LONDON.- The Southbank Centre unveiled its 2026 season, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Royal Festival Hall, the only permanent cultural building to come from the 1951 Festival of Britain, and the first chapter in the story of the Southbank Centre.

The Festival of Britain galvanised the nation, using art, science, technology and design to imagine a brighter future after the trauma of World War Two. Taking place from May to September 1951, the Festival kickstarted the regeneration of the South Bank, revitalising the area into a thriving cultural hub. Seventy-five years on, the Southbank Centre is now the UK’s fifth most visited attraction, welcoming over 3.7 million people through its doors in 2024.

Elaine Bedell OBE, CEO of the Southbank Centre, said: “Over the past 75 years, the Southbank Centre has grown from a single concert hall into the UK’s largest arts centre. We now house three world-class performance venues, a leading contemporary art gallery, a national poetry library and 11 acres of public space that’s open to everyone, every day.

“Our 75th anniversary season keeps the spirit of the Festival of Britain alive: hopeful, outward-looking and driven by the belief that culture belongs to everyone. From showstopping classical music, to world-class contemporary art, and unexpected immersive performances – it’s all happening at the Southbank Centre next year.

“Even better - we’re taking a full programme of music, poetry, spoken word and visual art around the UK - so hundreds of thousands of people across the country can experience great culture on their doorstep.”

To celebrate the anniversary, the Southbank Centre has taken inspiration from the Festival of Britain, an event that embraced the future, looking to it with optimism and hope. The Southbank Centre’s anniversary programme considers what it is to be the arts centre of the future, exploring how it can make a difference to the lives of artists, audiences and communities.

Mark Ball, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre, said: “1951 was the moment after the war that the UK transformed from black, white and grey into full glorious technicolour, and the vibrant, optimistic, forward-looking energy it created still radiates from the Southbank Centre. Now, more than ever, that energy feels vital to harness and we’re doing that with a year-round programme that brings people together in a joyful communion with the art, ideas and technologies that will shape our future.

“From celebrating 75 years of the youth cultures that have shaped and shaken Britain in an ambitious site-wide takeover, directed by the legendary Danny Boyle, to transforming the site into a cultural playground with the music of hundreds of steel pan players, and to showcasing the creative technologies that will transform entertainment in the future, the year ahead is a potent statement of how the arts can help us imagine a different, better world.

“We’re not forgetting our past either as we celebrate icons of the Southbank Centre - from Anish Kapoor to Shirley Bassey. It doesn’t get any better than this - there’s truly something for everyone to enjoy - so join us!”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan: “The Southbank Centre is one of the world’s great cultural landmarks – a place where Londoners and visitors alike gather to be inspired by music, literature and dance.

"As it marks its 75th anniversary, we honour its origins in the groundbreaking Festival of Britain, but we also look to the future - to reaffirm and reimagine its role as a beacon of creativity and hope, helping us to continue building a better, fairer London for everyone.”

Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy said: "The Southbank Centre is a truly iconic venue, drawing in millions of visitors all year-round to enjoy a wide variety of activities and performances at the heart of our capital city.

"It's good to see this extensive programme to celebrate the 75th anniversary, with some exhibitions and performances due to take place at venues outside of London so that people across the UK can get involved and reap the benefits that access to the arts and culture can bring.”