Southbank Centre

Checked out the Alchemy (south Asian) festival which lead to good eats under £10. Also checked leake street for some pics of graffiti, the walk along the bridge and Waterloo station.

The southbank centre has a wonderful array of events throughout the year, from music, to theatre and exhibitions. You can always be sure that you’ll be entertained if you come by here. There’s a wonderful library upstairs, and if you’re not feeling up to doing anything, there’s great views of the Thames and the surrounding area from any of the plentiful seats. In particular, look out for festivals and food markets that happen periodically, usually over the weekend, when you get some amazing food trucks and fringe stars coming down to deliver quality, unforgettable performances.

Great spot on the Southbank that houses bars, food, a spot to buy books outside as well as a food market just outside. It’s probably the best spot to stop after walking along the Southbank itself. Inside the centre is usually some exhibitions and events and everyone is friendly and relaxed.

This place is quite possibly my favorite location in the world. I’m in California now but I still think of London’s Southbank Centre often and fondly. I would go there every week when I lived in London and I am a better person for it!

Always interesting events and shows going on here, just a nice place to hang around on the weekend. There is a great food market behind in the summer. I’ve been at the woman of the world festival; it’s great!

There are always several events happening every day at Southbank Centre and it’s especially a nice place to visit if you have no particular plans for the weekend or are enjoying a staycation in London. I’ve been to many of the art exhibitions last year and they were great. This year, I’m really looking forward to attending some of the concerts held at the Royal Festival Hall.
On weekends they also have the Southbank Centre Market outdoors which is wonderful for grabbing some moreish street food and mulled wine (when it’s chilly out!) before heading back inside.

Came to the Southbank Centre for their NYE party and it did not disappoint! Great food, people and music was amazing all night long. Then afterwards, watching the fireworks show over the river Thames was extremely impressive. An absolute must if you are in London over NYE.

This is for the Royal Festival Hall portion of the Centre, which I recently got to experience for some Beethoven and Mozart with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Esa-​Pekka Salonen, and Lang Lang. Cool space for the concert, in line with the trend that you can see at the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Kauffman Performing Arts Center in Kansas City — «in the round» concerts where the audience wraps around the musicians.
Only a couple quibbles: not a lot of seating on the outside for before the concert or during intermission, and the need for a better system of getting people out, as there was a bit of a jam (I know this is something that comes up in any large venue, but some places manage it better than others).
Definitely worth a visit!

Definitely check out this place, if you are visiting London. The South Bank Centre has amazing events going on throughout the week. Check out their website on upto date events. Lovely restaurants inside. I have personally never been into the restaurants as it looks pricey but maybe one day :)
There is a bar area on various floors that sells decent snacks, bear and wines. I have tried their red wine and gin and tonic, and it was lovely. They have many seating areas on many floors, so if you are a little tried of site seeing around London Eye, Waterloo area then this is a perfect place to chill out over a cup of coffee. On the ground floor, there is often some kinda of free event going on.
I am a freelancer and often use the south bank centre to get some work done. They offer free wifi to everyone in the building. They also have a members area on the top floor. I would not however recommend it as there is no guarantee, members will get a seat as often during a popular event, it does get over crowded. I used to have a membership with them but was disappointed on a number of occasion for not finding seating in the members area in-​spite of paying for membership :(Hence my reason for giving it two star less.
But having said that, I still come here, attend events, get work done or just hang out with my friends. I like the vibe to this place and highly recommend it :)

Great space with tons of events and exhibitions being held.
Of course, a beautiful view by the river as well. The shops and cafes are lovely too, though a little on the pricey side. In terms of getting work done in the café, you’re probably better going off to somewhere more quiet and with more outlets (to charge your laptop).

The Southbank Centre is really awesome.
Depending on when you drop by, there are a million different things going on here at any given moment in time – often for free!
Plus! THE ELEVATORS SING!!!
Currently, the Southbank Beach installation makes your average walk down the Southbank infinitely more enjoyable, with it’s temporary sand-​beach, beach chairs and other beach-​themed decorations (it’s awesome for touristy pictures).
No matter when you visit, there’s always something on, here. From one-​time arts events to ongoing exhibitions that are often interactive and always really good fun. A few weeks ago, I came here and found an exhibit about London’s youth culture, where I was invited to take vintage photos and make my own badges. It was wonderful to act like a kid again.
On the weekends, the Southbank Centre Market (in the former location of the Real Food Market) is a great place to grab a delicious and affordable lunch in-​between being checking out the art and free exhibitions.

