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A concrete brutalist building with the London Eye and Big Ben in the background
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Southbank Centre Tours

Fri 5 Jun – Sat 26 Sep 2026

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

Event information

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

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.

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