The second largest venue in the Southbank arts complex after the Royal Festival Hall…read more Opened in 1967, the architecture is pure brutalism, a style that most people probably hate and only a few like. I don't really like the style myself but if they keep it well maintained and clean it can work, otherwise it could descend into a depressing place very quickly. The exterior is grey and forbidding with those walkways at different levels designed to remove you from a sense of where the ground level is and cause disorientation. Inside it's better. Rather than try to disguise the grey concrete they've decided to keep it honest and there's a decent foyer bar and seating area which works quite well. The venue houses the large Queen Elizabeth hall performance space used for dance, music and gigs, more on the avant garde end of the spectrum as well as the smaller Purcell Room. The seats are comfortable with black leather cushioning and the concrete brutalist design works quite well for the actual auditorium space and is simple and open with steeply raked rows of seats and is perfect for the more modern type of works here.

Great venue for music, easy to get to and not bad for shows either…read more I've booked tickets for a couple of events including most recently, a band called Punch Brothers. Sound carries really well in this room and there really aren't any bad seats. I had a seat in the second to last row in the back as the event was almost sold out but I still had a great view of the stage. The seats are confortable and on tiered levels (but sadly don't recline). The only major let down is that the onsite bar doesn't appear to stock much choice in terms of food. There also aren't many restaurants to shout about in the area. But I guess you could always bring your own snacks?!

I came here to listen to Cornish fishermen sing sea shanties (say that five times fast!) I mean, I…read moremoved to another country to have wildly different experiences to home and this was, indeed, wildly different. And free! Situated in the Southbank Centre (which includes Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Hayward Gallery), the Royal Festival Hall is a massive performance space. And should you need it, there's wifi on the second floor.

Great sound quality and comfortable seating. Great on a…read moresunny day when you can finish off the afternoon/evening with a walk along the South Bank

What a perfect place to have a business conference in London! It's so big that they have multiple…read moreconferences going at any time - the day I came, there were three different medium-sized conferences. It makes me wonder, does that mean there are dozens of conferences going on in London on any given day? *mind blown* The top floor has beautiful views of the city, with one side facing The London Eye/Shard/Big Ben and the building being across the street from Westminster Abbey. There were modern, clean toilet facilities all over the place, and the elevators were large and moved quickly. Yep, I'd be happy to go back for another conference.

A tad bit outdated in its presentation the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre is one of the largest…read moreplaces for events to be held. Very old fashioned they have updated themselves with a few technological changes here and there. But I insist its needs a fresh new look. I attended an International Conference here a few weeks ago. The conference went off very well with professionals from all around participating. Catered throughout the two day event we had our talks and presentations in one of the rooms and tea/coffe and lunch in another. But the access to the floors and the conference rooms is quiet a maze with paths not clearly directed and quiet a bit of looking left to right. Its like crossing the road with the red signal on! Anyhow with the sleepy feel to the place I suggest a good make over for the Queen Elizabeth II Conference centre in London.

As Yelp is all about food, it's time to add another star here. The new bar/cafe is a winner and…read moregood enough for a detour if you don't happen to work at Westbourne Studios. They have a daily menu including a hot main, a soup as well as a tart served with or without salad. You have to be quick for the salads (currently a selection of two, here's hoping they'll add more soon). There's also a good choice of sandwiches, all reasonably priced. There's plenty of seating and free wifi (not the best connection, mind).

Underneath the Westway is literally underneath the westway (the A40). Tucked away inside Westbourne…read moreStudios, on the same road as the old Subterania (yeah!), during the daytime this bar / restaurant serves the creative folks who dwell in Westbourne Studios. The studios operate as as a collective of offices, predominantly filled with fashion designers, film companies and PR types. During the daytime and at breakfast, the restaurant serves quite a simple, but tasty menu of english breakfasts, salads, burgers, accompanied by fries and coleslaw. They also stock a large range of herbal teas, soft drinks, coffees and snacks.

