Southbank Centre Tours
Peek behind the curtain on a guided tour for an exclusive glimpse into the secrets, stories and design innovations behind our iconic venues.
From its beginnings as a marshy, lawless playground, to the birth of the Royal Festival Hall for the Festival of Britain in 1951, the Southbank Centre site has quite a history.
Join our expert guides for an exclusive-access journey through the iconic, and at times divisive, architecture of our buildings, and uncover accounts from the people who brought them to life.
Walk in the footsteps of the stars who have performed here, learn why our acoustics are considered some of the best in the world, and discover how one little apple led to our famous green carpet.
The tour takes place in our foyer spaces and backstage areas.
Show your ticket in the Ballroom Cafe and the Southbank Centre Shop, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall for a 10 per cent discount on the day of the tour. Please note the 10% shop discount is not valid on Jellycat, artist editions, sale items, or in conjunction with any other offer. Discount valid in-store only.
Need to know
Tours last approximately 75 minutes and begin at the Cloakroom, Level 2, Green Side, Royal Festival Hall, opposite the Ticket Office.
As this is a working building, each tour is different, and we can’t guarantee access to the Royal Festival Hall or Queen Elizabeth Hall auditorium.
Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
05 Jun – 26 Sep 2026
Standard entry
from £20 + £4 booking fee
Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand.
Concessions
Learn more about concession discounts
Refunds and exchanges
Find out more about our refund and exchange policy
Become a Member
Members get free entry to the Hayward Gallery and the first chance to book our entire programme of events, including go-down-in-history gigs, concerts with world-class orchestras, and talks from cultural icons and political giants.
Join today from £60
Access
Tours can be made step-free. Please inform us of any access requirements you have when you make your booking, by calling us on 020 3879 9555 or emailing [email protected]
You can join our free Access Scheme through your online Southbank Centre account or via email.
Find out more about our Access Scheme
All our access information
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.