Welcome to the Southbank Centre

Drawing together vital voices for change and artistic responses to the climate emergency, Planet Summer is a multi-artform season, taking over our 11-acre site with performances, exhibitions, music, new artistic commissions and free programming.

A central pillar of the season is the Hayward Gallery’s pioneering group show Dear Earth: Art and Hope in a Time of Crisis. The exhibition is inspired by artist Otobong Nkanga’s idea that ‘caring is a form of resistance’, which captures the themes at the heart of Planet Summer: care, hope and action for the environment. We’re making some permanent changes to the Southbank Centre too, including planting a new, permanent ‘pocket forest’ below Waterloo Bridge that will sequester an estimated 405 kilos of carbon each year over the first 20 years. This is an invitation to evaluate our own relationship with and impact on the environment, and consider how we too can make change – now and into the future.

Mark Ball

Artistic Director

An update on our sustainability initiatives

This landmark season reflects the Southbank Centre’s commitment to environmental sustainability, one of our strategic priorities. We’re aiming to be a net-zero carbon organisation by 2040, and we’re working hard on the initiatives that will get us there.

We’re a zero-waste-to-landfill site. We’ve reduced food waste collections on-site by around 80%. We’ve achieved a 42% reduction in our carbon footprint – our target is to reduce it by 50% by 2025. And our bars and cafes have all made the switch from single-use plastics to compostable cups and cutlery, which are disposed of in our on-site composter. (Of course, the initiatives mentioned here make up just a small part of our sustainability journey.) Together, we can make a difference.

Elaine Bedell Chief Executive

Wednesday 21 June – Sunday 3 September