Late post from June 2025. A lovely vibrant area along the Thames. On this day, kids were keeping…read morecool playing at the water fountains up the stairs by the Southbank building. There is also a really nice roof top restaurant bar on top of the yellow winding stairs. The roof top is filled with grass and plantations, providing shade and a little oasis away from the city. There's also a nice market filled with food vendors. A great area to hang out, enjoy good food and the views of the London eye.

This is for the Royal Festival Hall portion of the Centre, which I recently got to experience for…read moresome Beethoven and Mozart with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Lang Lang. Cool space for the concert, in line with the trend that you can see at the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Kauffman Performing Arts Center in Kansas City - "in the round" concerts where the audience wraps around the musicians. Only a couple quibbles: not a lot of seating on the outside for before the concert or during intermission, and the need for a better system of getting people out, as there was a bit of a jam (I know this is something that comes up in any large venue, but some places manage it better than others). Definitely worth a visit!

What an amazing exhibition! My son and I had popped over to London for a long weekend and were told…read moreabout the graffiti tunnel and were pleasantly surprised to find this amazing art exhibition. Some wonderful works of art were displayed about the intriguing world of the occult. Certainly a must see when you head to London

The vaults lends itself well to interactive and intimate theatre. I saw a production of Plied and…read morePrejudice with a five person cast that had the crowd laughing all night long. The venue is easy to access from public transportation and close to many dining options. Overall it was a lovely evening of theatre and I will definitely be back!

The wedding I attended here was BEAUTIFUL. I loved all of it and the women's restroom was great…read morewith all the amenities! I'm not sure if that was the venue or my cousin. The only bad part about this venue was the lack of a/c. It got very humid at certain points of the day in certain areas.

Seen/experienced two shows here: Fuel's "Ring", and Forced Entertainment's "The Coming Storm"…read more Both were in different parts of the space, and utilized their locations well. The venue's easy to get to - just a short walk from Clapham Junction station, or via bus. There is a modest bar/cafe downstairs to get a coffee or alcoholic beverage before the show. Limited selection of wine and beer running around £4.5, as well as a few things to eat. (They've also been ok with people bringing in outside food from other nearby takeaways, but I don't know if this is how it always is.) It's an odd space but in a cool way: there's a giant staircase right inside the front doors with cushioned booths to sit on directly on the steps, and a huge mirror on the ceiling of the entry. The Centre is currently undergoing a renovation, so I'm interested to see what it will evolve into.

Chelsea Old Town Hall still acts as a registry office and you don't have to be Mick Jagger to step…read moredown these famous steps. It's not only full of history but also just the most beautiful setting. The main hall is hired out for events throughout the year with regular vintage sales and art fairs, attracting a well healed Chelsea crowd. My most recent visit was for the annual Parallax Art Fair. A cellist was playing in one corner making this a very civilised experience while the artworks on offer were outshone by the hall's gorgeous ceiling and chandeliers. The bar area off to one side of the main hall made me smile. Time had stood still here and it felt like entering the breakfast room of a faded seaside home for the elderly. I didn't stop for a coffee, moving on to one of the more modern establishments along the Kings Road instead.

Love, love this place. On weekends outside you'll see rich kids being married off by their parents,…read moreyou'll also see Dad's diligently marking their offspring into the library to get them excited about books, you might even find a really cool event happening! I've been here so many times and each time is totally different. I came for Frock me and it was Vintage heaven. I even saw Yasmin Le Bon browsing the goods. How's that for a Heat moment?! They also host craft fairs here and other cool local happenings. It's such a beautiful place to hold events like this. Gold gilt walls and crystal chandeliers, there is even a retro little cafe that serves up wonderful egg mayonnaise baguettes! I wish I knew more of the history of this place as I'm sure there are some awesome old folk tales of dances and war time tales. If you get a chance, come on in and take a look around, you won't regret it.