Lambeth Culture

Lambeth is the world in one borough.

Just south of the river Thames, Lambeth is right at the heart of London, meaning that all of the attractions and opportunities of London are right on your doorstep with some of the best right in the borough itself. The enormous cultural and creative significance of the cluster of globally recognised venues along the South Bank cannot be underestimated. These set the tone for the cultural influence of the whole borough.

You can find out more about the cosmopolitan culture of the borough in our ‘Living in Lambeth’ section where we look at the day to day cultural highlights of living in Lambeth, from food and drink to nightlife and life outdoors.

This section is a directory of the cultural highlights and public spaces that make Lambeth such a hub of amazing cultural highlights.

These are just some of the places in the borough that you can enjoy when you live and work in Lambeth but they also offer limitless teaching opportunities where you can take your pupils to broaden their horizons, reach out to the past and unleash their curiosity.

Many of Lambeth’s cultural highpoints are listed here, but it’s true to say that Lambeth is one of the capital’s cultural hubs with an excellent assortment of theatres, galleries and historic sites as well as museums, film venues and much more. That means there are many more for you to find and enjoy but browse through these to get you started.


National Theatre

On the South Bank the National Theatre presents up to 25 new shows a year. There are three theatres, a learning centre, theatre tours, restaurants, a riverside bar and a bookshop.

The Old Vic

The Old Vic is London’s independent not-for-profit theatre, a world leader in creativity and entertainment. Expect unpredictable, ground-breaking, rule-breaking, uplifting and unintimidating art.

Young Vic

The Young Vic’s aim was to create an accessible theatre which offered high quality at low cost in an informal environment. It primarily performs classic plays, but often in innovative productions.

Southbank Centre

The Southbank Centre is the complex of artistic venues made up of the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Purcell Room, National Poetry Library and the Hayward Gallery.

South Bank

South Bank is London’s most vibrant district nestled along the Thames, home to the National Theatre, Southbank Centre and London Eye as well as a riverside walk full of great bars and restaurants.

Royal Festival Hall

RFH is a 2,900-seat hall for concerts, dance and talks. It is home to The London Philharmonic, the Philharmonia and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and also houses the National Poetry Library.

Queen Elizabeth Hall

QEH is a music venue on the South Bank that hosts daily classical, jazz, avant-garde and dance performances. It houses the smaller Purcell Room venue and is famed for the skateboarders in the undercroft!

BFI Southbank

BFI Southbank is the leading repertory cinema in the UK, specialising in seasons of classic, independent and non-English language films. It is operated by the British Film Institute.

The Hayward Gallery

The Hayward Gallery is a contemporary art gallery and a landmark of brutalist architecture within the Southbank Centre. It presents the work of many of the world’s most influential and inventive artists.

BFI IMAX

BFI IMAX is the biggest cinema screen in Britain for a completely immersive experience. Films range from IMAX blockbusters to world-class alternative content and educational presentations.

Imperial War Museum

One of London’s most imposing buildings serves as a remembrance of the horrors of war and delivers the message that we should strive for peace, doing so with excellent educational exhibitions.

Brixton Village

The former Granville Arcade is a cultural hotspot in Brixton that despite being a parade of shops and eateries has a history as an unofficial community centre for the area.

Pop Brixton

Pop Brixton is a neon-lit complex of shipping containers packed with street food vendors and mini restaurants. There's probably no better nighttime place to hang out with great food and drinks in Lambeth.

O2 Brixton Academy

The Academy is one of London's leading music venues and has hosted a range of global music stars. As the largest non-arena venue in London its Art Deco style makes it a favourite among music fans.

Electric

The Electric is on the site of the legendary but now defunct Fridge. This remains a local destination nightclub and live music venue with a range of nights and live shows.

Ritzy Cinema

The Brixton Ritzy Cinema might be just your local multi-screen to some, but to the locals it’s a landmark and an icon. Although it no longer boats the original interior it does now have a live music venue ‘Upstairs’.