Southbank Centre is the premier destination for free and low-​cost cultural events, cool goings-​on, and fee wifi. Their myriad offerings include children’s festivals, multiple literature events, and the World of Women festival in March celebrating feminism and aimed at a diverse audience. I’ve had books signed by many of my favourite authors here and seen great performances. Despite the slightly complicated layout and toilets in need of updating, it’s an awesome venue.

Southbank features an eclectic variety of music including but not limited to classical, jazz and everything in between. Sometimes there are free events at the foyer space. So do keep an eye on their website. The venue is located in a very nice area by the Thames, which provides a perfect promenade route when the sun is out. In the winter, Christmas stores open up along the river, where you can get mulled wines and other festive treats to warm you up your soul. Also along the river is BFI Southbank and National Theatre built side by side. Southbank itself has a café and bar, and there are also a few good chain eat-​outs nearby like Ping Pong and Le Pain Quotidien.
HOWEVER. If you come to Southbank I would definitely recommend trying out the food trucks at the backyard. There are all kinds of freshly made world food, coffee and sweets. Seating can be a challenge as it’s limited and it’s outside. But it’s worth trying it once. I believe this food market is open in the weekends but they might be open on some days during the week too.

The Southbank Centre is a really great place to check out in London. There is SO much going on there, lots of it free events, talks and workshops plus a lot of great ticketed events, concerts, seminars, dance shows… you name it, they’ve got it. It’s a nice place to go and just sit beside the river as well. The Southbank Centre is a real asset to London! Can’t wait to book my tickets for the next big events there!

Southbank Centre I miss you! Saw many free events and performances here during the Olympic Summer of 2012. The amount of festivals and events at this one venue makes it worthy of five stars already and it’s prime location along the southbank is just simply perfect. Please check the southbanke center out for any free events, it is a perfect addition to a London Southbank Stroll anytime of the year!

As a poor student, I’m pretty much always on the scour for cheap forms of entertainment. And luckily for me, southbank is sensitive to that! There are events happening almost every day of the week, either with speakers or comedy shows, and there are TONS and tons of classical music performances! Because the venue is so large, they almost always have extra seats at the end of the day, which you can purchase for half the price! And the seating is amazing!!! The acoustics in this place are great for symphonies and orchestras, and every time I’m in a rut or just feel a desire to escape, I always check what’s playing at Southbank for the day and whether or not I can get discount tickets. I’ve been to 3 concerts here already, and they always leave me feeling refreshed and rejuvenated!
Southbank is also just a really nice to place to hang out. There are tons of tables, a nice café, free wifi, so you can literally just sit there and do work without feeling the need to buy something. There is also a mini-​stage for small acts, as well as a play area for children. In the daytime, you can always find tons and tons of families just hanging out together at Southbank. Southbank is also at an amazing location looking over the Thames, and the walk up to it is beautiful. During the winder there is the Holiday market, and there are often various forms of food markets and festivals arranged by Southbank just around the corner. I’ve happened to be there when I stumbled across the Chocolate Festival, Cheese Festival, and Real Food Festival.
Southbank is one of my favorite places in London, if not my FAVORITE. It provides everything I want –lost of space, great food, new and interesting events, and a gorgeous view of london :)

Although it’s in the middle of the city and holds some amazing events here… I find the building itself is a paradox. It is an ugly, grey, blocky, building, which somehow has the ability to look and feel beautiful. Maybe it’s the Centre’s excellent position along the Thames or the multitude of events they hold here, but it is aesthetically a weird building to me.
My favourite thing about the Centre are all the festivals it holds all year around. From the Chocolate festival (just before Easter!), to the food van festival, to the Christmas markets, there is always something on to keep you interested. Within the building there are always free shows introducing you to new types of music and dance, and there is also the paid shows in the Festival Hall. There are loads of restaurants all year round and it’s great to grab a bite in the summer and sit on top of the balcony and watch the people walk by and the boats drift down the Thames.
One of my favourite things about the Centre is the fact there there are free toilet facilities and an ATM available in the centre. Double plus in my books.

Great area for festivals and for just walking along the river. You get a great view of the city and take a nice leisurely stroll. We went over here for both the Christmas and Chocolate festivals and had a great time. There seem to be a lot of random cafes and restaurants nearby as well.

I went to the south bank centre for a jazz performance in December and I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting it to be claustrophobic and cramped but the environment and how the place (and the performance) were setup were amazing.
There were kids playing people listening to the music and interacting with the artistes. Great place for a concert. Instead of hack it in a closed area they had set themselves up in the open area in front which was good. The location was great and we could step out for some good dinner as well. Good evening out on the whole.

Great place to eat or simply sit & chill
really great place to be right now over
the Olympics: so much going on all around:
illuminated bridges, comedians, music etc