Southbank Centre:

About:

Southbank Centre's wide-ranging programme: classical & world music, rock & pop, jazz, dance, literature and the visual arts - attracts the most diverse audience of any UK venue.

Southbank Centre consists of the Royal Festival Hall (reopened after its two-year transformation), the Hayward Gallery, Queen Elizabeth Hall (containing the Purcell Room), and the Saison Poetry Library. We also manage the Arts Council Collection and organises the National Touring Exhibition programme in venues throughout the UK.

Situated on the south bank of the River Thames next to the popular BA London Eye, Southbank Centre is at the heart of an arts quarter stretching from the Royal National Theatre and National Film Theatre to Tate Modern and Shakespeare's Globe.

The Story of Southbank Centre:

Read more about the history of Southbank Centre in Charlotte Mullins' book A Festival on the River: The Story of Southbank Centre. This fascinating and informative book charts the extraordinary history of Southbank Centre, from the South Bank's agricultural past, through the 1951 Festival of Britain, to the present day.

Company Info:

Southbank Centre
Belvedere Road
London SE1 8XX

Switchboard: +44 (0)20 7960 4200
Ticket Office: 0844 875 0073

Southbank Centre is a Charity Registered in England and Wales number 298909. Its trustee is Southbank Centre Limited, a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales number 2238415.VAT Registration Number 905 0284 52. Registered office: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.

Access:

For information on step-free access to Southbank Centre, see our Photo Access Maps in our Access Information pages.

Public transport

Find the best route for getting to Southbank Centre by visiting
Transport for London's Journey Planner.

Nearest underground stations:
Waterloo (Bakerloo, Northern, Jubilee and Waterloo and City lines)
Embankment (Circle and District lines)

Nearest railway stations:
Waterloo
Waterloo East
Charing Cross

By bus
Buses stop on Waterloo Bridge, in York Road, in Belvedere Road and in Stamford Street.

By river
Boats stop at Festival Pier.

By bike
Bike stands are located in Southbank Centre Square.

Parking

We have parking available if you will be driving to Southbank Centre.

Free Events:

Southbank Centre regularly hosts free events, performances and exhibitions across the site. Wind down at the end of the working week and enjoy live music on Friday evenings from leading musicians performing everything from jazz and blues to folk. Alternatively drop in for free lunchtime music in the Central Bar of the Royal Festival Hall on Fridays and Sundays.

For more information visit… www.southbankcentre.co.uk

Channel 4’s Udderbelly:

It’s a cow.
It’s upside-down.
It’s purple.
It’s back.

After the inaugural season in 2009, E4 Udderbelly is back at Southbank Centre. The most unusual venue London’s ever seen… a 400 seat theatre inside an enormous purple cow. Headlining Udderbelly 2010 is Brazil! Brazil!, a worldwide sensation featuring Capoeira - dance and martial arts fused street style. We’ve also got comedy in abundance, music and the revolutionary international circus Controlled Falling Project. All this topped up with top family shows, performance poetry and spoken word. Trot on down to E4 Udderbelly this summer and enjoy food, drink and unabashed entertainment at London’s most bovine destination. Moooooove it!

Jack Whitehall - Thursday 8 July 2010

At just 21 years old, Jack has made a remarkable impact upon the comedy world. With a host of live appearances under his belt, this so-called 'newcomer' recently hosted 'Never Mind the Buzzcock's and last year co-wrote and hosted the 'TNT Show' and hosted 'Celebrity Big Brother's Big Mouth 09'. Other recent television appearances include 'You Have Been Watching', 'Would I Lie to You?' , '8 Out of 10 Cats' and 'Mock the Week'.

'Terrifyingly confident newcomer Jack Whitehall is a shoo-in for stardom.' (Evening Standard)

Suitable for ages 16 and over.

Brazil! Brazil! - Friday 11 June 2010 - Sunday 18 July 2010

Carnival, football, samba!

