pain Quotidien. HOWEVER. If you come to Southbank I would definitely recommend trying out the food trucks at the backyard. There are all kinds of freshly made world food, coffee and sweets. Seating can be a challenge as it's limited and it's outside. But it's worth trying it once. I believe this food market is open in the weekends but they might be open on some days during the week too.

This used to be the ugly sister of the rest of the southbank but thanks to the regeneration programme, some brilliant events and some quirky ideas. We were personally there for 'Le Cirque Invisible'. Comfy seating that includes the added bonus of being steep enough to allow everyone to see over the others heads (even shortie little me) and a cute cafe is the perfect place to chat away an hour before a show. Schedule and calender wise, there is literally something for everyone from your butcher to your 5 year old. Events run for free or at a cost (n.b. discounted price of £15 from Tues to Thurs if under 26) and range from art to theatre, ballet to poetry, workshops to talks and everything inbetween. And also the perfect location to be a tourist for a bit before or after the show.

Located right on the south side of the Thames, this is a wonderful place to go for entertainment of all kinds: theatre, dance, music, parties, food festivals, Christmas markets, the nearby used book sale under Waterloo bridge... Not only are there numerous restaurants and bars in the area, the venue itself has food and drinks available and plenty of comfy chairs for hanging out in. Every performance I've been to has been excellent. The staff is always very friendly. Oh, and did I mention there's a singing lift?

I went to the south bank centre for a jazz performance in December and I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting it to be claustrophobic and cramped but the environment and how the place (and the performance) were setup were amazing. There were kids playing people listening to the music and interacting with the artistes. Great place for a concert. Instead of hack it in a closed area they had set themselves up in the open area in front which was good. The location was great and we could step out for some good dinner as well. Good evening out on the whole.

Great spot on the Southbank that houses bars, food, a spot to buy books outside as well as a food market just outside. It's probably the best spot to stop after walking along the Southbank itself. Inside the centre is usually some exhibitions and events and everyone is friendly and relaxed.

The southbank centre has a wonderful array of events throughout the year, from music, to theatre and exhibitions. You can always be sure that you'll be entertained if you come by here. There's a wonderful library upstairs, and if you're not feeling up to doing anything, there's great views of the Thames and the surrounding area from any of the plentiful seats. In particular, look out for festivals and food markets that happen periodically, usually over the weekend, when you get some amazing food trucks and fringe stars coming down to deliver quality, unforgettable performances.

Great, world class speakers and performers booked here along with top notch exhibitions and events. BUT ... trying to figure out how to get around this mamajama of a concrete monolith can be a nightmare. It's worth the effort and the auditoriums and performance space are excellent, but a hassle nonetheless. Like so much of London, you gotta invest time and a thought into making the most of it. Still, it was great to have a venue where John Irving could read from his latest novel, where Naomi Klein could expound upon her concept of the shock doctrine and when Buzz Aldrin could share his experiences as one of the few people to step upon the Moon. I just wish the Southbank Centre had a much more straightforward design and that it was better marked. A better restaurant/bar scene would be nice too (although, admittedly, there are a few gems round there). Chris

The Southbank Centre, while a bit confusing at first, is worth the effort required to navigate because of the sheer range of interesting and often free events that are on offer. I've seen performances from the likes of Mercury winner Speech Debelle and beatboxers like Beardyman along with numerous other musical extravaganzas. It's the art, the randomness - a bug exhibition, a fountain designed to be run into, a seat for looking into the sky, that makes the place a bit out of the ordinary. I could go on and on about the things i've seen down here either by chance or by design but I guarantee that you will find something of interest down here.

This place has got to be given *** just because its free! It's a great day out in London (one of not a lot of places in the centre on London that are completely free) especially for those who are in to interpretive art and artsy stuff like that. the free events that they regularly host are also excellent such as music, film or theatre productions that the whole family can enjoy. It has a really good location in the centre, a quite cafe that is a little expensive but that is to be expected really because the venue has free admission. The gift shop also is worth a look to if you want a souvenir to remeber the visit!

