WE’RE always on the hunt for the next big thing to keep families entertained without breaking the bank – and there is a spot in London often overlooked that has a great line up for 2027.
Home to thousands of events every single year, London’s Southbank Centre is bigger than most people think, spanning 11 acres from one foot of the London Eye all the way to Waterloo Bridge.
Best of all? A whopping 40 per cent of everything on offer is completely FREE.
Speaking exclusively to Sun Travel, Mark Ball, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre has lifted the lid on all the thrilling events and exhibitions set for next year adding that “there’s always something to entertain you here”.
And it seems only locals know the full extent of the hidden gem, with Mark adding that they often see it as their art centre with just under half of visitors coming from the South London area.
So here are his top tips on everything coming up.
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Family-friendly activities, events and attractions
When it comes to 2027, families will have loads to do, including a re-designed ‘V-Play’ space, with soft play for children aged between two and seven years old.
Tickets for this area will cost under a tenner.
For the slightly older kids there will be ‘Small Evolutions’ – a new virtual reality experience launching next September.
The project is inspired by the 50-year-old skatepark at the Southbank Centre and will allow visitors to experience skateboarding tricks in virtual reality.
Another family favourite is the Imagine Children’s Festival which will return in February half-term and span 10 days.
During the festival – which is designed for children aged zero to 11-years-old – there will be theatre, dance, music and drawing workshops.
Events for fans of music and the arts
If it is music you’re into then head to the centre’s famous Meltdown Festival.
Following in the footsteps of pop superstar Harry Styles – who curated the 2026 event – artist FKA Twigs will be curating the event for 2027.
She will be the headline performer as well as the overarching curator of the event and will deliver a multi-sensory experience packed with dance, video, visual arts, and live music.
Reflecting on what it was like working with a global pop icon like Harry Styles for last year’s festival, Mark revealed how dedicated the former One Direction star was to the Southbank festival.
Mark said: “Harry is so passionate about music and he’s got such a range of musical influences.
“People see him through one lens as a big global pop star, but his influences are really diverse – from avant-garde Japanese music to electronic and classical.”
And despite his global status, Harry was as hands-on as it gets.
“Harry’s fingertips were over every decision. Whenever he could on his days off, or even after performing huge stadium shows, he would sneak in from Wembley to sit in the back of the auditorium and support the artists he had booked. He was incredibly present.
“For his own show, he wanted to work with an orchestra for the first time, delivering this stunning orchestral presentation with Harry at the centre on piano and vocals.
“We’re always looking out for who will be the Elton Johns or Paul McCartneys of our generation — and it’s people like Harry Styles,” Mark added.
Looking forward to next year’s event, FKA twigs said: “I am honoured and excited to be curating Meltdown at the Southbank Centre.
“The potent artistic and cultural landscape in London has raised me from Croydon College, to performing in underground cabaret clubs, dancing till sunrise in warehouses on the docks and last year being lucky enough to sing my operatic songs in one of the largest arenas in London.
“The cultural and artistic clash in this city is like no other.
“Where cultures, sounds, stories and traditions from all over the world meet, collide and transform one another. I intend to bring you a slice of all that has raised me and continues to inspire me: celebrating the diversity, freedom and creative energy that I believe makes London one of the world’s great capitals of music and the arts.”
Other celebs included in the line up for 2027 include world-renowned pianist Lang Lang who featured on Channel 4‘s The Piano and will headline a major performance in December.
It also wouldn’t be the Southbank Centre without exhibitions and one exciting one coming in 2027 is a Chris Ofili exhibition at Hayward Gallery, which will mark his return to the capital.
Free events to pop in your calendar
According to Mark, one of the best things about the Southbank Centre is that 40 per cent of all the events are free.
And there are also a heap of ways to get cheaper tickets, with an under 30s scheme, as well as family tickets and local tickets.
The Winter Light programme, which will return soon as well as at the end of 2027 is free to visit, for example.
The trail includes neon installations, outdoor light art and projections, usually running from November through to February.
At the same time visitors will also be able to enjoy the winter food and Christmas market.
As for next summer, the Summer Terrace Stage with free outdoor concerts, classes and performance events will return again.
Hidden gems at the centre
The fun of visiting the Southbank Centre though goes beyond the events.
In fact, the attraction has many hidden gems not many visitors know about.
And they are all free to visit as well.
For example, on Level 5 of Royal Festival Hall visitors can discover The National Poetry Library which houses the world’s largest collection of post-war poetry and spoken word.
It also features a pop-up children’s poetry library.
Mark added: “Two thirds [of the Royal Festival Hall] is public space… It gives that sense that the Royal Festival Hall is a kind of people’s palace.
“It’s for everybody – a really vibrant, kind of village hall type space where there’s lots going on.”
“One of the really lovely things about going into the Royal Festival Hall on the weekend is lots of people self-organise activities.
“At the weekend there are people playing board games, there are dancers rehearsing and they’re all people from the local community using it as a community resource.”
And around the centre there are often free exhibitions or trails to explore including a current Quentin Blake trail.
Mark said: “We’ve got a whole series at the moment of huge illustrations of artists by the designer Quentin Blake, who is 90 this year and has made these kind of archetypes of musicians and skateboarders pasted throughout the building, so you can wander around the building, find these wonderful Quentin Blake stories.”
Talking of skateboarders, visitors can also head to the Southbank Skatepark which is the UK’s longest-running dedicated skatepark.
“People don’t think that the skate park is part of the Southbank Centre, but it is – we absolutely see it as part of the cultural offer here,” added Mark.
How to spend a day in the area
As for Mark’s personal recommendations to make a full day out in the area, there are loads of great food and drink spots nearby.
He said: “If you’re feeling a bit flush and you want a really fancy drink, Skylon is a restaurant that overlooks the river with floor-to-ceiling windows and an amazing drinks bar with gorgeous cocktails.
“It’s a really good way of treating yourself.
“There’s also a great kind of old-school boozer called the Hole in the Wall, at the back of Waterloo Station.
“You have to go through quite a tiny door to get there, so lots of people miss it but it has really nice beer.”
And if coffee is your preferred tipple, “the best coffee in London” according to Mark, can be found at Beany’s – a little van on the left hand side of the bridge.
The best way to find out what is happening at the Southbank Centre – especially as more events are yet to be announced – is by signing up to the newsletter, according to Mark.
What if I’m not local?
If you can’t make it to London, the Southbank Centre actually has programmes across the UK as well.
For example, every five years in partnership with regional galleries the Southbank Centre hosts The British Art Show which tours five UK cities over 18 months.
The next edition will be held in 2028 and travel to Coventry, Swansea, Bristol, Sheffield and Newcastle and Gateshead.
Meltdown festival also hosts events across the country with artists curating local weekends to support struggling grassroots venues.
Mark said: “Grassroots music venues are the lifeblood of the music industry, where the musicians get their first try out, where they learn how to perform in front of an audience, it’s really important that those places thrive.”