The iconic Southbank Centre is turning 75 this year, marking the milestone with a vibrant line-up of anniversary celebrations.
The Southbank Centre’s story began in 1951 with the Festival of Britain and the Royal Festival Hall at its heart. Built to provide hope to the nation after the turbulent Second World War, eight million people visited London during May to September 1951 as the country embraced modern art and architecture.
The Royal Festival Hall is the last surviving structure from the original festival site and was the reason why the Southbank Centre itself was built. Completed on 3 May 1951, the hall was finished just in time for the Festival’s opening, with further additions made during the 1960s as the site developed into a major cultural hub.
75 years later, the centre is channelling the same spirit of celebration in 2026, with a series of takeovers and exhibitions to mark the diamond anniversary.
The centrepiece of the festivities is You Are Here on 3 and 4 May, marking the exact beginning of the Festival in 1951. The performance takes the audience on a journey through 75 years of British youth culture, including music, dance, theatre and fashion. It lasts two hours and invites visitors to move through the scenes themselves, from the swaying of a 1950s tea dance to the intensity of a nightclub dance floor.
To celebrate 50 years of the iconic skate space beneath Queen Elizabeth Hall, the area will transform into the Skate Space exhibition (7 May – 21 June), featuring photography, audio and video on a pay-what-you-can basis.
On 25 and 26 July, steel pan groups from across the country will be coming together in a nod to the first steel pan performance at the Festival of Britain. In 1951, the Trinidad All-Steel Percussion Orchestra performed outside the Royal Festival Hall as the first steelband to travel abroad, introducing the musical form to a new audience.
In the summer, youth culture will be celebrated again with Imagine the Future – led by renowned poet Lemn Sissay – where local and national schools will share their hopes and dreams for the future through poetry and creative writing.
Building on this focus, the Southbank Centre will also present a new youth-powered weekender, Letters To The Future (18–20 September), spotlighting the ‘cultural leaders’ of the next generation, including Amelia Dimoldenberg, Olly Alexander and Myra-Rose Craig.
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Goalhanger, the popular podcast company headed by Gary Lineker, will be hosting a series of live shows, Q&As and panels in The Rest is Fest (4 – 6 September). Responsible for fan favourites like The Rest is Football, The Rest is Politics and The Rest is Entertainment, the faces behind the series will be heading to the halls to bring the entertainment to the stage.
In the autumn, pianist Yuja Wang (11 September – 13 December) will combine a traditional piano recital with mixed reality headsets for a 50-minute immersive performance and throughout the year, Southbank Centre will be highlighting some of the iconic artists it has hosted from around the world.
The Hayward Gallery will present a landmark exhibition of Anish Kapoor (16 June – 18 October) and the Royal Festival Hall will mark the 90th birthday of composer Steve Reich with the Classical Opening Festival (22 – 27 September).
Other highlights include Harry Styles’ Meltdown Festival (11 – 21 June), which features 11 days of music, dancing and community, alongside a new range of public artworks unveiled on the Riverside Terrace created by Sir Quentin Blake.
To keep the history of the centre at the forefront, the team is now inviting anyone with memories of the Festival of Britain to come forward – whether it be from one of the events on the South Bank or from the celebrations across the country.
To submit a memory, head to the Southbank Centre website: www.southbankcentre.co.uk/festivalofbritain
To see the full line-up of events or to book tickets, visit: www.southbankcentre.co.uk/our-75th-anniversary/
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
