Southbank Centre’s new Festival “Multitudes” to open in April 2025
Multitudes at Southbank Centre will reimagine live music through bold collaborations across dance, theatre, and visual arts.
LPO x Circa: Daphnis and Chloe. © Laura Manariti.
Multitudes is an exciting new arts festival taking place at the Southbank Centre from 23 April to 3 May 2025. This festival reimagines the concert hall experience by blending orchestral music with a wide range of artistic disciplines, including dance, performance, spoken word, and visual arts. The festival partners with several of the Southbank Centre’s Resident Orchestras, including the Aurora Orchestra, Chineke! Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, and Philharmonia Orchestra, as well as national and international artists.
One of the festival’s highlights is the opening performance by Circa and the London Philharmonic Orchestra on 23 April, where they will present Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé, featuring daring circus choreography. This exciting fusion of contemporary circus and orchestral music sets the tone for the rest of the festival. Other standout performances include Vexations (24-25 April), where renowned pianist Igor Levit, under the direction of Marina Abramović, will perform Erik Satie’s monumental piece lasting up to 16 hours, exploring endurance and artistic expression.
George the Poet. © Feruza Afewerki.
On 25 April, the Chineke! Orchestra joins forces with poet George the Poet for R.I.S.E., a powerful performance combining music and spoken word to reflect on resilience, identity, and transformation. Additionally, innovative collaborations such as In C (29-30 April) by Sasha Waltz & Guests and the London Sinfonietta, and Carnival (3 May) by Frantic Assembly and Aurora Orchestra, bring together dance, theatre, and orchestral music in groundbreaking ways.
In C, Sasha Waltz & Guests, Terry Riley. © Alejo Maria Corsiglia.
City of Floating Sounds (30 April) will invite audiences to become part of the orchestra as Huang Ruo’s composition unfolds across London. Participants will create a unique, evolving soundtrack on their mobile phones, culminating in a live performance at the Royal Festival Hall. This immersive, interactive experience will exemplify Multitudes’ mission to push the boundaries of live performance.
Date: 23 April - 3 May 2025. Location: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX. Click here to discover the full programme of events at Multitudes.