South American circus, football fever and sizzling samba combine in this spectacular global phenomenon - fresh from a sell out tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Witness capoeira - the rare and beautiful Brazilian fusion of dance and martial arts - as its masters leap, flip and spin at breathtaking speed. Feel the carnival beats and be swept away on this incredible journey to the pulsating heart of Brazilian passion. Unstoppable rhythm, indescribable feats of acrobatics and a breathless display of football magic from the world champions of the beautiful game.

Accompanied by the stunning singers, dancers and musicians of Rhythm Carnival, Brazil's hottest samba band. A World Cup summer party for all. Ole! Ole! Ole!

'A cast of hunky South American men who ooze machismo charm with every abdominal flex, flirting shamelessly and shirtlessly between handstands and somersaults... a lot of fun!' (The Age)

'A heady combination of a ballet dancer's grace and soft stepping, combined with the raw power and muscled speed of thrilling acrobatic work, spinning, twisting and tumbling.' (The West Australian)

'Packed with muscle, backflips, blistering samba beats. A big hunk of upbeat Brazilian soul.' (Scotsman)

Brazil Brazil is part of Festival Brazil sponsored by HSBC.

Michael Winslow - Monday 12 July 2010 - Tuesday 13 July 2010

An exclusive London appearance from the comedian best known for playing Sgt 'Motor Mouth' Jones in the hugely successful Police Academy films.

Michael is a master of vocal gymnastics who can imitate incredible sound effects using only his voice - whether the frenzy of Jimmy Hendrix playing the guitar or the roar of a jet plane. He has also starred in and provided voices for Spaceballs, The Simpsons, Gremlins, Family Guy and King Of The Hill!

These are two very special shows from a true Hollywood legend.

Recommended for ages 16 and over.

Brendon Burns - Friday 14 May 2010 - Thursday 15 July 2010

Since winning the Oscar of live stand up - the if.comedy award - in 2007, Brendon Burns has been kicking up a storm in the US. Now our most outspoken comic returns to Britian with a brand new show - catch him while you can.

'The most jaw-droppingly awkward, painful, yet ultimately rewarding piece of stand-up we've ever seen.' (Time Out)

**** 'Punk comedy at its finest.' (The Guardian)

Recommended for ages 16 and over

Running time 60 minutes (no interval)

Pop Up Poetry - Wednesday 9 June 2010 - Wednesday 7 July 2010

Two special late nights featuring some of the UK's hottest poets, hosted and curated by 4Talent Award-winner Luke Wright, 'performance poetry's key revivalist' (Metro).

Line-up for 9 June includes the 2009 Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner Tim Key (BBC Four's Newswipe, We Need Answers), urban poet Kate Tempest and Laura Dockrill aka Dockers MC.

Line-up for 7 July includes slam champion Bryon Vincent and the hilarious Chris Addison (The Thick of It, In The Loop, Skins) in his first-ever live poetry gig.

'To have great poets there must be great audiences too' (Walt Whitman).
Come and be great!

Running time 60 minutes (no interval)

Rich Fulcher - Friday 18 June 2010 - Thursday 8 July 2010

Rich Fulcher is no longer available to perform on 8 July (please do not book), although his performances on 18 and 19 June will still be taking place. We apologise to patrons for this disappointment and will exchange tickets for an alternative date, or extend a full refund to all ticket holders by original method of payment on contacting Southbank Centre Ticket Office.

From the multi-talented Mighty Boosh guest star comes new creation 'Eleanor', who's lived the life most people scream about. Now the woman who claims to make Neil 'Young' and put the 'Wood' in Woodstock tells all through poetry, song, dance and confessional monologues.

'Inventive, hilarious, wonderfully silly.' (Bill Bailey)

Recommended for over 16s

Running time 60 minutes (no interval)

A Frisky & Mannish Party! - Friday 9 July 2010

A Frisky & Mannish Party, where anything funny, sexy, weird, cool, brilliant, bizarre and spectacular finds its home. Come and party with the hippest neo-cabaret stars, sampling the very best the London scene has to offer before it vanishes to Edinburgh for a month. Featuring music, comedy, circus, burlesque and wizardry of all kinds.

