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The Royal Festival Hall is closed to the public on Tuesday 16 June. It will reopen for Harry Styles & Jules Buckley Orchestra ticket holders only at 5pm.

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Who is circus company Upswing?
A circus performer hangs in a dark space, suspended from a silk, their arms and legs fully extended
Article

Who is circus company Upswing?

Discover the proudly diverse and female led contemporary company taking circus beyond traditional spaces to meet new audiences.

5 things to know about Stravinsky’s The Firebird
Igor Stravinsky, a small 83 year old balding man wearing black-rimmed glasses stands with arms stretched out at his stands as he conducts a rehearsal
Article

5 things to know about Stravinsky’s The Firebird

Discover the background to the 1910 composition that catapulted composer Igor Stravinsky to international fame.

How I create… with writer Ella McLeod
A woman wearing a pink dress and bun, standing in front of a book shelf
Article

How I create… with writer Ella McLeod

The YA author on exploring every idea, loving what she does and finding creative inspiration when she least intends to.

My mixtape: Alexandra Dariescu's 10 pieces by female composers you need to hear
Alexandra Dariescu, a young woman with short dark hair, sits on a piano stool and leans back against the keys of the accompanying grand piano. The words 'My Mixtape' are imposed over the top of the image.
Playlist

My mixtape: Alexandra Dariescu's 10 pieces by female composers you need to hear

The celebrated pianist presents a playlist of works by ten female composers you ought to know.

Conor Mitchell: ‘I tried to assimilate for years, but sex is a big part of life’
Mid-shot of Southbank Centre Associate Artist Conor Mitchell, conducting a classical ensemble (including three visible double bass players) in a green room, wearing headphones, black pants and a black t-shirt
Article

Conor Mitchell: ‘I tried to assimilate for years, but sex is a big part of life’

The composer and theatre-maker discusses agitprop, injustices and the inherent campness of the Catholic Church in an in-depth interview.

Marina Abramović: what is performance art?
Marina Abramovic, an older white woman with long dark hair over brought forward over her left shoulder
Video

Marina Abramović: what is performance art?

Marina Abramović reflects on her more than five decades working in performance art, considering its evolution and its impact.

Who is composer Szymon Laks?
Dan Blaskey portraying polish composer Szymon Laks in the film The Last Musician of Auschwitz; he is glimpsed through an open door seated at table working at a typewriter
Article

Who is composer Szymon Laks?

Introducing the Polish composer who found himself leading the one orchestra that no musician ever wanted to find themselves available for.

Kathy Sledge on disco, discovery and being true to yourself
Singer Kathy Sledge, a Black woman with long brown hair, sits smiling in the auditorium seats of the Royal Festival Hall
Video

Kathy Sledge on disco, discovery and being true to yourself

Watch singer Kathy Sledge as she looks back at her life in music and reflects on the power of disco to break down divisions.

‘You have to be creative in prison’: Life After Prison podcast joins Inua Ellams for Koestler Arts
Life After Prison podcast hosts Zak (a tall Black man) and Jules (a young mixed race woman) look at works within the Koestler Arts exhibition with poet Inua Ellams (a Black man wearing a colourful jacket and a Zanna Bukar hat)
Video

‘You have to be creative in prison’: Life After Prison podcast joins Inua Ellams for Koestler Arts

Join Life After Prison podcast hosts Zak and Jules and poet and curator Inua Ellams for a video tour of the 2025 Koestler Arts exhibition.

So, Hear Me Out: What does pop owe to classical music?
The words ‘Classical goes pop’ in large type, flanked on either side by images of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven and singer Barry Manilow
Podcast

So, Hear Me Out: What does pop owe to classical music?

Classical music goes pop for hosts Gillian Moore and Linton Stephens in this eighth and final episode of our podcast series.

How I create... with poet and playwright Inua Ellams
The poet Inua Ellams, a Black man with a beard, wearing a Zanna Bukar hat in front of a colourful tapestry
Article

How I create... with poet and playwright Inua Ellams

Which tools are vital to a poet? Find out as Inua Ellams shares his creative process.

‘Women deserve better stories’: Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben discuss their thrilling novel
Reese Witherspoon, a woman with long blond hair sits in a chair on a stage holding a microphone in her hand as she talks.
Video

‘Women deserve better stories’: Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben discuss their thrilling novel

Two titans of storytelling – actress Reese Witherspoon and author Harlan Coben – discuss joining forces for the gripping thriller Gone Before Goodbye.