A collaboration between Rambert and (LA)HORDE Ballet national de Marseille is coming to the Southbank Centre

This September, the Southbank Centre presents We Should Have Never Walked On The Moon, a groundbreaking new collaboration between Rambert and Ballet national de Marseille, under the direction of (LA)HORDE. Running from 3–6 September, the production will transform the entire Royal Festival Hall and surrounding Southbank Centre site into an immersive performance space. Borrowing its title from a remark reportedly made by Gene Kelly to Buzz Aldrin, the work explores the body’s role in a hyperconnected, post-internet world dominated by globalised culture and information overload.

We Should Have Never Walked On The Moon, France, Paris, 2022-11-02. We should have never walked on the Moon, performative and danced exhibition of (LA)HORDE with the Ballet National de Marseille BNM at the National Dance Theater of Chaillot. Photographie de Amaury Cornu / Hans Lucas. 

Audiences are invited to explore the building freely as performances unfold in unexpected spaces, from the auditorium to backstage areas of the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Undercroft, and the outdoor terraces. With a cast of 50, including dancers from both companies, DJs and even a limousine, the project pushes the boundaries of contemporary performance. It confronts the influence of mainstream American culture and considers how movement can both unite and erase difference in an age of digital saturation.

WE SHOULD HAVE NEVER WALKED ON THE MOON. Image Credit Theo Giacometti.

Choreographers contributing to the project include (LA)HORDE, Rambert’s Artistic Director Benoit Swan Pouffer, Lucinda Childs, Cécilia Bengolea & François Chaignaud, and Oona Doherty. The event marks a continuation of Southbank Centre’s ambitious partnerships with major European dance companies and its commitment to creating bold, surprising experiences for London audiences. Supported by Cockayne – Grants for the Arts, this is a rare chance to witness dance reimagined across an entire cultural landmark.

Date: 3–6 September 2025; Location: Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX; Price: from £47 (plus booking fee); Book now