Southbank Centre’s origins date back to the 1951 Festival of Britain. One of the landmark UK cultural events of the 20th century, it celebrated arts, science, industry and design, and marked the centenary of the 1851 Great Exhibition. More than eight million people paid to visit the festival site located on the south bank of the Thames throughout its five-month run, but thousands of other events were held all over the country under the Festival of Britain banner. Today, the only building that remains from the main festival site is our largest auditorium, Royal Festival Hall.
