Residing along the southern edge of Hyde Park, not far from Kensington Palace, is the magnificent Royal Albert Hall. The district of South Kensington is renowned for housing many a grand and stately museums and institutions, and the Royal Albert Hall is certainly no exception. This famous concert hall was an idea born from Prince Albert (consort to Queen Victoria) as a project to develop a permanent entertainment venue in the area, which was to be surrounded by various educational institutions, spread over a 50 acre site.
Unfortunately, in 1861 Prince Albert passed away without seeing his plans develop, however the project was taken over and after years of designing and building, the Royal Albert Hall, with its stunning dome roof and spectacular auditorium, was officially opened by an emotional Queen Victoria in March 1871. A memorial in memory of her husband had also been ordered by the Queen to be erected across the way in Hyde Park, and the recently refurbished Albert Memorial was unveiled the following year in 1872.
From classical orchestra and opera performances to rock concerts by Led Zeppelin, Elton John and farewell (then reunion) concerts by 1960´s British band Cream, to sporting events such as boxing and the first Grand Basho Sumo Wrestling match to leave Japan in 1,500 years; the Royal Albert Hall has established itself, and continues to do so, as one of the world's greatest entertainment venues. These days it is home to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and to the annual summer classical concerts called the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts better known as the ´Proms´ - the biggest classical musical event in the world. Since 2000 the Royal Albert Hall has also supported and played host to a series of six concerts benefiting the Teenage Cancer Trust. This series includes pop and rock concerts, including a 2006 concert by the fabulous British group Goldfrapp, and comedy nights.
Being true to Prince Albert's vision, there are several museums and institutions surrounding the Royal Albert Hall. The Royal College of Art and the Former Royal College of Organists reside the west, the Royal College of Music and the Imperial College are to the south and the Royal Geographical Society is to the east. The Science Museum and Natural History Museum are just on the other side of Imperial College Road and the Victoria and Albert Museum is to the west across Exhibition Road. Prince Albert would be a happy man.
You can now take day time guided tours of the Royal Albert Hall between Friday and Tuesday that take you on a fascinating tour through the stunning auditorium, the Royal Retiring Room as well as permitting a peek inside the Queen's Box.
Before or after enjoying one of the outstanding performances hosted by the Royal Albert Hall, you can dine, snack, take a late night supper or sip on a wine in one of the 13 bars, cafés or restaurants. These include the Elgar Room Restaurant and the Victoria Restaurant that open 2 hours before performance begin, as does the Champagne Bar and the North Circle Bar.
South Kensington Tube and High Street Kensington underground station are the closest to the Royal Albert Hall. There are also several bus routes passing by. Parking is very limited and expensive in the area so you really are best to travel on public transport; however the Royal Albert Hall does offer limited parking after 6pm in the Imperial College Car Park for concert ticket holders who book in advance.
Access to the Albert Hall is easist from South Kensington where there are many hotels. Earls Court and Bayswater are also reasonably close by with many budget hotels. In fact, the walk across Hyde Park from Bayswater to the Royal Albert Hall can be very pleasant. This is a good area to stay offering many attractions including the shopping area of High Street Kensington and Harrods. For more details accommodation in this area go to the hotels near the Royal Albert Hall page.
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