Royal Albert Hall

The Royal Albert Hall is both an architectural icon and a famous London concert hall

Outside Royal Albert Hall at night
Outside Royal Albert Hall at night cc licensed photo by peter pearson

The Royal Albert Hall was opened in 1871 by Queen Victoria. It is one of the most renowned architectural buildings in the United Kingdom and is indeed well recognized throughout the world. The hall also houses the 2nd largest pipe organ in the UK.

The hall was first proposed by the Queen's husband Prince Albert as a permanent facility for exhibitions and arts and concerts. Unfortunately he died ten years before his dream was completed. For that reason the proposed name was changed from The Central Hall of Arts and Sciences to the Royal Albert Hall of Arts and Sciences.

Since opening the Royal Albert Hall has been home to over 150,000 events. The extremely popular BBC Proms concert series has been hosted there every summer since 1941. Today the hall is a venue to over 350 performances each year ranging from classical concerts to rock and roll, pop concerts, opera, ballet, tennis matches, awards ceremonies, school and community events and banquets. The hall was designed with a capacity of 8000 guests, but is now limited to 5544 people due to modern safety regulations. Whether or not you are attending a concert or event, you won't want to miss seeing this spectacular hall, even if just from the outside during your London vacation.

For more information about the Royal Albert Hall and to book tickets for upcoming events visit their official website linked above.

Facts For Your Visit

Fee: Yes. Varies by event. Visit the official website to see upcoming shows.

Regular Hours:
May differ on holidays

  • Monday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
  • Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
  • Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
  • Thursday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
  • Friday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
  • Saturday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
  • Sunday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Address: Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7 2AP, UK

Phone: 020 7589 8212

Official Website: Royal Albert Hall

Reviews

Rated 4.8 out of 5 Star Rating

4 Star Rating One of the crown jewels when it comes to performances in London. Easy to get to and once inside, easy to get around. Seating is comfortable and with a good amount of leg room for a venue of its age. Prices at the bar are what you would expect and the bathrooms are cramped but clean and have modern fittings. Staff are always polite and helpful.
Mike McConnell (Lorcav) - 3 weeks ago

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5 Star Rating It's been a long while since I've visited the Royal Albert Hall but there was no finer venue than this to watch Arnold Schwarzenegger speak. The space is open and intriguing with the acoustic mushrooms hanging down from the ceiling. For a large venue, it is lit incredibly well and of course having circular seating you get a great view. The only real criticisms are that the space in front of the balcony chairs is a little small so not great if you're exceptionally tall and the price of food and drink at the venue is high. Otherwise, this is an absolutely fantastic venue to watch speakers or of course, see bands or orchestras play.
Leigh Strong - 2 weeks ago

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5 Star Rating Been to this venue once before. Just like last time, busy and popular. The place is clean and tidy. Many pictures and snippets of history are placed all round the place to give you an insight to its history - performers, royalty etc. Staff who work there are polite and courteous and were then happy to help with any question I had Most recent show was Cirque Du Soleil - Algeria. Oh my god....what a performance. The stunts and acrobatics were amazing, the music was truly beautiful and the singers voices were captivating. The 2 clowns.....well.....they were a show in their own right. Awesome day!!
Ben Corbett - a month ago

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5 Star Rating This is a truly historic & iconic venue. I've been here many times to watch movies with a live orchestra (Back to the Future, The Godfather, etc) and other performances. They have many events that take place. I would recommend signing up to their subscription list to see what tickles your fancy. As mentioned above, there's movies, music, and all types of other shows. The staff here will greet you with a smile and are very friendly. There is a bar inside, but it's limited to snacks and drinks. We went to see 'an evening with Arnold Schwarzenegger', and it was tremendous. The auditorium held 4000 people, and it was amazing. We took public transport to get there, and it's a few minutes' walk from South Kensington tube station. However, you can drive, and there is parking nearby (you have to pay). If watching an even performance, I'd recommend grabbing a bite beforehand near South Kensington before heading to the venue. Enjoy your show!
F Ansari - 4 months ago

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Directions

Tube Line Nearest Station Walking Time
District, Circle and Piccadilly LinesSouth Kensington10 MInutes
District and Circle LinesHigh Street Kensington10 Minutes

How to get to Royal Albert Hall by Tube

Royal Albert hall is about a 10 minute walk from either of the above tube stations. From South Kensington Station exit onto Thurloe Place. and go right to Exhibition Road. Go left (north) on Exhibition Road, then left on Prince Consort Road, then right onto Kensington Gore. The Royal Albert Hall is straight ahead.
From Kensington High Street Station exit onto Kensington High Street and go right (east) until you get to the hall.

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