Royal Albert Hall in London
London's 5,272-seat Victorian concert hall on Kensington Gore, SW7, opened in 1871 and home of the BBC Proms since 1941.
Photo credits
A Royal Albert Hall auditorium during a BBC Proms concert, seen from the Stalls with the stage and organ ahead: BillyH · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers
- Capacity
- 5,272, including Gallery standing
- Address
- Kensington GoreSW7 2AP London
- Opened
- 29 March 1871
- Nearest Tube
- South Kensington, 10-15 min walk
- Parking
- Imperial College Park, £11, 5 min walk
- Bag rule
- One bag up to 25L; cloakroom £2
- Start times
- Most evenings 18:30-19:30
- Contact
- +44 20 7589 8212
Royal Albert Hall agenda: upcoming events
Tonight, this week and the months ahead at this venue in London.
April 2027
- Thu22Apr
- Wed28Apr
£39.38Tickets
May 2027
Plan your visit to Royal Albert Hall
How many people does the Royal Albert Hall hold?
The official figure is 5,272, including standing places in the Gallery. That is the figure the Hall uses today, not the building's original design.
The hall was designed for 8,000 and has held 12,000. Today the Stalls alone have 1,534 seats, and the 2021 rebuild of the Rausing Circle added air-cooling rather than seats.
For comparison, the Eventim Apollo seats 5,039, the Royal Festival Hall 2,900 and the Barbican Hall 1,943; the O2 Arena holds 20,000 and Wembley Arena 12,500. These comparison figures come from each venue's Wikidata record.
| Venue | Capacity |
|---|---|
| Royal Albert Hall | 5,272 (including Gallery standing) |
| Eventim Apollo | 5,039 |
| Royal Festival Hall | 2,900 |
| Barbican Hall | 1,943 |
| The O2 Arena | 20,000 |
| Wembley Arena | 12,500 |
Seating plan: Arena, Stalls, boxes, Rausing Circle and Gallery
The Hall is one oval auditorium with the stage at one end, so every level looks across the arena to the same stage. The level you choose changes how close you are, how wide the seat is and how much of the room you see.
The Arena is the flat floor closest to the stage, and its layout changes with the show. Behind it, the Stalls rise towards the back of the hall and hold 1,534 seats, with eight wheelchair spaces and companion seats at ground level.
Above and behind the Stalls come the Loggia boxes, the Grand Tier and the Second Tier. These are private boxes: most box seats are 42 cm wide, a Second Tier box has a fifth highchair seat at the back with a restricted view, and box holders can order food and drink to the box.
The Rausing Circle is the upper circle, rebuilt in 2021 with air-cooling that the Hall says significantly decreased heat there in hot weather. The Gallery is the top level (level 5), an unreserved standing area.
Seats are narrow: 45 cm in the Arena, 43 cm in the Stalls and 41.5-42 cm in the boxes and Second Tier. If you are broad-shouldered, an aisle seat makes a difference.
The Circle seating was rebuilt in 1996 with more legroom and better sightlines, and the Stalls in 2000 with 1,534 pivoting seats.
- Best for the closest straight-on view: the Stalls.
- Best for seeing the whole oval: the front of the Rausing Circle.
- Best for privacy and food service: a box, though many boxes are at the sides and look across the hall rather than straight at the stage.
- Best for a standing view from the top: the Gallery, the unreserved top level.
- Check before booking: the fifth seat in a Second Tier box is a highchair with a potentially restricted view, and booster cushions are not allowed in the Rausing Circle, Choirs or front row of a box.
How an evening at the Royal Albert Hall works
- Check your ticket email for your entrance before you travel. The Box Office is at Door 12 if you need to collect or reprint tickets.
- Arrive early. Every bag is searched at the door, and the Hall asks visitors to allow extra time; queues build before a full house.
- Bring one bag only, no bigger than 25 litres. Larger bags and suitcases must go to the cloakroom at £2 per item.
- Go through the bag search, then find your level. Lifts at Doors 1 and 8 serve every floor from the Basement to the Gallery.
