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People wearing VR headsets in an immersive setting, next to a grand piano.

Autumn

Mon 1 Sep – Sun 1 Nov

Find inspiring art and activities for all in the heart of London

Join us this autumn for music of all kinds, awe-inspiring exhibitions, great thinkers and writers, family fun and free events.

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Highlights

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More info for Anish Kapoor
Large red texture sculpture hanging down from the ceiling to the floor in a space with stone floors and pillars
Art & exhibitions

Anish Kapoor

Venture into a world of mystery through the artist’s awe-inspiring works at our major exhibition
Hayward Gallery
More info for Playing with Fire
Yuja Wang plays piano in a dreamy landscape
Classical music

Playing with Fire

Get closer to the explosive talent of Yuja Wang at a groundbreaking concert merging VR and live piano
Royal Festival Hall
Multi-buy
More info for Letters to My Younger Future Self
A woman in a white shirt stands in the centre of a theatre balcony, while the rest of the audience reach out towards here holding letters
Literature & poetry

Letters to My Younger Future Self

Big stars and bright new talent share hilarious stories, dark secrets and sage advice
Royal Festival Hall
Multi-buy
More info for Fire in My Mouth
Five figures dressed in matching blue outfits stand in a symmetrical row against a fiery backdrop, each holding a large pair of scissors raised above their head.
Classical music

Fire in My Mouth

A 146-strong all-woman choir performs Julia Wolfe's epic semi-staged protest with the Philharmonia
Royal Festival Hall
Multi-buy
More info for The Smeds and the Smoos
A colorful children's illustration of a red alien and a blue alien holding hands on a desert planet under a huge moon.
Family

The Smeds and the Smoos

Star-crossed aliens, magical music and cosmic laughs in a stellar stage adaptation of a beloved book
Queen Elizabeth Hall

Food & drink

View all our cafes, restaurants & bars

Southbank Centre Food Market
An elevated view of a bustling outdoor market square filled with food stalls, colorful bunting, and crowds of people.

Southbank Centre Food Market

Find London’s best street food at our market

Seventy5th Balcony Bar
An outdoor terrace lit by golden hour sunset with people standing at tables and drinking cocktails with big ben in the distance

Seventy5th Balcony Bar

Come for the drinks, stay for the views at our spectacular bar

Hayward Gallery Cafe
Cafe interior with green patterned wallpaper, dark brown tables and chairs in a well lit space

Hayward Gallery Cafe

A contemporary space with views of our iconic architecture

Free events

View all free events
More info for Gift to the Future
A large concrete building with colourful text decals affixed to its facade stands near a riverfront square, with the London Eye visible in the background.
Art & exhibitions

Gift to the Future

See our brutalist buildings transformed with a giant poetry installation
Site wide
Tickets Free
More info for Virtual Orchestra: Play Along
A man in a Hawaiian shirt wears a VR headset and headphones, holding two controllers in the clore ballroom
Family

Virtual Orchestra: Play Along

Pick up a virtual instrument and play your heart out alongside the Philharmonia Orchestra
Royal Festival Hall
Tickets Free
More info for BUMPAH x Future Rhythms
Three stylishly dressed people pose for a selfie near a DJ controller under bright blue lighting.
Gigs

BUMPAH x Future Rhythms

A free celebration of the DJs pushing the boundaries of sound
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Tickets Free
More info for Creative Encounters: 2B or not 2B's Life Drawing
A group of seven people recreate Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper in front of a large reproduction of the painting.
Courses & workshops

Creative Encounters: 2B or not 2B's Life Drawing

Capture the form, movement and language of the body at a welcoming drawing session
The Clore Ballroom
Tickets Free
More info for Creative Future Writers' Day
People browse books at tables in a large, wide brutalist hall with exposed concrete pillars and warm wooden ceiling lights.
Literature & poetry

Creative Future Writers' Day

A day of talks and tips for aspiring writers. In association with Service95 Book Club
Purcell Room
Tickets Free

Autumn series

More info for Goalhanger: The Rest Is Fest
Composite image featuring the hosts of multiple Goalhanger podcasts against a black background.

Goalhanger: The Rest Is Fest

Fri 4 – Sun 6 Sep 2026
Indulge in your favourite podcasts live as we welcome Goalhanger’s impressive starting line-up
More info for Creative Intelligence
A graphic of an eye made up of tiny black numbers, with orange and purple shadows

Creative Intelligence

Fri 11 – Sun 13 Sep 2026
Explore how AI and digital innovation are reshaping the world we live in
More info for Letters to the Future
A lady in a beige jumper with her hair up resting her head on one hand.

Letters to the Future

Fri 18 – Sun 20 Sep 2026
Address today’s pivotal issues in a series of talks and debates led by the thinkers of tomorrow
More info for Season Opening Week
A group of young women hold open scissors above their heads in both hands

Season Opening Week

Tue 22 – Sun 27 Sep 2026
The start of a classical year full of stories that speak to us today
More info for London Literature Festival
Dua Lipa with long straight brown hair, wearing a satin yellow shirt.

London Literature Festival

Tue 20 Oct – Sun 1 Nov 2026
The global superstar and founder of the Service95 Book Club curates a line-up of her favourite writers

While you’re with us

Jeppe Hein: Appearing Rooms
People enjoying the Jeppe Hein Fountain at the Southbank Centre

Jeppe Hein: Appearing Rooms

A summer favourite returns to our site with water fountains to splash around and cool down in.

Shopping
Wooden displays in the Southbank centre shop, featuring books, plushies, and colourful merchandise

Shopping

A vibrant range of inspiring books, homeware, prints, accessories and more.

Klaus Weber: Thinking Fountains
Two statues; a green human body with water spouting from its neck and another of human legs with water pouring down from above displayed outdoors

Thinking
Fountains

Water cascades and spouts over Klaus Weber’s bronze figures.

Modified Social Benches
Two children eating ice cream on a red cirrcular bench

Modified Social Benches

Benches that challenge the space and distance we place between one another.

William Pye's Zemran
A photograph showing Riverside Terrace at Southbank Centre, with the metal sculpture Zemran in the foreground, next to Queen Elizabeth Hall

William Pye's Zemran

Pye’s beautiful stainless steel sculpture sits overlooking the Thames.