Suitable for ages 16 and over.

Jimeoin: 'Eyebrows!' - Friday 9 July 2010 - Sunday 18 July 2010

The world's favourite Irishman-from-Australia makes a welcome London return with a stunning hour of world-class stand-up. Hailed as one of live comedy's masters for his brilliant wit and his razor-sharp take on the absurdities of everyday life, this show is purely and simply about having a laugh.

'It gets no better than this... brilliant... hilarious.' (Time Out)
'Inspired ramblings.' (The Independent)
'Comedy of the highest order.' (Evening Standard)

Not suitable for under 16s
Running time 75 minutes

Maxwell's Fullmooners - Saturday 10 July 2010

The unstoppable comedy force that is Andrew Maxwell presents everyone's favourite late-night show Fullmooners.

Hosted by the award-winning self-styled 'Hip-Hop Count Dracula' Andrew Maxwell, the show combines the best in late-night comedy, breakdancing, cabaret and all round devilish entertainment.

Joining the Chief Fullmooner are regular culprits Sir Timothy Fitzhigham, Lady Carol and Fullmooner breakdancers, as well as top comedic talent.

Come howl at the moon!

Recommended for ages 18 and over.
Running time 120 minutes (one interval).

An Audience With Clarke Peters - Saturday 10 July 2010 - Sunday 11 July 2010

Clarke Peters played Lester in the phenomenally successful HBO series The Wire. In this very special show, Clarke reveals what it was like to work on one of TV's most acclaimed and iconic drama series.

Clarke is an entertainment legend appearing on stage in Chicago, Porgy and Bess, The Wiz, and The Witches of Eastwick and on TV and film in Damages, Notting Hill and K-Pax as well as writer of the award-winning musical Five Guys Names Moe.

Recommended for ages 12 and over.

Tim FitzHigham - The Bard's Fool - Monday 12 July 2010

Multi-award winning comic, author and explorer takes on another death defying, awe inspiring, artistically questionable feat of endurance to make you laugh... come and hear this strange new truth... Shakespeare started it but can Tim finish it?

'Gut Bustingly Funny' (The Scotsman)

'Inspirational' (Time Out)

'A National Treasure' (Chortle.com)

'Tim FitzHigham is completely unhinged, he is completely without hinges.' (Eddie Izzard)

'FitzHigham I salute you.' (Richard Hammond)

Recommended for ages five to 105.
Running time 60 minutes (no interval).

Alexei Sayle: Stalin Ate My Homework - Wednesday 14 July 2010

Alexei Sayle gives an exclusive, pre-publication preview of his memoir Stalin Ate My Homework, with stories and readings from the book and an opportunity to ask questions.

Born in Liverpool on the day egg rationing came to an end, Sayle always knew his parents were different. They ate salad. And they read the Soviet Weekly. They also travelled. They travelled to seaside towns to attend union conferences. And they travelled across Europe. Determined to see Communism in action, they travelled to Czechoslavkia, where they visited the sites of massacres, rode in space-age limousines and sat in the audience of bizarre mime shows. Life was often confusing.

Stalin Ate My Homework, which will be published in September, is a funny and perceptive portrait of a family, a city, a country and a continent going through enormous changes.

Recommended for ages 16 and over.
Running time 60 minutes (no interval).

Stick Man - Live On Stage - Thursday 15 July 2010 - Sunday 18 July 2010

'Stick Man lives in the family tree; 
With his Stick Lady Love; 
And their stick children three...'

But the world is a dangerous place for Stick Man. A dog wants to play with him. A swan builds a nest with him. He even ends up on a fire! Will he ever get back to the family tree?

Suitable for children aged four and over.
Running Time 50 minutes (no interval).