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Two members of the Southbank Centre security team – one young Black woman and one young Black man – at work standing outside the Queen Elizabeth Hall; both wear dark trousers a light shirt and yellow tie; they have ear-pieces in and various accreditation on; the man also holds a walkie-talkie.

Safety & security

We take the safety and security of all our visitors very seriously

To ensure your visit is a safe one we work with a range of partners, including the Metropolitan Police, and our local Servator team.

We have a number of security measures in place, some of which are highly visible, and some which are less evident. And whether our buildings are open or closed, we have security and surveillance measures in place 24/7.

All of our staff, from our highly-trained security team to the hosts you’ll see around our buildings and at events play a vital role in keeping you safe. They keep an eye out for suspicious behaviour, and attend regular security training and briefings to ensure they’re up-to-date with the latest security practices and threat information.

To help keep us all safe and sound at the Southbank Centre please co-operate fully with our staff, and if you see anything suspicious, or anything which doesn’t look right whilst you’re here, then please inform one of our hosts, or a member of security staff, as soon as possible.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

 

Enhanced safety & bag checksTo make your visit as safe, secure and enjoyable as possible, we’ve enhanced our security, which includes the introduction of random bag checks across our site.

Wherever possible, don’t bring large bags with you, as these are likely to be searched. Bags that are larger than 40 x 25 x 25cm won’t be allowed into our auditoriums or into the Hayward Gallery.

Prohibited items

The following items are not permitted inside our buildings or events.

  • Corrosive substances
  • Illegal substances
  • Personal alcohol
  • Protest materials such as megaphones, banners, whistles, klaxons, poles, placards, glue, spray paint, powder
  • Clothing with offensive slogans
  • Pyrotechnics, and flammable liquid (including confetti cannons)
  • Skateboards, electric scooters, bicycles or rollerblades
  • Laser devices, walkie talkies, sound systems
  • Weapons and tools (that can be used as weapons)
  • Pets and animals (apart from assistant animals)

For some events this list may be modified and additional restrictions put in place (to include items such as umbrellas, liquids, aerosols, glass and food).

A member of the Southbank Centre security team standing outside the Hayward Gallery; he is a White man with greying hair and a beard. He wears a suit with a light short and yellow tie; he has an ear-piece in. There is a CCTV camera on the wall behind him
Southbank Centre security team, photograph by Pete Woodhead
View larger image 1 of 6. A member of the Southbank Centre security team standing outside the Hayward Gallery; he is a White man with greying hair and a beard. He wears a suit with a light short and yellow tie; he has an ear-piece in. There is a CCTV camera on the wall behind him
A member of the Southbank Centre security team at work; he is a Black man with shaven head wearing brown rimmed glasses and a suit with a yellow tie; various accreditation hang around his neck
Southbank Centre security team, photograph by Pete Woodhead
View larger image 2 of 6. A member of the Southbank Centre security team at work; he is a Black man with shaven head wearing brown rimmed glasses and a suit with a yellow tie; various accreditation hang around his neck
A member of the Southbank Centre security team conducts a bag search at the door to the Royal Festival Hall. He is a young Black man with short dreads and he wears blue rubber gloves as well as a dark suit with yellow tie. he is searching the bag of a young woman with long brown hair
Southbank Centre security team, photograph by Pete Woodhead
View larger image 3 of 6. A member of the Southbank Centre security team conducts a bag search at the door to the Royal Festival Hall. He is a young Black man with short dreads and he wears blue rubber gloves as well as a dark suit with yellow tie. he is searching the bag of a young woman with long brown hair
A member of the Southbank Centre security team stands outside the Royal Festival Hall. A Black woman with her hair tied back she wears a dark suit with light shirt and yellow tie. She is leaning on a security barrier
Southbank Centre security team, photograph by Pete Woodhead
View larger image 4 of 6. A member of the Southbank Centre security team stands outside the Royal Festival Hall. A Black woman with her hair tied back she wears a dark suit with light shirt and yellow tie. She is leaning on a security barrier
A member of the Southbank Centre security team stands in the Royal Festival Hall Foyer, she is a Black woman with short red hair and wears glasses as well as a dark suit with a yellow tie; she has a walkie talkie attached to her jacket
Southbank Centre security team, photograph by Pete Woodhead
View larger image 5 of 6. A member of the Southbank Centre security team stands in the Royal Festival Hall Foyer, she is a Black woman with short red hair and wears glasses as well as a dark suit with a yellow tie; she has a walkie talkie attached to her jacket
Two members of the Southbank Centre security team – one young Black woman and one young Black man – at work standing outside near the River Thames; both wearca light shirt and yellow tie; they have ear-pieces in and various accreditation on; the man also holds a walkie-talkie.
Southbank Centre security team, photograph by Pete Woodhead
View larger image 6 of 6. Two members of the Southbank Centre security team – one young Black woman and one young Black man – at work standing outside near the River Thames; both wearca light shirt and yellow tie; they have ear-pieces in and various accreditation on; the man also holds a walkie-talkie.

Useful information

Getting here
A view of the brutalist exterior of the Royal Festival Hall with iconic London sights in the background.

Getting here

Where to find us and how to get here by road, rail and river.

Access
Adults and children playing with blue, red and orange netting

Access

Find out how we’re making our buildings and spaces accessible to as many people as possible.

Frequently asked questions
Smiling member of staff at the Welcome Desk

Help Centre

Got a question about tickets or our facilities? You’ll probably find the answer here.