Allen Ginsberg at 100
Rejoice in the life and work of the American bard at a one-off spectacle with a stellar line-up that’s sure to go down in history as part of the Ginsberg myth.
Join us for performances from some of the biggest names in music and poetry, and musical, visual and vocal reinterpretations of his most-loved works. Allen Ginsberg at 100 is an event bursting at the seams with creativity and imagination.
Extracts from Ginsberg’s landmark poem ‘Howl’ are performed with an exhilarating dynamism: actor and artistic director of The Faction ensemble Mark Leipacher is joined by bassist and co-founder of Tomorrow’s Warriors, Gary Crosby, who leads a trio of performers.
‘Elegy for Neal Cassidy’ gets an expansive musical interpretation by pioneering British composer and artist Scanner (Robin Rimbaud) and photographer and video performance artist Antonio Pagano.
Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and internationally acclaimed poet Anne Waldman perform readings from Ginsberg’s iconic catalogue.
Tony Award-winning musician and writer Stew performs a dazzling tribute to Ginsberg.
Mary Dullea, an Irish pianist and chamber musician, gives a stunning performance of Philip Glass’ Etude 17 alongside a reading of Ginsberg’s Magic Psalm by Thurston Moore.
Youth – a Grammy-winning music producer and bassist for Killing Joke – and James Lavelle – DJ, founder of Mo’ Wax label and the creative force behind UNKLE – bring their take on an excerpt of Iron Horse.
And painter, film-maker and founding member of the Raincoats Gina Birch reads a selection of poems.
Curated and produced by Jesse Goodman in collaboration with the Allen Ginsberg Estate and the Southbank Centre.
Need to know
Copies of AH(!)MERICA are available to purchase as an optional add-on for £12 (RRP £14.95) when you buy a ticket to the event. Hardcover copies of Howl are also available to purchase as an optional add-on for £14 (RRP £16) when you buy a ticket to the event. The book must be collected on the night of the event, as we’re unable to distribute copies afterwards.
Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
12 Jul 2026, 7.30pm
Run time
2 hours (approx)
All timings are approximate and subject to change
Standard entry
from £15 + £4 booking fee
Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand.
Concessions
Learn more about concession discounts
Refunds and exchanges
Find out more about our refund and exchange policy
Poetry International Multi-buy discount
Book multiple Poetry International events in the same transaction and receive a discount:
Two events: 10% discount
Three events: 15% discount
Four events: 20% discount
Become a Member
Members get free entry to the Hayward Gallery and the first chance to book our entire programme of events, including go-down-in-history gigs, concerts with world-class orchestras, and talks from cultural icons and political giants.
Join today from £60
Access
Accessible events
This event is Speech-to-Text transcribed (STT).
You can join our free Access Scheme through your online Southbank Centre account or via email.
Find out more about our Access Scheme
All our access information
For your visit
This event is held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall Southbank Centre
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is open from 90 minutes before events start until they finish. It’s closed at all other times.
Plan your visit
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is home to both our second-largest auditorium and the Purcell Room.
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.