Southbank Centre

Overall rating

4.12

About

We’re the largest arts centre in the UK and one of the nation's top visitor attractions. We seek out the world’s most exciting artists, from household names to fresh new talent, and give them space to showcase their best work. Set across 11 acres, we are London’s favourite meeting spot, with restaurants, bars, street food markets and dramatic riverside views. We believe in the power of great art and culture to bring people together, and add something amazing to your life. We work hard to bring unbeatable cultural experiences to new audiences – especially those who’ve always felt excluded from the arts. Through music, performance, art and events, we take you out of the everyday, every day. The Southbank Centre is made up of the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Hayward Gallery, National Poetry Library and Arts Council Collection. We are home to eight Resident and Associate Orchestras: the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Aurora Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Chineke! Orchestra and National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. Our creative learning and participation activities help everyone express their creativity and explore their potential. Did you know that we are a registered charity? We’re also a National Portfolio Organisation supported by Arts Council England, which means that we are one of the leading organisations in our field.

This venue has a Detailed Access Guide from AccessAble, created following an in person assessment. Please see the link in the Accessibility Guide section below.

Reviews

Overall rating

4.12

(8 reviews)

Overall rating breakdown

5 2
4 4
3 2
2 0
1 0

Access (avg.)

4.07

Parking (avg.)

Toilets (avg.)

3.78

Staff (avg.)

4.28

ScooterReviews

Aug 2026

Southbank Centre Royal Festival Hall

Southbank Centre Royal Festival Hall ✅ Scooter fit, clean, lower down lock for easy reach, grab rails, contactless flusher, soap and water. Hand towels and dryer options. I noted two small shelves by the toilet and the bin. ❓ There are two sides of toilets just marked WC, no gender indication. Love this, but confusing when each corridor leads to *a corridor of toilets* - the accessible loos aren't standalone. ❌ Exiting the narrow corridor, the lock wasn't secure (someone walked in while I was taking photos lol 🤣). The cord had its own tag about being the right length, yet stopped at the grab rail 😳🤔

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tinahodgkinson

Aug 2022

Welcoming, Accessible, Enjoyable Plus There's a Changing Places Toilet

The Southbank is a very accessible entertainment complex next to the River Thames. This review is about my visit to see "You Know We Belong Together" in the Purcell Room. I live in London, Clinically Vulnerable and this was my first night out in London since February 2020 (2.5 years ago). I was apprehensive and very nervous about going out, however, the Southbank turned out to be an excellent choice as access was very easy and the production was outstanding, "You Know We Belong Together" is joyful and uplifting, very creative as it combines storytelling, video footage, audience participation (in a good way) and dance with actors who have Down syndrome.

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tinahodgkinson

Jan 2018

Step Free Abba Exhibition extended until 29 July 2018

Step free temporary Abba exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall, in London's Southbank. Entry to exhibition is by timed admission tickets with tours starting every 15 minutes. Each tour is limited to a maximum of 16 people.The tour itself lasts one hour and there is a tour guide who provides information and leads you through the exhibition as well as pre-recorded commentary from Jarvis Cocker. The tour covers nine different themed rooms which tells the story of Abba. It's an immersive experience. The exhibition is a lot of fun and there's lots to see. Please note that the doors are narrow and only manual wheelchairs less than 80cm wide can fit.

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Disabled Access Information Provided by Southbank Centre

Disabled Access at Southbank Centre

We welcome everyone and want our site to be available to all. We are working hard to remove barriers so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible. All ticket offices, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants across the site. We have excellent public transport links with step-free access. More information can be found on our website here: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/visit/facilities-access

Accessible parking at Southbank Centre

Blue Badge holders and those with access requirements can be dropped off on the Queen Elizabeth Hall slip road off Belvedere Road (the road between the Royal Festival Hall and the Hayward Gallery). There are four Blue Badge parking spaces available for visitors located on the Queen Elizabeth Hall slip road off Belvedere Road (the road between the Royal Festival Hall and the Hayward Gallery). Spaces are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and use of them is free. You are required to display your Blue Badge as you enter the site. Vehicles that do not display a Blue Badge are refused entry. Alternative parking is available nearby at the National Theatre car park (330 metres) and APCOA Cornwall Road Car Park (490 metres), subject to charges. Alternative parking for Blue Badge holders visiting the Southbank Centre can be found at the National Theatre car park (330 metres). If you are visiting the Hayward Gallery, just take your badge and car park ticket to the Ticket Desk in the Gallery foyer for validation before you leave. Please note: there is no step-free access from the car park on Sundays, as the lift from the National Theatre car park to the theatre's main foyers is closed. The lifts from the car park to the main foyers open from 10am Monday to Saturday. Alternative step-free parking for Blue Badge holders visiting the Southbank Centre can also be found at the South Bank Car Park – APCOA Cornwall Road Car Park. Just take your badge and car park ticket to the parking attendant office at the entrance to the car park for validation before you leave. A drop-off point at the Royal Festival Hall (30 metres) has been created for visitors who are unable to walk from alternative car parks. YourParkingSpace.co.uk connects drivers with parking space owners to pre-book parking nearby. Southbank Centre visitors can redeem the discount code ‘SOUTHBANKCENTRE20’ to obtain a 20% discount on their website. Please contact YourParkingSpace for any issues or enquiries. (Please note, the Southbank Centre does not endorse and is not connected in any way to the website above and is not responsible for the content on their website.)

Dedicated on site parking

Toilets features at Southbank Centre

A Changing Places toilet is located on Level 1, Royal Festival Hall, next to the JCB Glass Lift, for the exclusive use of disabled people who need personal assistance to use the toilet. The key for this room is available from the Welcome Desk, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall. The facility includes a height-adjustable bench, tracking hoist system, a centrally-placed toilet, a height-adjustable basin and a shower. For health and safety reasons we do not provide slings. Visitors are asked to bring their own which should be compatible with the loop system. The maximum weight for the hoist and the height adjustable bench is 200kg. The facility is open: Monday & Tuesday, 10am – 6pm** Wednesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm **On event days, the Royal Festival Hall building remains open until the end of the event. Southbank Centre welcomes children and families throughout the year and provides world-class facilities to make your visit an enjoyable one. The site is fully accessible to pushchairs and wheelchair users. All our venues have public toilets with wheelchair access and baby changing facilities.

Changing Places toilet

There is a Changing Places toilet, which includes an adult-size changing bench, toilet, sink and hoist.

Accessible toilet

A designated accessible toilet designed for wheelchair users and others with visible and non-visible accessibility requirements is available within the main public areas.