Bruckner's Symphony No.8

Bruckner’s Symphony No.8 is an 80-minute ‘cathedral in sound’ – vast, intense and deeply spiritual, and one of the most ambitious works he ever completed.

Tonight conducted by Lawrence Renes, the work is scored for a massive orchestra including triple woodwinds, eight horns, and harps.

It is characterised by intense, Wagnerian brass chorales, profound spiritual depth and an apocalyptic, emotionally charged and highly contrapuntal structure.

It opens in an atmosphere of tension and uncertainty, with a dark theme in the low strings that keeps returning in different guises. The energetic scherzo drives relentlessly forward, before the expansive adagio brings music of glowing warmth, solemn beauty and quiet awe.

The finale draws the whole symphony together, recalling earlier ideas and transforming them in a dramatic struggle that finally resolves in a triumphant contrapuntal blaze of sound.

Listen for the way themes reappear and grow across the piece and for the powerful sense of journeying – from doubt and darkness to an ending of overwhelming affirmation.

Performers

Philharmonia Orchestra

Lawrence Renes conductor *

Repertoire

Bruckner: Symphony No.8 (vers. 1890, ed. Nowak)

Need to know

Age guidance

For ages 7+. Under-12s must be accompanied by an adult on our site.

Event information

* Please note change of conductor from originally advertised

For your visit

This event is held at the Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre

The Royal Festival Hall is open six days a week.

Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.

A concrete building with flags on the roof, with the London Eye and Big Ben in the background

A lively crowd cheers with raised hands, while a performer in a white hat and suit plays guitar, against red lighting.

A guitarist performing on a dark stage at the Royal Festival Hall, lit up by multiple spotlights.

Pianis Víkingur Ólafsson is seated at a grand piano while playing Bach’s Goldberg Variations on the stage of Royal Festival Hall

Organist Carol Williams plays the Royal Festival Hall organ whiich is illumiated with bold colours

The Royal Festival Hall is home to our largest auditorium as well as The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Members’ Lounge, Festival Bar & Kitchen, Ballroom Cafe and Skylon restaurant.

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.

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.

On Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace. You can grab a coffee and a slice of freshly made cake from our Ballroom Cafe. Or alternatively enjoy destination dining in the restaurant at Skylon.

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.

Other places to eat and drink whilst you’re here