Join us for a special guided tour of the Royal Albert Hall and learn how the building was designed and built in only four years over 150 years ago, why those ‘mushrooms’ in the ceiling help to solve the challenge of the echo, and many other fascinating things.

We will meet at 11.15am outside door 12 (at the back of the building), to allow time for a bag search by the security team and be met by the guide or guides, before the tour starts at 11.30.

Over the hour-long tour we will discover some of the extraordinary engineering which allows for a huge variety of events from the BBC Proms to major rock concerts, to boxing and wrestling events, and to circuses, ballets and dance competitions as well as the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance.

We will explore hidden corners, have a close-up view of the stage and the world-famous organ, and from the Gallery promenade we will get a real idea of this tremendous undertaking, constructed in memory of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s beloved husband, who originally proposed it as an arena for public benefit, a significant part of the group of museums which came to be known as Albertopolis. 

Built between 1867 and 1871 on a site purchased after the Great Exhibition, to a design heavily influenced by ancient amphitheatres, it was intended to be much larger than the much admired Cirque d’Hiver in Paris, which had been inaugurated a few years earlier. And it did indeed become much larger: its wrought iron dome is still today the largest in the world and the building’s diameter is twice that of Cirque d’Hiver. Upgraded many times since then, the hall continues to undergo a series of renovations  — we will hear more on 26 November.

After the tour, the Royal Albert Hall’s café bar should be available for those wanting to stay a little longer and enjoy a coffee, tea or more (to be paid for separately).

Please note: The Royal Albert Hall needs to know how many we will be no later than two weeks before the date of the tour, as they will assign one guide per 20 participants. Bookings will therefore close on 10 November. So don’t wait to book!

Members £20.00, non-members £30.00

Not a member?
It’s only £20 for a whole year. If you want to take advantage of the lower membership price, just become a member online first via our membership page, before booking your ticket below.