Southbank Centre News

The Southbank Centre's Imagine Children's Festival returns 9 - 20 February 2022 to provide the very best in children's theatre, comedy, family parties, hands-on activities, music, literature, dance, immersive experiences, relaxed mindfulness sessions and full-on fun for children and their grownups in the February half term.

BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL stars musical theatre and TV star Amber Davies as ‘Campbell’ and four-time Olympic medallist Louis Smith as ‘Cameron’. The show opens at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, London on Wednesday 8 December 2021, following performances at Peterborough New Theatre and ahead of a UK tour in 2022.

Following this weekend’s sold out Shameless! Festival, WOW - Women of the World has announced the initial line-up for its 2022 London Festival, supported by Bloomberg, which returns  to the Southbank Centre from 11-13 March to mark International Women’s Day.

An incredible line up of guest artists join the cast of The Grotteaux throughout the run of Shotgun Carousel's Christmas extravaganza.  These world-renowned cabaret and circus stars will add some extra festive sparkle to the Christmas wonderland experience.

The National Youth Theatre and University of Hull have released brand new images and the live recording from their production On the Edge, which was performed live at the global UN climate conference, COP26 in Glasgow today, Friday 5 November. 

Santtu-Matias Rouvali's first concert with the Philharmonia in 2022 is a crowd-pleasing matinee programme that is well suited to his balletic style. Giving every member of the orchestra a well-deserved moment in the spotlight, the programme features Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade and Ravel's Boléro.

Following the return of live classical music performances in September, today the Southbank Centre unveils its Spring/Summer programme (February - June 2022), featuring stand out projects from great artists, thought-provoking world premieres and inventive ways of looking at modern masterpieces.

UTA Artist Space presents The Purpose of Light, a new digital exhibition of photographs by Nigerian-born British photographer and activist Misan Harriman.

The National Youth Theatre are collaborating with the University of Hull on a new production On the Edge, which will be performed live at the global UN climate conference, COP26 in Glasgow at 12.30 on Friday 5 November.

Soundstreams Board of Directors President Daniel Weinzweig has today announced the appointment of respected Toronto arts leader, producer and managing director Beth Brown, most recently of Nightwood Theatre, to the position of Soundstreams Executive Director. Brown joins Founding Artistic Director Lawrence Cherney at the helm on November 1, 2021. 

Lawrence Cherney, Founding Artistic Director, Soundstreams, today announced additional details about the company’s world premiere production of Love Songs, as part of the company’s 2021/22 season.

On Friday, November 19, 2021 at 10:30am and Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 8:00pm, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) presents the U.S. premiere of composer Anna Clyne's PIVOT, a SLSO co-commission.

Theatre Makers Matt Miller and Peader Kirk have come together to co-create a solo theatre performance, FITTING, drawing on spoken-word storytelling, autobiographical accounts and physical theatre to explore themes of identity and belonging. 

Post-punk pioneers, The Tiger Lillies, return to the Southbank Centre this Christmas with the UK premiere of a brand new concert inspired by Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Giving the novel a dark musical twist, the band dissect and reassemble the story that everyone knows to shine a light on the poverty and depravity laid bare on the cold London streets.

In 1955 Michael Tippett introduced his first opera The Midsummer Marriage to a grey, post-war society desperate for some joy and optimism. It has divided the critics, with detractors pointing to the awkward libretto and fans in raptures with the sumptuous score. It is certainly a huge piece for the London Philharmonic Orchestra's new Principal Conductor, Edward Gardner, to conduct as his debut. However, the result was enthralling.

Circus 1903 has announced a world-class line-up of performers from across the globe who are limbering up for their anticipated third Christmas Season at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall.

In celebration of International Day of the Girl 2021 (11th October), WOW - Women of the World, run by UK charity The WOW Foundation, will present a WOW Sounds music programme showcasing an line-up of girl bands from across the world.

In a reimagined iteration of the annual awards, in partnership with ETT (English Touring Theatre), the audio productions will play from free listening stations or via a QR code in theatres across the UK, with copies of the scripts including braille translations available.

Arts, culture and humanitarian organisations across London are coming together to welcome Little Amal when she visits the capital from 22 – 25 October as part of The Walk, a travelling festival of hope created by Good Chance Theatre and Handspring Puppet Company.

Exploring the bittersweet richness of the dark, with the creamy decadence of the light, Le Gateau Chocolat joins forces with King's Head Theatre to create a brand new show. Each night, a specially curated operatic song cycle will offer a meditation on where do we go and who do we become when we lose our anchor?