Brockwell Park

Brockwell Park is a large, historic park located between Brixton, Herne Hill and Tulse Hill with ornamental ponds, formal flower beds, a walled garden and a 19C clock tower.

Brockwell Lido

Brockwell Lido in Brockwell Park has an Olympic size 50 metre pool surrounded by a superb Grade II listed Art Deco building for year round outdoor swimming for the brave and hardy.

Clapham Common

Clapham Common is one of London's largest open spaces offering a running track, bowling green, cricket, football, rugby and Aussie Rules pitches, and a skateboard venue plus three ponds.

Kennington Park

Kennington Park has open areas for wildlife plus a popular café, an 'old English' flower garden, rose beds and a new 'Green Link' connecting the older Victorian park to a newer extension.

Lambeth Palace

Lambeth Palace is the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in London. As a working palace it is not open to the public daily but offers guided tours of Palace and gardens on a regular basis.

Jubilee Gardens

Jubilee Gardens is a public park on the South Bank created in 1977 to mark the Silver Jubilee of The Queen and serves as a backdrop to the London Eye and the South Bank riverside walk.

Gabriel’s Wharf

Gabriel's Wharf is an arty enclave on the South Bank with spectacular views of the Thames that is home to an eclectic mix of independent boutiques, cafes and restaurants.

London Eye

The London Eye is the iconic 135m observation wheel on the edge of the Thames with 360° views of the capital that has become a must-do tourist attraction for every visitor to London (or resident).

Black Cultural Archives

Black Cultural Archives is dedicated to collecting, preserving and celebrating the histories of African and Caribbean people in Britain with a programme of exhibitions and events.

Royal Vauxhall Tavern

The Royal Vauxhall Tavern is London’s most iconic award-winning LGBT cabaret, performance and club venue making it the choice for leading artists, promoters and the LGBT community.

Streatham Ice & Leisure Centre

Streatham Ice Rink is the home of ice skating in London for over 80 years. It is the only ice rink in London to boast a full size 60x30m ice pad and seating for over 900 spectators.

Lambeth is the world in one borough.

Just south of the river Thames, Lambeth is right at the heart of London, meaning that all of the attractions and opportunities of London are right on your doorstep with some of the best right in the borough itself. The enormous cultural and creative significance of the cluster of globally recognised venues along the South Bank cannot be underestimated. These set the tone for the cultural influence of the whole borough.

You can find out more about the cosmopolitan culture of the borough in our ‘Living in Lambeth’ section where we look at the day to day cultural highlights of living in Lambeth, from food and drink to nightlife and life outdoors.

This section is a directory of the cultural highlights and public spaces that make Lambeth such a hub of amazing cultural highlights.

These are just some of the places in the borough that you can enjoy when you live and work in Lambeth but they also offer limitless teaching opportunities where you can take your pupils to broaden their horizons, reach out to the past and unleash their curiosity.

Many of Lambeth’s cultural highpoints are listed here, but it’s true to say that Lambeth is one of the capital’s cultural hubs with an excellent assortment of theatres, galleries and historic sites as well as museums, film venues and much more. That means there are many more for you to find and enjoy but browse through these to get you started.

National Theatre

On the South Bank the National Theatre presents up to 25 new shows a year. There are three theatres, a learning centre, theatre tours, restaurants, a riverside bar and a bookshop.

The Old Vic

The Old Vic is London’s independent not-for-profit theatre, a world leader in creativity and entertainment. Expect unpredictable, ground-breaking, rule-breaking, uplifting and unintimidating art.

Young Vic

The Young Vic’s aim was to create an accessible theatre which offered high quality at low cost in an informal environment. It primarily performs classic plays, but often in innovative productions.

Southbank Centre

The Southbank Centre is the complex of artistic venues made up of the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Purcell Room, National Poetry Library and the Hayward Gallery.

South Bank

South Bank is London’s most vibrant district nestled along the Thames, home to the National Theatre, Southbank Centre and London Eye as well as a riverside walk full of great bars and restaurants.

