Namechecked by the Beatles in 1967 ("A Day in the Life"), the resplendent Royal Albert Hall was opened by Queen Victoria in 1871, ten years after the death of her dear Albert, a stunning gilded memorial to whom stands erect across the street (in Kensington Gardens). Designed by Francis Fowke (Captain in the Royal Engineers), this vast red-brick structure remains a London landmark despite the adequate-at-best acoustics inside, which nevertheless provide a breathtaking visual experience.With a cap...
Namechecked by the Beatles in 1967 ("A Day in the Life"), the resplendent Royal Albert Hall was opened by Queen Victoria in 1871, ten years after the death of her dear Albert, a stunning gilded memorial to whom stands erect across the street (in Kensington Gardens). Designed by Francis Fowke (Captain in the Royal Engineers), this vast red-brick structure remains a London landmark despite the adequate-at-best acoustics inside, which nevertheless provide a breathtaking visual experience.With a capacity of more than 7,000, the hall boasts a most democratic booking policy, and has been known to host not only rock and pop concerts but conferences, ballroom dancing, poetry recitals, motor shows, ballet, circus shows, boxing and sumo wrestling. However, its signature use occurs non-stop between mid-July and mid-September, when the hall is synonymous with the Proms (short for promenade concerts) — one of the world's great classical music festivals, started in 1895 and staged at the Albert Hall since the early 1940s. A very British tradition, and well worth planning ahead for (despite the imperfect sound and the occasionally sweltering summer heat, all part of the Proms package). In recent years the Proms have ventured further afield, including a part-orchestral turn by the Pet Shop Boys in 2014. Tube stations: South Kensington and Kensington High Street. Local landmarks include Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens, the Serpentine Gallery, Victoria & Albert Museum and Natural History Museum [see separate entries].
