A Poet in Every Port – London
Roll up, roll up – the mobile National Poetry Library lands back in London to celebrate poetry, language, and local identity.
Inspired by the spirit of the 1951 Festival of Britain – the nationwide celebration of arts and culture that led to the creation of the Southbank Centre – A Poet in Every Port is a project celebrating poetry in coastal communities across the UK.
We’re visiting 11 coastal towns and cities in a specially designed mobile version of the National Poetry Library, and in July, we stop back at the Southbank Centre for a special Poetry International Festival experience.
Explore the mobile library, find out about where we’ve travelled and where we’re heading next and write your very own Word Exchange poem.
Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
12 Jul 2026, 10am
Run time
7 hours (approx)
All timings are approximate and subject to change
Standard entry
Free – no ticket required
Concessions
Learn more about concession discounts
Refunds and exchanges
Find out more about our refund and exchange policy
Make a donation
Help us open up the arts to everyone by making a one-off or a recurring donation.
For your visit
This event is held at the Queen's Walk Southbank Centre
Queen’s Walk is a public space and is open all day, every day.
Plan your visit
Queen’s Walk, alongside the River Thames from Jubilee Gardens to Waterloo Bridge, is where you’ll find pop-ups, public art installations and the South Bank Book Market.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.