- At the interval, stay inside or use the bars. Re-entry to the auditorium depends on the performance, and latecomers may wait a long time.
- After the show, leave by the nearest door. Taxis pick up on Kensington Gore outside Door 6, and the Tube is 10-15 minutes' walk.
What time do Royal Albert Hall shows start and end?
Start times follow the show, not the building, but the pattern is consistent enough to plan around.
Evenings usually start between 18:30 and 19:30, matinees at 14:30 or 15:00.
A typical evening runs about two to two-and-a-half hours with an interval, so a 19:30 start finishes around 22:00. Earlier starts finish earlier. Check the running time on your event page, and allow extra time for the bag search rather than cutting it fine.
The Hall does not publish a single doors-open time. Its FAQ asks visitors to allow plenty of extra time to get in, because every bag is searched; restaurants and bars typically open two hours before the start, and the car park opens one hour before main-auditorium events. Your ticket email names your entrance.
- Evening start
- 18:30-19:30
- Matinees
- 14:30 or 15:00
- Typical finish
- Around 22:00 for a 19:30 start
Tickets, box office and refunds at the Royal Albert Hall
Book through the Hall or its official partners. The Box Office at Door 12 is open 9am-9pm daily, closing at 5pm on days with no auditorium show.
Phone lines run Monday-Friday 9am-5pm on 020 7589 8212, and the contact centre answers email daily 9am-8pm. Tickets are emailed or posted as soon as possible, sometimes only close to the performance. If yours has not arrived, go to the Box Office at Door 12 on the day with your confirmation and the card you used to book.
Tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded, but you can resell through the official partner, Twickets. Access tickets cannot be resold and can be refunded up to 24 hours before the performance. If the Hall cancels or reschedules an event, you are offered a credit voucher, an exchange or a refund. Ticket protection is sold separately through Booking Protect.
Prices are set by the promoter, and some events use demand-based pricing, so book early. The Hall is cashless, including at the box office and bars.
- Box Office
- Door 12, 9am-9pm daily
- Phone
- 020 7589 8212, Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
- Resale
- Twickets; access tickets can be refunded
Food and drink at the Royal Albert Hall
There are four restaurants and four bars inside the Hall, plus the Café Bar. You do not need a ticket for the Café Bar, Verdi Italian Kitchen or afternoon tea in Coda, which makes them useful for a pre-show meal or a daytime stop.
No food or drink from outside is allowed, except water; refill bottles at the dispensers by Doors 3 and 9. The Hall is cashless, and booking a restaurant in advance is recommended, especially for a full house.
The four restaurants are Coda by Éric Chavot (seasonal French cooking), Verdi Italian Kitchen (Italian favourites and a children's menu), the Elgar Room Brasserie (open from two hours before the show) and Little Elgar (burgers, wings, hot dogs and salads). The bars are the Moët & Chandon Champagne Bar, the 1871 Bar, the Kensington Gardens Bar and the Great Exhibition Bar.
- Coda Restaurant by Éric Chavot - the fine-dining option, with seasonal French cooking.
- Verdi Italian Kitchen - relaxed Italian food and a children's menu; open to non-ticket holders from midday Tuesday-Sunday and from 4:30pm or 5pm on Mondays.
- The Elgar Room Brasserie - brasserie-style dining that opens two hours before the show.
- Little Elgar - burgers, wings, hot dogs and salads before the performance.
- Bars - the Moët & Chandon Champagne Bar, 1871 Bar, Kensington Gardens Bar and Great Exhibition Bar; most open about two hours before the start.
- Café Bar - coffee, sandwiches and light bites from 9am on show days, open to non-ticket holders.
Bag policy, cloakroom and security at the Royal Albert Hall
One bag per person, no more than 25 litres (about 40 x 30 x 20 cm). Handbags, satchels, briefcases and small rucksacks are fine; suitcases, large rucksacks and extra bags are not admitted.
Every bag is searched, and anyone who refuses a search is turned away. The cloakroom is only open before main-auditorium events and costs £2 per item; it is the only way in for a bag over the limit.
