The Royal Albert Hall is possibly the most iconic auditorium in London. Some of London’s biggest art and sporting events are held here. From concerts by international bands and the famous BBC Proms, to ATP tennis matches and other shows.
It has capacity for 5,272 people and was opened in 1871 by Queen Victoria. Every year more than 390 events are organized in the Royal Albert Hall but perhaps the most important are the “Proms” that have been organized since 1941.
Believe it or not, the owner of the Royal Albert Hall is a non-profit organization and they do not receive any grants from the British government.
What will you find in this article?
How to get to the Royal Albert Hall
Visit the Royal Albert Hall
Visiting the Royal Albert Hall with children
Guided tours of the Royal Albert Hall
1-Hour Guided Tour of the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall Tour
Behind the Scenes Tour
The Inside Out Architectural Tour
Classic Tour
Origin and History of the Royal Albert Hall
Architecture
Proms Concerts
Restaurants and Cafes
Coda Restaurant by Éric Chavot
The Elgar Room Brasserie
Verdi – Italian Kitchen
Schweppes Alchemy Bar
Coffee Bar
Laurent-Perrier Champagne Bar
Arena Bar: Berry Bros. & Rudd No.3 Bar
Arena Bar: Heineken Green Room
Have an Afternoon Tea at the RAH
What to see near the Royal Albert Hall
Natural History Museum, London
Science Museum
Harrods
Kensington Gardens
Kensington Palace
Kensington Ward
Peter Pan statue in Hyde Park
How to get to the Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is located on the North Bank of the London Borough of South Kensington, in London Zone
The official address is: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AP.
Tube: The closest London Underground station to the Royal Albert Hall is Knightsbridge (Piccadilly line) and South Kensington (Circle, District and Piccadilly lines).
Bus : You can get there by public bus: 9, 10, 52, 70, 360 and 452.
Big Bus Tours Hop- on Hop-off Bus : If you have tickets for the Hop-on Hop-off bus, then you can get off at stop 25 on the blue route. It is the “South Kensington Museums” stop and it is a 5 minute walk away.
Visit the Royal Albert Hall
Although the best way to visit the Royal Albert Hall is to see some of the shows it organizes, there are also guided tours. Every year it hosts classical music concerts, Opera, Ballet, groups like Coldplay or even some other Spanish artist.
It is also one of the most impressive venues on the ATP Tennis circuit. On more than one occasion we have gone to see the Cirque du Soleil show in London or Christmas theater shows and it is impressive how the central stage and the decoration of the building can change.
The Royal Albert Hall is in close proximity to many of London’s most exciting attractions. Hyde Park, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum, Kensington Palace and Kensington Gardens are some examples.
Visit the Royal Albert Hall with children
As in any cultural space in London there are always events and things to do with children. We have taken our little one on several occasions both to storytelling and to meet Santa Claus and the truth is that it has always been amazing.
Storytelling is for both babies and slightly older children, up to 4 years old . On many occasions during the same session, while reading the stories they usually play an instrument so that the children can see it up close and it also makes the story much more special.
Storytelling sessions are available almost all year round, from January to November and start at 10:00 am, 11:00 am and 12:00 pm. It is necessary to buy tickets online on their website. It only counts 5 Pounds per child. It is accessed through door 3.
Guided tours of the Royal Albert Hall
There is a wide variety of organized Tours to visit the Royal Albert Hall. Each of them has a different price. Here we leave you the best Tours to visit the building and learn about its history inside and out.
Important : The Royal Albert Hall is one of the attractions included in the London Pass , the London tourist pass. If you have it, you can do the Tour without paying extra. By the way, we have a discount on the London Pass, more information: London Pass Discount .
Almost all Tours take place most days from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm from April to October. In the case of November to March, they usually start at 10:00 am and end at 4:00 pm.
1-hour guided tour of the Royal Albert Hall
This is the cheapest and shortest tour within the different options that exist.
It consists of a 1-hour tour and is offered by professional guides who are part of the Royal Albert Hall team. The price is 16 Euros per person and they give you a 10% discount coupon for the cafeteria.
The only restriction is that during the Proms season, from mid-July to September, children under 5 years old are not allowed to enter.
Royal Albert Hall Tour
It is a tour that tells you all the secrets of this theater. How the idea to build it was founded. Interesting facts, legends and stories from over 100 years of performances and performances in the heart of London.
It is very similar to the tour that we mentioned above but there are also other options with slightly higher prices to book the Tour with a coffee and a sweet for 18 Pounds per adult.
Behind the Scenes Tour
This tour will show you the best known part of the Royal Albert Hall and also the most secret corners that remain closed to the general public.
You will be taken under the stage, to the dressing rooms where stars like Beyoncé, Coldplay or the Rolling Stones prepare before going out in front of the public.
They will tell you how they are able to adapt the stage and the space so that almost 400 events and performances can be held in the main building. All this without setbacks or delays.
The Inside Out Architectural Tour
A Tour designed for lovers of architecture and history of London. The Inside Out Architectural Tour is part of the “Special Interest Tours”.
These Tours are reserved for a few special occasions during the year. As there is no fixed date, you should consult the official website of the Royal Albert Hall to find out the dates and availability.
classical tour
This is another of the “Special Interest Tours” but in this case dedicated to classical music and its history.
