South Bank Centre comprises The Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Purcell Room and the Hayward Gallery. It shares the site with the independently managed National Theatre, the National Film Theatre and the new Museum of the Moving Image.

South Bank Centre was built in 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain and the concert halls were originally funded and managed by the London County Council and their successors, the Greater London Council. The Centre became an independent arts organisation in April 1988 after two years operating as a constituent part of the Arts Council.

The Purcell Room was opened in March 1967 by HM The Queen. It has 372 seats, making it specially suitable for chamber music, mime, soloists and cabaret.

Box office

On-line

www.rfh.org.uk provides real-time secure services. Online bookings are subject to a Transaction Fee of £1.50 from 1st February 2004. Should you have any queries regarding your online booking, please telephone the Box Office.

Telephone

Available 9am - 8pm Monday - Sunday
Closed Christmas Day.
Telephone bookings are subject to a Transaction Fee of £1.50. There is a call queuing system when lines are busy. Payment can be made by Mastercard, Visa, Amex & Maestro.

In Person

The Royal Festival Hall Box Office is open:
Monday - Sunday 11am - 9pm event days and to 8pm when there is no evening event. On-site bookings are not subject to a Transaction Fee.
Closed Christmas Day.
The Queen Elizabeth Hall & Purcell Room Box Office opens from 6pm on event evenings until 20 mins after the performance start time.

Postal

Applications should be sent to:
Royal Festival Hall Box Office
London SE1 8XX

Please make cheques payable to South Bank Centre leaving the amount blank but indicating an upper limit. Postal bookings are subject to a Transaction Fee of £1.50. Please include this in the value of the upper limit.

When booking by post please give your name, address, daytime and evening telephone numbers.

Getting there

Underground to Waterloo

or cross the river from Temple, Embankment or Charing Cross
Underground Information

Buses to Waterloo

Bus nos. 1, 4, 26, 68, X68, 76, 168, 171, 176, 188, 501, 505, 521 stop on Waterloo Bridge.
Nos. 76, 77, 171A, 211, 507, D1, P11 stop in York Road.
The P11 stops in Stamford Street.

The new Riverside Bus service (RV1) links Covent Garden, the South Bank, Bankside and Tower Gateway, and runs from 6am to midnight every 10 minutes.

For more information, visit the General Information page on the RFH website.