No outside food or drink except water. No e-bikes, e-scooters, e-unicycles or lithium batteries. There is no dress code for most shows, but where an event has one it is stated on the event page. The Hall is cashless.
Short, unobtrusive photos and video are allowed at appropriate moments, but no flash, and stewards may ask you to stop. Re-entry to the auditorium depends on the performance, and latecomers may face a significant wait before they are admitted.
- Bag size
- 25L maximum (about 40 x 30 x 20 cm)
- Cloakroom
- £2 per item, before main-auditorium events
- Dress code
- None for most shows
- Payment
- Card or contactless only
Accessibility: step-free routes, wheelchair spaces and hearing support
Ramped access is at Doors 1, 3, 8, 9 and 12. Lifts at Doors 1 and 8 reach every level from the Basement to the Gallery, and the Arena foyers have a platform lift from the Basement at Door 1.
Wheelchair users have eight spaces with companion seats in the Stalls, six in the Rausing Circle (sections P/Q, R/S, V/W and X/Y) and four standing spaces in the Gallery. The Rausing Circle spaces suit people with good upper-body mobility because of the curve of the auditorium.
A free companion ticket is available in designated areas; book through the access line on 020 7070 4410 (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm) or at the Door 12 desk. Wheelchairs can be reserved by emailing accessbooking@royalalberthall.com.
Infra-red headsets are collected from the Information Desk at Door 6, and there is an induction loop at the Box Office. Assistance dogs are welcome, and unisex accessible toilets are at Doors 1, 4, 8 and 12. The Hall programmes relaxed and BSL performances; the access pages list the dates.
- Access line
- 020 7070 4410, Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
- Blue Badge parking
- Ten free spaces in 1851 Place, entrance outside Door 8
- Lifts
- Doors 1 and 8, Basement to Gallery
- Hearing
- Infra-red headsets from Door 6
Getting to the Royal Albert Hall: Tube, bus and train
Kensington Gore, SW7 2AP. South Kensington is the obvious Tube stop, Green Park is the step-free option, and Paddington and Victoria are the nearest National Rail stations.
South Kensington and High Street Kensington are the closest Tube stations, 10-15 minutes on foot; Green Park is the step-free station, with bus 9 to Kensington Gore. Paddington is 27 minutes on foot and Victoria about 30, and both have Tube and bus connections.
Heathrow Airport is 40-50 minutes from Heathrow Central on the Piccadilly line, or 15 minutes to Paddington on the Heathrow Express; from Paddington, the Circle line runs direct to South Kensington.
Black taxis can usually be hailed on Kensington Gore outside Door 6. For arrivals by car, taxi, minibus or Dial-a-Ride, the Hall names the set-down point outside Albert Hall Mansions on Kensington Gore. There is a Santander Cycles dock outside the Royal College of Art, and public cycle racks on the south side of the building.
After a late show, the Piccadilly line's Night Tube runs between Heathrow Terminal 5 and Cockfosters through South Kensington, and night buses N9 (Aldwych-Hammersmith) and N52 (Victoria-Willesden) stop at Kensington Gore, a minute from the Hall. On nights when the Night Tube does not run, check TfL's first and last Tube times before relying on the last train.
By car, the Hall is outside the Congestion Charge zone but inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone. Street parking is tightly controlled; the practical option is the Imperial College car park, covered below.
Parking at the Royal Albert Hall
There is no public car park on site. The Hall sells spaces at Imperial College Park, about five minutes away, and offers ten free Blue Badge spaces at 1851 Place; a public underground garage is 840 m away on Kensington High Street, about 12 minutes on foot.
Imperial College parking opens one hour before main-auditorium events and is not available for weekday matinees. Vouchers cover up to 45 minutes after the show, and everyone must leave by 23:59. The postcode SW7 2BX covers a wide area, so follow the Hall's map to the entrance.
