The Age of Consent
Bronski Beat’s 1984 debut album – a piece of musical and political history – is performed live and reimagined through the voices of queer and trans artists.
This re-energised and revitalised performance, presented by The Chateau, originally created to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the record, is a collective call to action for the work still to be done in the fight for queer and trans liberation.
The show features a powerhouse line-up including cultural icon Bimini, legendary cabaret and performance artist David Hoyle and remarkable art-pop vocalist David McAlmont. Plus, we’ve got Bishi, Planningtorock, Sans Soucis and Tom Rasmussen bringing their musical prowess to the line-up. Having performed on the original album in 1984, the Pink Singers, Europe’s longest-running LGBTQ+ choir, are making a special return to the show for 2026 with an 80-person strong chorus. Alongside them, The Chateau Collective, a specially curated queer house band, perform bold new arrangements of the record.
The Age of Consent’s brand of bold, political synth-pop took the charts by storm with era-defining hits like ‘Smalltown Boy’ and ‘Why?’
An unashamed portrait of radical queerness in 1980s Britain, the record was a pivotal moment in LGBTQIA+ cultural history and a beacon of hope for a disenfranchised generation.
The Age of Consent is presented four decades on with its message as relevant today as ever, as the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights continues.
Musicians include KK Brown (percussion), Maxie Cheer (drums), Chris Clarke (harp), Tom Foskett-Barnes (keys/musical director/arranger), Daisy George (bass), Faye Thompson (bass clarinet/sax) and Jacqui Wheeler (synths/guitar).
Panels from the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt are on display in the Royal Festival Hall during the show. The quilt is an irreplaceable piece of social history, telling the stories of many of those lost in the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s. Lovingly handmade by family, friends and lovers, the quilt holds the memory of approximately 384 people within its 42 blocks.
The U=U Community Quilt, shown in partnership with HIV charity Positive East, is also on display in the foyer on Level 2 of the Royal Festival Hall. The quilt is a living artwork made from thousands of selfies from those living with HIV and their allies, stitched together into something extraordinary.
The Age of Consent is curated and produced by Laurie Belgrave, founder of The Chateau, with arrangements by Tom Foskett-Barnes and curation consultancy by Lulu Manning.
The Chateau is an LGBTQIA+ record label and arts incubator born in south-east London. They’ve worked with Glastonbury Festival, British Film Institute and the Southbank Centre’s own Meltdown festival.
Need to know
Box package
You can buy an exclusive box package for this event. More details of our Royal Festival Hall exclusive box package.
The show begins promptly at 8pm and lasts for around 90 minutes with no interval.
There may be photography and filming taking place at this event. Please speak to a member of staff if you have any concerns.
Line-up
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.