South Bank

The South Bank is a cultural and arts district on the south bank of the River Thames in the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Southwark, stretching from Westminster Bridge to Blackfriars Bridge. The area was largely derelict industrial land until the Festival of Britain in 1951, which led to the construction of the Royal Festival Hall as a permanent legacy. The South Bank now contains a dense concentration of major arts venues including the Southbank Centre, National Theatre, BFI Southbank, and the Tate Modern gallery at Bankside. The riverside walkway along this stretch of the Thames is one of the most heavily pedestrianised and visited areas of London.