Street parking around the Hall is tightly controlled, with strict signs and resident bays; read them carefully. Do not leave valuables in the car, and remember that the Hall is inside the ULEZ.
| Car park | Address | Walk to the Hall | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial College Park | Imperial College Park, Exhibition Road, SW7 2BX | About 5 min | £11.00 including the 10% booking fee; book in advance |
| Blue Badge parking, 1851 Place | 1851 Place, entered via Bremner Road from Queen's Gate | At Door 8 (ramped) | Free; ten spaces; book on 020 7070 4410 |
| Euro Car Park, Kensington High Street | Kensington High Street, W8 5NP | About 12 min | Paid; underground garage |
Royal Albert Hall contact details and opening hours
- Address
- Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AP
- Box Office
- Door 12, 9am-9pm daily (5pm on days without a show)
- Phone
- 020 7589 8212, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm
- Access line
- 020 7070 4410, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm
- Tours
- From Door 12, about an hour
- Stage Door
- +44 (0)20 7589 3203
What is the Royal Albert Hall?
The Royal Albert Hall is the Victorian concert hall on Kensington Gore, on the northern edge of South Kensington, London SW7 2AP. Queen Victoria opened it on 29 March 1871, and its 41 m glass-and-iron dome, 800 ft terracotta frieze and Italianate red-brick exterior were built as a memorial to Prince Albert.
It seats 5,272 people, including standing places in the Gallery, and stages more than 390 shows a year in the main auditorium, plus about 1,000 events in its other spaces. The BBC Proms have been held here every summer since 1941, and the programme now runs from symphony concerts and ballet to film-with-orchestra nights, comedy, awards ceremonies and school events.
Inside is a single oval auditorium with the stage at one end and boxes and circles wrapping around the arena. The Hall is Grade I listed; the Stalls were rebuilt in 2000 with 1,534 pivoting seats, and the Rausing Circle was rebuilt in 2021 with air-cooling.
History: from Prince Albert's memorial to the Proms
The Hall was built as a memorial to Prince Albert, and Queen Victoria opened it on 29 March 1871. Francis Fowke, a Royal Engineers captain, and Henry Y. D. Scott designed the Italianate building, with a 41 m glass-and-iron dome and an 800 ft terracotta frieze showing The Triumph of Arts and Sciences.
Acoustics were a problem from the first concert: the dome produced a strong echo, and a canvas awning was hung below it. The interior has been adjusted ever since. The Stalls were rebuilt in 2000 with 1,534 pivoting seats, and the Rausing Circle was rebuilt in 2021 with air-cooling.
The BBC Proms have been held here every summer since 1941. The Hall now stages more than 390 main-auditorium shows a year, plus about 1,000 events in its other rooms, and remains Grade I listed.
Photos
Photo credits
A Royal Albert Hall auditorium during a BBC Proms concert, seen from the Stalls with the stage and organ ahead: BillyH · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Royal Albert Hall auditorium seen from a central Grand Tier box, with the stage, organ and tiers of seating: Colin · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Royal Albert Hall's red-brick and terracotta facade and glass dome, seen across Kensington Gardens from the Albert Memorial: Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0
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Frequently asked questions about the Royal Albert Hall
How many seats does the Royal Albert Hall have?
5,272, including standing places in the Gallery. The building was designed for 8,000 and once held 12,000; for scale, the Eventim Apollo seats 5,039 and the Royal Festival Hall 2,900.
What time do Royal Albert Hall shows start and end?
Most evening events start between 18:30 and 19:30; matinees at 14:30 or 15:00. A 19:30 start usually ends around 22:00, so check your event page for the running time.
How do I get to the Royal Albert Hall?
South Kensington (District, Circle, Piccadilly) and High Street Kensington (District, Circle) are 10-15 minutes on foot. Green Park is step-free, with bus 9 to Kensington Gore. Paddington is 27 minutes on foot; Heathrow is 40-50 minutes on the Piccadilly line, or 15 minutes to Paddington on the Heathrow Express. Night buses N9 and N52 stop at Kensington Gore.
Where can I park near the Royal Albert Hall?
