City of Floating Sounds
Huang Ruo and the BBC Concert Orchestra take the audience on an immersive musical journey through London to connect with their surroundings and each other.
Picture the scene: dozens of strangers meet at select locations around London and walk through the city together, playing different strands of Huang Ruo’s City of Floating Sounds out loud from a bespoke app, creating a full symphony as they go. Sound intriguing? Grab your phone and some comfy shoes and join a moving orchestra!
Your first step is to choose from six different starting points around the city to connect with other participants and begin the experience. Your app will select one of 12 strands of the piece to play aloud, and guide you to follow your chosen route, layering with the music played by others around you.
The path you take and other audience members you meet all change what you hear, meaning no two performances are the same.
The experience culminates in a full, live orchestral performance of the piece by composer Huang Ruo in the Royal Festival Hall, alongside compositions from Advaith Jagannath, whose work was performed as part of the BBC Proms Young Composer performance this year, and Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.
The mission of the BBC Concert Orchestra is to bring inspiring musical experiences to everyone, everywhere, with the ensemble’s versatility as the key.
Commissioned by Factory International, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, National Taichung Theater, Taiwan and West Kowloon Cultural District. Produced by Factory International and BBC Philharmonic. Bespoke app developed by ECHOES.
Presented by the Southbank Centre and BBC Concert Orchestra.
Performers
BBC Concert Orchestra
Ellie Slorach conductor
Repertoire
Advaith Jagannath: Gaia
Huang Ruo: City of floating sounds
Arvo Pärt: Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten
Need to know
Please download the City of Floating Sounds mobile app ahead of the performance, so we have time to help if you have any issues. You can find the link in your pre-event email.
The walking element of the event begins at 6.30pm from a location approximately a 30 minute walk from the venue. Further details will be sent to ticket holders ahead of the event. The live concert in the Royal Festival Hall begins at 7.30pm and lasts 1 hour 15 minutes.
Choose your route
Choose one of our starting points for the experience when you book your tickets.
Victoria Embankment Gardens: TempleAt 1.3 miles, our greenest route takes you on a step-free walk through riverside gardens.
St Paul’s Cathedral
At 1.5 miles, our step-free longest route passes plenty of London’s top attractions.
Bankside by Tate Modern
Take in views of the Thames as you follow the river on this one-mile, step-free route.
Riverside Terrace
No walking involved: meet on our Riverside Terrace at 6.30pm to listen to the piece together.
Lambeth Palace
Spot the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben from across the river on this one-mile route.
Pick your own route
Make your own way to our Riverside Terrace to enjoy the end of the piece together.
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
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
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.