Benjamin Zephaniah: A Celebration
An evening of poetry, music and memories to celebrate the life and legacy of the ‘people’s poet’, Benjamin Zephaniah.
A revolutionary force in British culture, Zephaniah took poetry to the streets, infusing it with reggae rhythms and the urgency of social activism.
This celebration is hosted by Lemn Sissay, the BAFTA-nominated poet and broadcaster. He is joined by a line-up of Zephaniah’s artistic admirers and collaborators, who reflect on his enduring influence through readings and personal tributes.
The evening will feature Jackie Kay, the former Scots Makar (National Poet for Scotland) and award-winning author; and Michael Rosen, the beloved poet and former Children’s Laureate, alongside many others.
Join us to celebrate Zephaniah’s radical spirit, which still sits at the heart of our cultural life, and his legacy, which reminds us all that poetry belongs to everyone.
Need to know
Box package
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Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
10 Jul 2026, 8pm
Run time
2 hours and 30 minutes (approx)
All timings are approximate and subject to change
Standard entry
from £20 + £4 booking fee
Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand.
Concessions
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Access
Accessible events
This event is Speech-to-Text transcribed (STT).
To book tickets for BSL interpretation, email [email protected] or call us on 020 3879 9555.
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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.
Plan your visit
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
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Access
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.
Food & drink
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.