The Southbank Centre always aims to be innovative with what they offer, so you can always expect something great from a visit. Whether it's the roof bar and garden atop Queen Elizabeth Hall, the view from the member's lounge, a huge variety of temporary markets or one of the exhibits at the Hayward Gallery the Southbank Centre will impress. And the staff are amazing, too! They are always friendly, polite and knowledgeable about their position and you can tell they really love what they do.

Checked out the Alchemy (south Asian) festival which lead to good eats under £10. Also checked leake street for some pics of graffiti, the walk along the bridge and Waterloo station.

The Southbank Centre is a complex of venues based by the south end of Waterloo Bridge and houses the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and The Hayward art gallery making it a huge centre for the arts. They have recently completely redeveloped the whole site which is I think is a fantastic boost for the arts in London and helps to reinforce London as the culture centre of the world. I have been loads of times and have always enjoyed myself, many of the UK's orchestras are resident there such as the Philharmonia Orchestra, the London Sinfonietta and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment - all of which I have seen. If orchestra is not you're thing than there is loads of other music including loads of electronic acts and brilliant jazz players. Obviously there is the Hayward gallery as well which itself is a stunning view, I haven't been so much but it is the base of the Arts Council's National Touring Exhibitions programme and I've seen Leonardo da Vinci and Edvard Munch there. Check out the website as there are always different events and festivals covering a wide range of mediums from classical music to readings to poetry. There's a cafe and a cd store and a few other things but these are a little overpriced in my opinion (oh well). One of my highlights of London!

This place is quite possibly my favorite location in the world. I'm in California now but I still think of London's Southbank Centre often and fondly. I would go there every week when I lived in London and I am a better person for it!

The Southbank Centre is a really great place to check out in London. There is SO much going on there, lots of it free events, talks and workshops plus a lot of great ticketed events, concerts, seminars, dance shows.... you name it, they've got it. It's a nice place to go and just sit beside the river as well. The Southbank Centre is a real asset to London! Can't wait to book my tickets for the next big events there!

Got a bit obsessed with food festivals this year and the real food market is one of my place to be this year. I've been eating and buying great range of quality organic meats, cheeses, charcuterie and bread, fresh fruit and veg, delicious cakes and desserts, the first rate craft beers and wines. Can not stop myself.

Southbank Centre is the premier destination for free and low-cost cultural events, cool goings-on, and fee wifi. Their myriad offerings include children's festivals, multiple literature events, and the World of Women festival in March celebrating feminism and aimed at a diverse audience. I've had books signed by many of my favourite authors here and seen great performances. Despite the slightly complicated layout and toilets in need of updating, it's an awesome venue.

I'm writing this review based solely on the outdoor festivals they have here. I've been to two in the last month (a bit last minute and a bit randomly to be honest). The first was the Indian Food Festival. YUMMO! I was in the area for a conference at King's, and unfortunately they lunch planning was a bit lackluster. Basically cold canapes (even though some seemed like they should have been served hot) and definitely not enough of them. We decided to go out and find something in the area as they also gave us 1.5 hours for lunch. Someone said, "Oh, there should be cafes near Southbank." Then I had the revelation that the Indian Food Festival (which sounded awesome, but I couldn't make it to due to prior commitments) was there. HOORAH! Indian street food! Any street food really, but I love me some spice. So we went and had a veggie dosa (which was amazing, and the spice was just right even if the guy I was with thought it was a bit overpowering). They also had meat dosas, which traveling to Southern India, I thought was a bit strange as I think they're mostly veggie there. I also had a mango lassi (which was more like a mango milkshake), and some pani puri. It was the first time I had the pani puri, but it was like heaven in my mouth. I could have stayed there longer and eaten my way through the festival until someone needed to roll me away, but luckily my two partners in crime were a bit less stupid than me, and forced me to head back to the conference. The second was for the food and cheese festival. After brunch on my b-day and before seeing Noises Off, we had about 1.5 hours to waste. I wanted to check it out, but the other half was dubious due to the inclement weather. However, I forged on, hoping for something tasty and delicious to try out before heading to see what turned out to be an amazingly hysterical show. We sampled some cheese and some wine. We even purchased a couple of glasses from Dvine Wines (highly recommended, as all the wines are organic/sustainable/biodynamic). Reasonably priced too. We bought some cheese macarons from two different places. One place had them like regular ones with some sort of fruit/cheese filling in the middle. Mine was pear/roquefort and it was AMAZING. The other used slices of cheese from La Fromagerie in the middle and were quite larger. Also amazing. I think cheese macarons are the new thing! We might have stayed longer, but the rain was getting wetter, and the wind was getting colder, so we left and headed to the theatre. I had a good time nonetheless. I will definitely be checking out these outdoor festivals again. Best of all, it's free admission to a bunch of tents, and while you might be paying for food or something there, there's no admission so you can make it into something cheap or something expensive depending on how much you're enjoying yourself!

