Ura Matsuri 2025
Come along and join an evening of live music, dance and storytelling celebrating the diverse heritage of the East and South East Asian diaspora in the UK.
Now in their ninth year, Ura Matsuri is bringing a matsuri like no other to the Southbank Centre. Compered by award-winning Malaysian actor, performance maker and poet Vera Chok and Ura Matsuri resident hostess, Japanny-A-Granny, Ura Matsuri serves up a wide range of delights from pop music to Chindon Street performance and much more.
With performers including Frank Chickens, Tokyo Riddim Band, Beibei Wang, Hyelim Kim & Masumi, Endo, Gamelan Lila Cita & Lila Bhawa dancers, Fancy Chance, Tomoko Komura and Chindon Yeah’s, it’s sure to be ‘one hell of a showcase for East and South East Asian music, performance, fun and culture’ (To Do List).
From ‘Ura’, meaning ‘other side’ in Japanese and ‘Matsuri’, ‘local community festival’, Ura Matsuri has been running annually since 2016, curated by Ura Matsuri Collective (UMC), a group of Japanese women artists from the legendary pop band Frank Chickens.
As described by an audience member of the 2024 festival, ‘It’s a celebration of culture, and in an ever divided world such a clever way to bring people together’.
Need to know
Ura Matsuri also presents Daylight Ninjas as part of ESEA Encounters. Find them on the Riverside Terrace from 1pm until 3pm for workshops, family performances and more.
Access
This event is British Sign Language interpreted (BSL). Interpretation is by Lian Duan (subject to change).
To book tickets for BSL interpretation, email [email protected] or call us on 020 3879 9555.
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 The Clore Ballroom Southbank Centre
The Clore Ballroom is open six days a week.
Tuesday, 10am – 6pm*
Wednesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.
*If we’re hosting a performance, the building will stay open until the event ends.
Plan your visit
The Clore Ballroom is located inside our Royal Festival Hall on Level 2.
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.
There is step-free access to The Clore Ballroom, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall, via a ramp.
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
Next to The Clore Ballroom is our Ballroom Cafe where you can grab a coffee and a piece of freshly made cake. Also 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.
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.