Sights · Our pick in London
Royal Albert Hall
Home of the Proms
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall, opposite the Albert Memorial on the edge of Kensington Gardens, was opened by Queen Victoria in 1871 in memory of Prince Albert. Its huge oval auditorium hosts concerts of every kind, ballet, films with live orchestra and, each summer, the BBC Proms, when promming tickets are sold on the day. Guided tours run most days. South Kensington station is about fifteen minutes’ walk away.
Why it's on our list
- The BBC Proms
- Concerts and shows
- Guided tours
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Royal Albert Hall before you go.
Playing now and coming up
Concerts and shows at the Royal Albert Hall over the next two weeks.
Full programme and tickets at royalalberthall.com
Listings from Data ThistleAdd or update an event
Hotels nearby
The closest hotels in our guide to Royal Albert Hall, as the crow flies.
- The Baglioni Hotel London0.3 mi6 min walk
- The Ampersand Hotel0.5 mi10 min walk
- Bulgari Hotel London0.6 mi12 min walk
- Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park0.8 mi15 min walk
- The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel0.8 mi17 min walk
What’s nearby
Distances from Royal Albert Hall are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Nearest stations
- South KensingtonPiccadillyDistrictCircle0.5 mi10 min walk
- Gloucester RoadCircleDistrictPiccadilly0.5 mi11 min walk
- High Street KensingtonCircleDistrict0.6 mi13 min walk
Nearest taxi ranks
- Taxi rank0.4 mi9 min walk
- Taxi rank, Harrington Road0.5 mi10 min walk
Black cabs can also be hailed in the street: a lit yellow TAXI sign means the cab is available.
Key sights
- Harrods0.6 miWalk 13 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 8 min
- Buckingham Palace1.5 miWalk 30 minCycle 10 minCar or taxi 14 min
- Leicester Square2.1 miWalk 43 minCycle 14 minCar or taxi 19 min
- Westminster Abbey2.2 miWalk 43 minCycle 14 minCar or taxi 19 min
- Trafalgar Square2.2 miWalk 44 minCycle 14 minCar or taxi 19 min
- Covent Garden2.5 miCycle 16 minCar or taxi 21 min
- London Eye2.5 miCycle 16 minCar or taxi 21 min
- The British Museum2.5 miCycle 16 minCar or taxi 22 min
- The Shard3.9 miCycle 25 minCar or taxi 32 min
- Tower of London4.4 miCycle 28 minCar or taxi 36 min
Main rail terminals
- Paddington1.0 miWalk 20 minCycle 6 minCar or taxi 10 min
- Victoria1.5 miWalk 30 minCycle 10 minCar or taxi 14 min
- Charing Cross2.2 miWalk 45 minCycle 14 minCar or taxi 20 min
- Euston2.7 miCycle 17 minCar or taxi 23 min
- Waterloo2.7 miCycle 18 minCar or taxi 23 min
- St Pancras International (Eurostar)3.1 miCycle 20 minCar or taxi 26 min
- King’s Cross St Pancras3.1 miCycle 20 minCar or taxi 26 min
- London Bridge4.0 miCycle 26 minCar or taxi 33 min
- Liverpool Street4.2 miCycle 27 minCar or taxi 34 min