Southbank Centre I miss you! Saw many free events and performances here during the Olympic Summer of 2012. The amount of festivals and events at this one venue makes it worthy of five stars already and it's prime location along the southbank is just simply perfect. Please check the southbanke center out for any free events, it is a perfect addition to a London Southbank Stroll anytime of the year!

The southbank centre is a very wonderful place where you have shops,restaurants all linked to different buildings,another lovely thing is the sight of the river thames,charing cross station,imax building and waterloo station are very close by which makes its accessibility quite easy.

Take a visit on a Sunday and enjoy the atmosphere with free music,dancing and a leisurely vibe. Love it!

Great spot especially with kids. Also I have seen very good artists here.

I visited the Southbank Centre recently with my children. It was quite entertaining for me but my children got bored with some pieces of the art there. My children enjoyed the makeshift boats on a roof there but were bored by most of the other pieces. There was a wide range of art but I think adults would enjoy going there rather than children. There are many intriguing pieces such as the blown up house. The gift shop was rather expensive but overall this was a fun day out for adults rather than children and I would recommend it to any arty or creative person.

The Southbank centre is a real asset to London's cultural and visual landscape. I have been to many events and festivals. But I love the sheer variety of events that take place. Many are free. The highlight of my year is the literature festival held during the summer, when many writers and influential authors do readings and talks. Sign up to the newsletter to be updated of all the latest events.

The place is full of variety, you'll always find something that you like there from food to live music including films.

I have only recently discovered this venue and now I love it and I love going back there over and over again because it's never the same experience. The venue is compromises several buildings which boast a number of bars, restaurants, gallery spaces, cinema rooms, lecture theatres and many more. It's a great place to hang out day or night and it's certainly where lots of trendy Londoners go. There is always lots going on at the Southbank: art exhibitions, film premiers, talks on a verity of issues, music competitions, comedy- you name it. The great thing is that you can just head to one place and find all sorts of entertainment without having to move or spend money on a taxi going from one place to the other.

This is a review for the Members Bar at the Southbank Centre. For £45 a year, you gain access to the 6th floor members bar. I'm a freelance writer so it is useful to have a working space in the centre of town as a base. Overall the member's bar is good value and you have great views of the river while working. In the last year there has been growing demand, which means that finding a table to work can be a bit of a scrum on weekdays. The wifi is generally reliable, however tables could be cleaner especially first thing in the morning. Only half the area is designated for laptop use, though one can read and have coffee in the other half. It is unclear what the position is if you want to read from your iPad in the laptop free zone. Food within the Southbank centre, while good, is also ridiculously expensive. And breakfast can easily set you back close to £10. Overall a useful space for freelancers seeking a working space, however space is limited.

An excellent place to spend your day or visit after work. Full of Arty people and in the evening office people. Great views and on a summers day the perfect place to soak up a few rays. Lots of free events and always a great atmosphere. A great day out.

I find this place the perfect place to go during Credit crunch. There is a lounge where there are regular free music performance and you could sit down and listen for free. We brought our own salad bowl and coffee. Once the day gets dark, proceed to second floor at the front of the building. You will find the best river thames view in London. Highly recommended.

