Danny Boyle To Direct You Are Here At The Southbank Centre

It’ll be the centrepiece event in the venue’s 75th anniversary celebrations

The Festival of Britain, a showcase of art, science, design and technology, was held in 1951 to boost national morale following the Second World War, and part of the fair included the opening of the Royal Festival Hall on the Southbank. It remains the only permanent cultural building to come from the festival, so, as 2026 marks the 75th anniversary of the event, the Royal Festival Hall and the rest of the Southbank Centre is celebrating with a special programme of events.

As well as a major exhibition from Anish Kapoor and a takeover by podcast company Goalhanger, the 2026 programme includes You Are Herea weekend festival all about British youth culture that’s being created, directed and designed by Danny Boyle, Paulette Randall, Gareth Pugh and Carson McColl, with Sabrina Mahfouz and Natasha Chivers.

Taking place across the early May bank holiday weekend, You Are Here will involve thousands of participants across the Southbank Centre, with so much happening across the different spaces that each visitor will have a different experience. The festival will draw from underground movements, club scenes, activism, subcultural fashion and more, covering everything from Northern Soul and Ballroom to anarchic nightlife and fashion. Collaborators include the likes of Benoit Swan Pouffer, BFI, Boy Blue, Heart of Soul Lewisham, Danilo ‘DJ’ Walde, Deptford Northern Soul Club, Daytimers, Field Maneuvers, Kartel Brown, Ruth Hogben, Jenkin van Zyl, Rambert, Rupture, The Midnight Train, and Vogue Rites, with dance companies and students also performing, and some surprise special guests set to appear too.

It sounds big and ambitious but given that Boyle pulled off a little thing like the Olympics opening ceremony, we have no doubt he’ll be delivering something special.

Speaking about You Are HereBoyle said: “The Southbank Centre is for everyone, like the NHS – a dose of culture, like a vitamin injection, it lifts you. Our ambition is for as many people as possible to experience the variety and vitality of this wonderful site, especially those on their first visit.

“In You Are Herewe want to send people on an adventure, through an arts centre that is usually experienced in individual venues, but transform it in people’s minds so they can see the Southbank Centre in a completely original way.”