Imperial College Park on Exhibition Road, SW7 2BX, about five minutes away: £11 including the booking fee, booked in advance. Ten free Blue Badge spaces are in 1851 Place, booked on 020 7070 4410. Euro Car Park on Kensington High Street, W8 5NP, is about 12 minutes away and paid.
Can I bring a bag to the Royal Albert Hall?
One bag up to 25 litres (about 40 x 30 x 20 cm). Every bag is searched; larger bags go to the cloakroom at £2 per item.
Can I bring food and drink into the Hall?
No food or drink from outside, except water. The Hall is cashless, and the Café Bar and Verdi Italian Kitchen are open to non-ticket holders.
Is there a dress code at the Royal Albert Hall?
No for most shows. Where an event has a formal dress code, it is stated on the event page.
Is the Royal Albert Hall accessible?
Yes: ramps at Doors 1, 3, 8, 9 and 12, lifts at Doors 1 and 8 to every level, eight wheelchair spaces in the Stalls and six in the Rausing Circle, and a free companion ticket in designated areas.
Can I take photos at the Royal Albert Hall?
Short, unobtrusive photos and video are fine at appropriate moments; no flash, and stewards may ask you to stop.
Are there tours of the Royal Albert Hall?
Yes, from inside Door 12, lasting about an hour. There are also Behind the Scenes, Inside Out and Stories from the Archive tours.
Can I get a refund for Royal Albert Hall tickets?
Tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded, but you can resell through the official partner, Twickets; access tickets cannot be resold and can be refunded up to 24 hours before the performance. If an event is cancelled or rescheduled, you are offered a credit voucher, exchange or refund.
Is the Royal Albert Hall cashless?
Yes, card or contactless only throughout the building.
What time do doors open at the Royal Albert Hall?
The Hall does not publish a single doors-open time. It asks visitors to allow plenty of extra time to get in, because every bag is searched; restaurants and bars typically open two hours before the start, and the car park opens one hour before main-auditorium events. Your ticket email names your entrance.
Can I bring children to the Royal Albert Hall?
Yes. Family programming ranges from storytelling to interactive concerts, including Storytelling and Music Sessions for 0-4 year olds. Lifts reach every floor for pushchairs, baby changing is available, and restaurants have high chairs; booster cushions are available for small children, but not in the Rausing Circle, Choirs or front row of a box.
Is there an age restriction at the Royal Albert Hall?
The Hall's own pages do not state a general age limit. It programmes family events for young children, including sessions for 0-4 year olds, so check the event page for the show's own guidance before booking.
Which seats are best at the Royal Albert Hall?
The Stalls give the closest straight-on view; the front of the Rausing Circle shows the whole oval; boxes add privacy and food service, though many are at the sides and look across the hall; the Gallery is unreserved standing at the top. Avoid the fifth seat in a Second Tier box if view matters.
Is there a cloakroom at the Royal Albert Hall?
Yes, before main-auditorium events, at £2 per item. It is the only way in for a bag over the 25-litre limit, and every bag is searched.
Is the Royal Albert Hall air-conditioned?
The Rausing Circle's 2021 rebuild installed air-cooling, which the Hall says significantly decreased heat there in hot weather. The Hall's pages do not describe air-conditioning in the Stalls or boxes.
What are the acoustics like at the Royal Albert Hall?
The dome produced a strong echo at the first concert in 1871. Engineers hung a canvas awning below it, replaced it with aluminium panels in 1949, and added fibreglass diffusing discs in 1969. The Hall does not publish a seat-by-seat acoustic rating.
Sources: Wikipedia - Royal Albert Hall (November 11, 2026) · Royal Albert Hall - Venue and seating plan (November 11, 2026) · Royal Albert Hall - FAQs (November 11, 2026) · Royal Albert Hall - Opening times (November 11, 2026) · Royal Albert Hall - Contact us (November 11, 2026) · Royal Albert Hall - Restaurants and bars (November 11, 2026) · Royal Albert Hall - Accessibility when you are here (November 11, 2026) · Royal Albert Hall - Getting here and parking (November 11, 2026)