The Royal Festival Hall is one of the Southbank Centre iconic building. They host a series of concerts, films, shows, and live music is sometimes available for free at the lounge area.

Southbank Centre' is the right place for any music and culture lover. wide-ranging programme includes classical and world music, rock and pop, dance, literature and the visual arts in Royal Festival Hall,and much more.Its situated on the south bank of the river Thames, so can be part of a day trip in the area, lots of restaurant and shops around, can be a great day out for the family or a night out with friends.Long lasting impression, of the art, the design , the sounds and the sights that this place has to offer.

London Eye is the only one thing that they have done ever to south London, why they just works on the central and the north but not south? It always makes me confused!:. Hope to see new attractive things on South London, too....

This definitely is the most beautiful and romantic place in London. You can just take a walk by the river overlooking Big Ben, St Paul's and all the landmark bridges of the city or just sit and have a drink in one of the several bars. If you get tired of walking and want to feed yourself you can always head to Wagamama for some Thai or Giraffe for some burgers! The art lovers like me can go to Tate Modern and walk around the gallery. There is also a small independent market place just before the millennium bridge where you can find lots of amazing street food or buy handmade woolen garments and hipster dresses. South Bank Centre has some great performances all the time I came across one of the best Brazilian music performance I have ever seen. So if you are on a date or just want to go for a casual drink with a friend or even want to spend some time by yourself Southbank is just the place for you to go!

As others have said before me, South Bank Centre is a great venue in terms of events, both paid and free. I'm especially fond of the free performances of jazz orchestras in the Royal Festival Hall as social dancers often come down to dance, so you get to watch a wide variety of performers. I keep telling myself that I'll be one of those dancers one day but We'll see! Another reason I like South Bank Centre is the free wifi and abundance of seating sprinkled around the centre. I'm using it now to write this review and catch up on some lecture videos. Nice, comfortable seats, airy space and decent wifi. You can also get food from the outlets nearby and eat here without being bothered. A possibly major downside is that, because this is a popular destination, you sometimes get loads of kids running around, making a lot of noise, as kids are wont to do! Given all this, why am I only awarding this place four stars? Well, I do agree that the food places around here could be better. It's pretty much a case of chain restaurants Giraffe, Las Iguanas, Eat, Benugo, Canteen and I'm just a little sick of seeing them everywhere!

I visited the Southbank centre for the first time very recently, to see the Lost and Found Orchestra and was very impressed (and surprised!) by how nice the building was and how much there was to do inside. Just on the ground floor, there is a bar and a dining area with a stage, a piano and a dance-floor - I have no idea if it's available for parties but it would make a great venue! There was also a gigantic blow up igloo which you could sit inside and watch a video where Londoners said what they think makes London so special. There were also a couple of giftshops which sold some really nice and unusual items. I spent most of my time in the actual theatre bit, which was very modern and well laid out - I was right at the front, but I think you'd have had a great view from anywhere in the auditorium. I'd recommend going to catch a show here - there's a really mixed bill and I'll definitely go again. However, it's also worth calling in to look round the building and see the art work - like some of the other reviewers have pointed out, it's free!

The south bank centre, although it has just had some of it's funding cut, seems to be getting better all the time. There are always loads of free events on here - music, art, performance etc, which you check out whilst drinking beer in one of the many bars dotted around the place, or maybe you might like to check them out by arriving a couple of hours early for one of the many gigs, films, plays or exhibitions that you may be going to. The concert program alone in this place is second to none in the entire of london - sometimes this can be a shame as the festival and queen elizabeth halls are not exactly the place to mosh - but often it's just plain mindblowing, and sometimes the 2 things even happen at once (i saw femi kuti last night at the opening of the London Jaz Festival, and not onl was the concert one of the best i have ever seen, but the audience was on their feet within the first song or two). The film programs at the BFI are always great, and the new bars that have been added recently make the place just the right side of hip. In short, it's a hit.