Royal Albert Hall

One of London's most beloved and iconic buildings, The Royal Albert Hall has withstood the test of time and remains one of the world's most exciting performance venues. Discover this Grade I historical building for yourself with a London Pass.

Opened in 1871 the Royal Albert Hall London is one of the capital’s most prestigious historic buildings and tourist attractions. It has been the scene of over 150,000 performances including the celebrated BBC Proms.

Join the Hall’s enthusiastic, friendly and engaging tour guides for a lively one hour journey through this extraordinary and iconic building and find out more about the architecture, royal patronage, unrivalled performance history and work of this registered charity.

The Hall is currently undergoing refurbishment and expansion works ahead of its 150^th birthday in 2021, but don’t be put off by the works taking place on the building’s exterior – the Hall is still as stunning on the inside as it’s ever been, and remains fully open for events, guided tours, education workshops, lunch and afternoon tea.

Want to learn more about the Royal Albert Hall's history, discover all the fun facts to take with you on your visit here!

Please note: from 11 July - 8 September, under-5s are not allowed on tours

Highlights

• Discover a star-studded history of performance on a FREE tour of the Royal Albert Hall

• Hear insider stories from your friendly and knowledgeable guide

• Go inside the main auditorium where the world’s performers, states people and sportsmen have performed

• See Sir Peter Blake’s ‘Appearing at the Royal Albert Hall’ mural located at Door 12. On this artwork you can spot over 400 stars that have performed on our stage from its opening in 1871 to the present day

• View the Queen’s private box along with an exclusive opportunity to visit “The Royal Retiring Room”

Please note: the Royal Albert Hall is a working building and the content and route of the tour may vary.  

Did You Know - Royal Albert Hall Facts

• There are 13,000 “A”s for "Albert" featured around Hall

• The Hall is home to the largest single woven carpet design in the world, made of 326,666 sheep fleeces and 49 million tufts - it's in the Guinness World Records

• The world’s biggest Christmas pudding was made at the Hall and weighed ten tonnes

• The first ever body-building contest and Sumo wrestling tournament outside Japan took place in the main auditorium

• The Elgar Room used to be home to the Central School of Speech & Drama, giving a stage to names including Sir Lawrence Olivier and Dame Judy Dench

• 5,500 bottles of champagne and 1,800 bottles of gin are drunk at the Hall every year

• Afternoon Tea was introduced to Britain by Queen Victoria. The first tea party was held at the Hall in 1912 and the tradition continues today in the Verdi Restaurant

Don't Miss

The Albert Memorial
Situated in Kensington Gardens, directly to the north of the Royal Albert Hall. It was commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her beloved husband Prince Albert who died in 1861

The Memorial for the Exhibition of 1851
Situated opposite the Hall’s south entrance on the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Steps, it records the success of the Great Exhibition, the international exhibition held in Hyde Park in 1851 organised by Henry Cole and Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband.

Our 150^th birthday timeline
Visit this timeline, located outside of Door 12, to learn more about our history, our vision for the future and our 150^th birthday building expansion plans. You can learn more on a special 150^th birthday building works tour. Ask at the Box Office for more information. This is not included in your pass and there will be an additional charge.   

Make the most of your Pass

- Get 10% discount off in the Royal Albert Hall’s gift shop, Verdi Restaurant and Café Bar, all located at Door 12 with your tour ticket 
- 12-13 May & 2-3June: Visit the Rock Archive photo exhibition displayed on the ground floor amphicorridor with your pass. Open from 10am to 4pm.

After your Visit

Visit Kensington Palace another iconic Royal venue closely situated to the Royal Albert Hall. The Science Museum and V&A are all a short walk away.

Getting to the Royal Albert Hall

- Bus: 9,10,52,70,360,452
- Underground: South Kensington, High Street Kensington and Knightsbridge. All of these stations are a ten minute walk to the Royal Albert Hall. The Hall is located in Zone 1.

Learn more about the Royal Albert Hall tours and exhibitions

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Full List Of Attractions Included

"A great investment that helped us save money and see some things we wouldn't have thought of visiting."
Anna from Australia

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Please check Closures & Notices for changes to opening hours and closure dates

Attractions Nearby

• Apsley House View attraction »
• Kensington Palace View attraction »
• Royal Mews View attraction »
• The Queen’s Gallery View attraction »
• Wellington Arch View attraction »