Southbank Centre unveils 75th anniversary programme

The Southbank Centre has announced a year-long programme to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Royal Festival Hall and the site’s enduring legacy as a cultural hub. Coinciding with the Festival of Britain’s anniversary, the 2026 celebrations will explore the future of the arts, champion youth culture, and showcase the Centre as a vibrant, inclusive space for all. Elaine Bedell, CEO of the Southbank Centre, said: “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.”

Artists featured in the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary, including Danny Boyle, Gareth Pugh, Carson McColl, alongside CEO Elaine Bedell, Artistic Director Mark Ball and Southbank Centre Presents’ Rhiarna Dhaliwal & Rohina Cameron-Perera © Hugo Glendinning

You Are Here, a site-wide takeover created, directed, and designed by Danny Boyle, Gareth Pugh, Carson McColl, and Paulette Randall, will allow visitors to explore both familiar and hidden spaces across the Southbank Centre, experiencing a journey from monochrome 1950s settings to the technicolour of today. The event celebrates 75 years of British youth culture in music, fashion, and politics, with thousands of participants and performances across the site.

The Hayward Gallery will host a major exhibition by Anish Kapoor, marking his first return to the gallery in 28 years. Pianist Yuja Wang presents Playing with Fire: An Immersive Odyssey with Yuja Wang, combining mixed-reality technology with live performance. Gary Lineker will bring a number of his Goalhanger podcasts to the Southbank Centre in the Goalhanger Southbank Centre Takeover, featuring live editions of The Rest Is…History, The Rest Is…Politics, and The Rest Is…Entertainment on stage for the first time. Other highlights include celebrating Steve Reich’s 90th birthday, Shechter II’s contemporary dance performance IN THE BRAIN, and This is My Life: Duckie Salutes Shirley Bassey, along with performances by Angélique Kidjo and Bronski Beat.

Anish Kapoor, Mount Moriah at the Gate of the Ghetto, 2022. ©Anish Kapoor. All rights reserved, DACS, 2025. Photo: Attilio Maranzano

The 75th anniversary programme will also feature new public artworks across the Southbank Centre site. A parade of performers on the Riverside Terrace has been created by Sir Quentin Blake, who attended the Festival of Britain in 1951. Visitors will encounter a colourful artwork and sound installation on the Mandela Walkway by artist Lakwena Maciver and singer-songwriter Abimaro. Luke Jerram’s interactive musical staircase Stepping Out invites the public to play it as an instrument, recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, while Jeppe Hein’s Appearing Rooms returns.

Youth engagement continues throughout the year. Poet Lemn Sissay leads Imagine the Future, inviting schoolchildren to share creative visions, while the Young People’s Pavilion and Letters to the Future summit provide platforms for emerging creators. Southbank Centre Under 30s offers exclusive events and discounts to younger audiences.

Goalhanger Southbank Centre Takeover: The Rest is Football. Image credit Garry Jones Photography

The celebrations extend beyond London with a national programme reaching over 40 towns and cities across the UK. Projects include A Poet in Every Port, the touring British Art Show 10, and Sixty Artworks for 2026, featuring miniature works by contemporary artists. Performances across multiple disciplines, interactive public artworks, and exhibitions of past and present cultural icons will take place across the Southbank Centre site and in locations around the UK throughout the year.

For more information about the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary celebrations, including ticket details, visit southbankcentre.co.uk.