Royal Festival Hall

RFH is a 2,900-seat hall for concerts, dance and talks. It is home to The London Philharmonic, the Philharmonia and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and also houses the National Poetry Library.

Queen Elizabeth Hall

QEH is a music venue on the South Bank that hosts daily classical, jazz, avant-garde and dance performances. It houses the smaller Purcell Room venue and is famed for the skateboarders in the undercroft!

BFI Southbank

BFI Southbank is the leading repertory cinema in the UK, specialising in seasons of classic, independent and non-English language films. It is operated by the British Film Institute.

The Hayward Gallery

The Hayward Gallery is a contemporary art gallery and a landmark of brutalist architecture within the Southbank Centre. It presents the work of many of the world’s most influential and inventive artists.

BFI IMAX

BFI IMAX is the biggest cinema screen in Britain for a completely immersive experience. Films range from IMAX blockbusters to world-class alternative content and educational presentations.

Imperial War Museum

One of London’s most imposing buildings serves as a remembrance of the horrors of war and delivers the message that we should strive for peace, doing so with excellent educational exhibitions.

Brixton Village

The former Granville Arcade is a cultural hotspot in Brixton that despite being a parade of shops and eateries has a history as an unofficial community centre for the area.

Pop Brixton

Pop Brixton is a neon-lit complex of shipping containers packed with street food vendors and mini restaurants. There's probably no better nighttime place to hang out with great food and drinks in Lambeth.

O2 Brixton Academy

The Academy is one of London's leading music venues and has hosted a range of global music stars. As the largest non-arena venue in London its Art Deco style makes it a favourite among music fans.

Electric

The Electric is on the site of the legendary but now defunct Fridge. This remains a local destination nightclub and live music venue with a range of nights and live shows.

Ritzy Cinema

The Brixton Ritzy Cinema might be just your local multi-screen to some, but to the locals it’s a landmark and an icon. Although it no longer boats the original interior it does now have a live music venue ‘Upstairs’.

Brockwell Park

Brockwell Park is a large, historic park located between Brixton, Herne Hill and Tulse Hill with ornamental ponds, formal flower beds, a walled garden and a 19C clock tower.

Brockwell Lido

Brockwell Lido in Brockwell Park has an Olympic size 50 metre pool surrounded by a superb Grade II listed Art Deco building for year round outdoor swimming for the brave and hardy.

Clapham Common

Clapham Common is one of London's largest open spaces offering a running track, bowling green, cricket, football, rugby and Aussie Rules pitches, and a skateboard venue plus three ponds.

Kennington Park

Kennington Park has open areas for wildlife plus a popular café, an 'old English' flower garden, rose beds and a new 'Green Link' connecting the older Victorian park to a newer extension.

Lambeth Palace

Lambeth Palace is the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in London. As a working palace it is not open to the public daily but offers guided tours of Palace and gardens on a regular basis.

Jubilee Gardens

Jubilee Gardens is a public park on the South Bank created in 1977 to mark the Silver Jubilee of The Queen and serves as a backdrop to the London Eye and the South Bank riverside walk.

Gabriel’s Wharf

Gabriel's Wharf is an arty enclave on the South Bank with spectacular views of the Thames that is home to an eclectic mix of independent boutiques, cafes and restaurants.

London Eye

The London Eye is the iconic 135m observation wheel on the edge of the Thames with 360° views of the capital that has become a must-do tourist attraction for every visitor to London (or resident).

Black Cultural Archives

Black Cultural Archives is dedicated to collecting, preserving and celebrating the histories of African and Caribbean people in Britain with a programme of exhibitions and events.

Royal Vauxhall Tavern

The Royal Vauxhall Tavern is London’s most iconic award-winning LGBT cabaret, performance and club venue making it the choice for leading artists, promoters and the LGBT community.

Streatham Ice & Leisure Centre

Streatham Ice Rink is the home of ice skating in London for over 80 years. It is the only ice rink in London to boast a full size 60x30m ice pad and seating for over 900 spectators.