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Photo: Opringle at English Wikipedia, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Southbank Centre is the largest single-run arts centre in the world and includes the Royal Festival Hall and the Queen Elizabeth Hall. It's one of the largest arts centres in the world, occupying a 21-acre site in the midst of London’s most vibrant cultural quarter on the South Bank of the Thames. It offers a wide-ranging artistic programme including classical & world music, rock & pop, jazz, dance, literature and the visual arts.
The Southbank Centre is an arts centre in London, England. It is adjacent to the separately owned National Theatre and BFI Southbank.
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Large 1960s development on the South Bank. Built largely of concrete, views on its architectural merits vary considerably. Presents a varied programme of music, literature, dance, performances and exhibitions on contemporary art and culture at its venues the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and The Hayward. A host of new eateries and shops have now opened along the riverside and terrace. The Royal Festival Hall hosts almost daily classical music concerts throughout the year, tickets often available on the day. The Royal Festival Hall opened in 1951 and was substantially altered in 1964. Its 2007 renovation held true to its 1960s design. Free events are held daily, ranging from free music to festivals, interactive art installations to the popular slow food market.
The largest public art space in the UK and the exhibitions showcase masters and young British and international artists, usually accompanied by outdoor installations that bring the area to life. The gallery often holds free exhibitions which can be enjoyed by all. Particularly strong on contemporary art exhibitions. Hosts a single temporary exhibition at any time.
QEH
Music venue hosting daily performances.
London's most famous and popular skateboarding area, situated partly underneath Queen Elizabeth Hall along Queen's Walk and the Thames. Also popular with graffiti artists, BMXers and so forth.
Painted between 1975 and 1989, Topolski Century is a unique, monumental work of a Polish artist Feliks Topolski (1907-1989) that presents a remarkable record of the key events and the iconic figures of the 20th century such as Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Pablo Picasso and Coco Chanel. 600 feet long and 20 feet high, Topolski Century is the artist’s eye witness testimony to the era that shaped our lives. It is global in its scope and is Topolski’s legacy to future generations.
Tucked under Waterloo Bridge, BFI Southbank, formerly known as the National Film Theatre, pitches itself as the home of film and has three screens showing classic (including silent), foreign language and less mainstream films. It has a new entrance on Theatre Alley, a shop dedicated to film, an interactive exhibition space and an excellent bar/restaurant at the back. Visitors can also access the Mediatheque - wind your way through the BFI's extensive film and TV archive for free. Cool bar and restaurant. Tickets are generally available on the spur of the moment.