Royal Albert Hall

Facts and information

Address:: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, Kensington,
London SW7 2AP
England
Website:: www.royalalberthall.com
Telephone:: Work +44 (0) 845 401 5045
Buses:: 9 10 49 52 70 360 452
Trains:: South Kensington CR DS PCNote: We can help plan your journey to Royal Albert Hall from Waterloo, King’s Cross and many other stations
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^{Royal Albert Hall} View of the steps leading up to the Royal Albert Hall

^{Royal Albert Hall, South Steps} Aerial view of the Royal Albert Hall, with Kensington Gardens behind

^{Royal Albert Hall, London}

Drawing of the Albert Hall’s grand opening, 19th March 1871

^{Albert Hall’s opening night, 1871} First concert at the Royal Albert Hall, 19th March 1871

^{First concert, 19th March 1871}

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The Royal Albert Hall was built with profits from the Great Exhibition, and commemorated the death of Prince Albert in 1861. Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone in 1867, and opened it four years later on the 29th March 1871.

The building was designed by Captain Francis Fowke and Henry Darracott, but problems with the acoustics led to it being labelled less than suitable for music – a terrible echo from the domed roof led to a famous joke: The Royal Albert Hall is the only place where a British composer can be sure of hearing his work twice. The problem was eventually solved in 1969, when a series of large fibreglass discs were suspended from the roof.

The Proms concerts

The most famous event held at London’s Albert Hall are the Sir Henry Wood Promenade Concerts – or The Proms. They were originally held in the Queen’s Hall on South Bank, until the Germans bombed it in 1941. They then transferred to the Royal Albert Hall and rose in popularity.

They are held for seven weeks every summer when visiting orchestras, famous soloists and conductors join in with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. The famous ‘last night’ is a typically rowdy affair, with bombastic classical pieces and nationalistic roof-busters.

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Dr John – “The last time I went to the Royal Albert Hall was to see some Benjamin Britten at the Proms, which was top notch, as always We only have the cheap seats up in the circle which is only 15 quid for me and my wife, but you get a grea…”
pamHMRC – “One my Christmas must-dos is a visit to the Royal Albert Hall for one of the Christmas carols by candlelight concerts They are truly magical, with everyone dressed up in period costume and the wonderful arena lit with flickering f…”