Origin and History of the Royal Albert Hall
The construction of the Royal Albert Hall began in 1867 but the building was not inaugurated until March 29, 1871. On such a day, Queen Victoria would cut the inaugural ribbon of what is today the most emblematic and original theater in London.
The origin of the Royal Albert Hall dates back to the year 1851 when the ” Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations ” was held . This event was held in Hyde Park and featured a temporary glass building.
It was there, when Prince Albert decided that it was necessary to build a series of permanent buildings to enrich and educate the society of the Victorian era. For this reason you can find so many important museums concentrated in this area of Kensington.
Unfortunately, Prince Albert passed away before he could see his project completed and so the “Albert Memorial” (right in front of the Royal Albert Hall) was built. And Queen Victoria, his wife, named this auditorium after her.
Architecture
Something that is very striking when you see the Royal Albert Hall for the first time is its architecture.
“The Hall”, as many Londoners know it, was designed by 2 civil engineers: Henry YD Scott and Captain Francis Fowke. The ideas of both were influenced by the design of the ancient amphitheaters, but something else was hidden behind that obsession.
The design of the Royal Albert Hall hides a history of jealousy and competition, since the main objective of the British engineers was to improve the design of a building that is in “neighboring” Paris, the ” Cirque d’Hiver “.
Since its construction, the building has been renovated several times but the last and most important one was in 2004. When many of the restaurants were added, more seats were added and the building in general was modernized. More than 25 Million Pounds were spent.
Inside the main building is the famous “Henry Willis Organ”, which is known as “The Voice of Jupiter”. For many years it was the largest musical instrument in the world. It took 14 months to finish it.
As a curious fact, the construction of the organ only cost 8,000 Pounds at the time, but its restoration in 2004 generated a bill of more than 1.5 Million Pounds. And it is that the organ currently has 9,999 pipes and weighs 1 ton.
concerts of the proms
« Proms » is the name given to the season of classical music concerts that take place at the Royal Albert Hall every summer for 8 weeks. We have an article on the BBC Proms.
The Proms were founded in 1895 and are currently organized and broadcast by the BBC. That is why on many occasions you will see it announced as the «BBC Proms». The name has its origin in the abbreviation of the term “Promenade Concert” referring to the original concerts that were organized in English parks where the public could stand. (Promenade means “Promenade” in Spanish.)
Each season consists of Concerts and Events related to chamber music, but other acts are also organized, such as « Proms in the park » and other events aimed at the musical education of children.
An interesting tradition of the Proms is known as ” Last Night of the Proms “. Here the atmosphere is much more relaxed and they focus on compositions considered patriotic for the British. At the end of the last concert, all the attendees sing together the famous ” Auld Lang Syne “, the same song that is sung on New Year’s Eve to say goodbye to the year that is ending.
Restaurants and Cafes
The Royal Albert Hall has an extensive list of restaurants and cafes to choose from. Many of them are open all day or even available for a quick bite to eat between shows. Here is the list with more information.
Coda Restaurant by Éric Chavot
Restaurant with a menu that changes every season of the year. Its price is a little more expensive than the other options since it has a Chef with a Michelin star. Eric Chavot.
The Elgar Room Brasserie
Another restaurant with a French style but a little more affordable in price. It’s a Brasserie so you can find meats and typical French and British dishes.
Verdi – Italian Kitchen
The best option if you go with children since they have a children’s menu. Pizza, Pasta and things like that. It’s a good option if you want to eat here the same day you go on a tour or see a show in the auditorium.
Schweppes Alchemy Bar
Asian cuisine, cocktails and a long wine list. I would recommend it if you are going to come as a couple and want to have a special but quick dinner and attend one of the shows.
Coffee bar
The most informal and economical within the different options. It is open all day and it is very good to have a coffee and a cupcake or a sandwich before or after doing one of the Tours.
Laurent-Perrier Champagne Bar
Well, just by the name you can imagine, right? – Champagne and small portions at not so small prices.
Arena Bar: Berry Bros. & Rudd No.3 Bar
Burgers that are to die for and a much more informal atmosphere. I recommend it if you go with a group of friends as they offer many dishes to share, beers, etc.
Arena Bar: Heineken Green Room
Here the menu is basically hamburgers and sandwiches, similar to the Arena Bar but a bit more relaxed and formal. It’s also good for drinks after the show.
Have an Afternoon Tea at the RAH
I don’t think we know of a more British tradition than this. Afternoon Tea is something that began as something informal and that people did at home but has now become a very sophisticated experience in some cases!
There is the possibility of reserving an Afternoon Tea at the RAH. The price is 30 Pounds per person or 40 Pounds including a glass of champagne for each person.
The Afternoon Tea includes a selection of more than 10 types of teas to choose from and also small sandwiches of different types and sweets. There are also vegetarian and vegan options . On its official website you can see the menus and make your reservation in advance.
Check all the options and reserve a table on the official website of the Royal Albert Hall .
What to see near the Royal Albert Hall
Due to its strategic location in Kensington, it is very easy to combine a visit to the RAH with other of the best attractions in London. Here are some ideas for you.
- Natural History Museum, London
- science museum
- Harrod’s
- Kensington Gardens
- kensington-palace
- kensington neighborhood
- Peter Pan statue in Hyde Park