WordPlay: Songs and Stories
Join other families to enjoy music, stories and play designed to encourage creativity, communication and connection for under-fives and their grown-ups.
With live music and stories from some of the UK’s most exciting children’s authors, come on down to WordPlay to play with words, music and sounds.
There are two time slots for different age groups. See age recommendation for details.
Check back soon for line-up information.
WordPlay is a new programme at the Southbank Centre, as part of the Open Doors series of free events for all. WordPlay continues to develop with children and their grown-ups over the summer, before launching fully in September 2025.
Performers
Performer override
Need to know
10.15am: 0 – 2 years
11.30am: 3 – 5 years
If you have children across both age groups, we recommend the 11.30am session.
All children must remain with an adult. No unaccompanied adults are allowed.
Access
This is a Relaxed event; it has a relaxed approach to noise and movement in the space, and you are free to enter and exit during the session. Noise-cancelling headphones are available for both adults and children.
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.