Press Release Date: Tuesday 3 September 2019 Contact: James Smyllie, [email protected] / 0207 921 0752 ​ ​ ​ Images: downloadable here ​ ​ Full listings: here; Family events here; Free events: here ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Winter at Southbank Centre celebrates the holiday season ​ with dazzling shows, delicious food and free events for all the family 8 November 2019 – 5 January 2020 Nadiya Hussain © Dan Kennedy; Southbank Centre's Winter Market © Belinda Lawley; Black Beauty © Mihaela Bodlovic; ​ ​ ​ Rufus & Martha Wainwright's A Not So Silent Night From 8 November 2019 to 5 January 2020, Winter at Southbank Centre presents a bumper ​ ​ celebration for the holiday season packed with concerts, events and culinary delights for all ages including a festive programme of free events. Winter highlights include: ​ Concerts, shows & events ● Black Beauty brings fun and adventure to Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room in a ​ five-star show combining storytelling, music and puppetry (14 Dec 2019 – 5 Jan ​ ​ ​ ​ 2020) 1 ● With new acts including the Brazilian Wheel of Death, Circus 1903 returns to ​ ​ transport audiences to the golden age of circus (19 Dec 2019 – 5 Jan 2020) ​ ​ ​ ​ ● The perfect mix of glamour and laughs, Fascinating Aïda is back with the World ​ ​ Premiere of a brand new cabaret show (10 Dec 2019 – 5 Jan 2020) ​ ​ ● Concerts from the Philharmonia Orchestra include Grand Christmas Classics with ​ ​ ​ ​ The Bach Choir (15 Dec) and The Glory of Christmas with Trinity Boys Choir and ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Brighton Festival Chorus (15 Dec) ​ ● Seasonal gigs include Rufus & Martha Wainwright's A Not So Silent Night (6 ​ ​ Dec), Ian Shaw & Claire Martin's Early Xmas Cracker (8 Dec) and Kate Rusby at ​ ​ ​ Christmas (10 Dec) ​ ● Enjoy carols and festive hits at Christmas with Alan Titchmarsh and Jonathan ​ ​ ​ ​ Cohen’s Christmas Carol Singalong (14 Dec) ​ ​ ​ ● Nadiya Hussain celebrates the publication of her memoir, Finding My Voice (1 ​ ​ ​ Dec) ● LGBTQI+ events across Winter include Burgerz by Travis Alabanza (29 Nov – 1 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Dec), A Very Polari Xmas: Featuring Lisa Jewell (9 Dec), Drag Syndrome at ​ ​ ​ ​ Christmas (15 Dec), The Legends and Legacies Yuletide Special (21 Dec), ​ ​ ​ ​ Queer Tango London (26 Dec) and more. ​ ​ ● The Queen Elizabeth Hall foyer plays host to free events throughout Winter including ​ ​ Caribbean Christmas with Just Vibez (14 Dec), Gamelan Winter Chimes (18 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Dec), Kids Countdown with Ida Barr (31 Dec) and Winter Choirs (8 – 19 Dec) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ● New Year’s Eve Spectacular presents five floors of themed club nights, six bars, ​ ​ live acts, fifteen DJs, continuous dance lessons, and outdoor spaces offering the perfect view of the UK’s largest annual fireworks display (31 Dec) Onsite ● Southbank Centre’s Winter Market is back offering an exquisite selection of food and ​ ​ drink across an array of pop-up bars and eateries and the chance to shop for gifts and seasonal goodies from a range of traders (8 Nov 2019 – 5 Jan 2020) ​ ​ ● Favourites such as The Circus Bar and Bar Under the Bridge make a welcome ​ ​ ​ ​ return and new additions include Mac Shack and Applebee’s Fish ​ ​ ​ ● Jimmy’s Lodge provides a truly unique dining experience with their private igloos ​ ● Under the showman tents of The Circus Bar, families can enjoy food, refreshments ​ ​ and a warm fire at a Pop-up Cinema showing Beauty and the Beast, Moana and ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ other timeless classics old and new (11 Nov – 29 Dec). ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ● Images from the London is Love photographic project with artist Liz Johnson Artur ​ ​ ​ ​ are displayed across the windows of Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall (6 Dec 2019 – 5 Jan 2020) ​ ​ ​ ​ 2 ● Squidsoup transforms the Queen Elizabeth Hall foyer with an immersive new ​ ​ artwork consisting of 200 beautiful orbs suspended from the iconic ceiling For further press information and images please contact: James Smyllie, [email protected] / 0207 921 0752 ​ ​ For press tickets please contact: Alex Kemsley, [email protected] / 0207 921 0824 ​ ​ Programme information below. Full listings: here; Family events here; Free events: here ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Press Images: downloadable here ​ Join the Conversation: @southbankcentre #SCWinter Southbank Centre venues RFH - Royal Festival Hall QEH - Queen Elizabeth Hall PUR - Purcell Room HG - Hayward Gallery CBR - The Clore Ballroom WINTER MARKET (8 NOV 2019 – 5 JAN 2020) The Winter Market returns offering a range of winter pop-up bars, restaurants and ​ ​ ​ opportunities to shop under a canopy of twinkling lights. Each trader brings their own spin to the feast, with stalls offering Asian, Indian and Greek cuisines, traditional winter classics like raclette, baked camembert and bratwurst, and sweet treats including waffles and pancakes. ​ ​ The Circus Bar and Bar Under the Bridge are perfect for a mulled wine and a warming ​ ​ ​ cocktail, and the ever-popular glowing igloos run by Jimmy’s Lodge give London a dinner ​ ​ experience like no other. Jimmy's Lodge also features a canopy-covered bar where visitors can enjoy an alpine fondue upstairs and grab-and-go street food downstairs. Applebee’s ​ Fish present a Winter version of their pop-up restaurant offering fish and chips and lots ​ ​ ​ more, and taking comfort food to a whole new level, Mac Shack are a brand-new offering. ​ ​ The Circus Bar will also be home to a Winter Pop-Up Cinema where festive favourites ​ ​ Home Alone, The Muppet Christmas Carol will be screening with films that are best shared ​ with friends such as Dirty Dancing and Bridget Jones’s Diary. ​ PERFORMANCE AND SHOWS Presented by Red Bridge and Traverse Theatre Company, Anna Sewell’s timeless novel Black Beauty is reinvented for a new generation. Blending vivid storytelling, joyful music ​ and inventive puppetry, this is the perfect show for families this winter (PUR, 14 Dec – 5 ​ ​ Jan). Fascinating Aïda is back with the World Premiere of a brand new show. The ​ ​ three-time Olivier Award nominated cabaret trio are sure to bring the house down with their unstoppable glamour and sass (QEH, 10 Dec 2019 – 5 Jan 2020). Circus 1903 returns with ​ ​ acrobats, contortionists, life-sized elephants created by puppeteers from War Horse, ​ jugglers, high-wire performers and more. With new acts for 2019 including the Brazilian 3 Wheel of Death, audiences can expect the daredevil entertainment of a turn-of-the-century circus (RFH, 19 Dec 2019 – 5 Jan 2020). Carving out a place for themselves as one of the ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ UK’s prominent trans voices, Travis Alabanza presents Burgerz - a performance that is ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ both timely and unsettling, exploring how trans bodies survive and how audiences can address their own complicity (PUR, 29 Nov – 1 Dec). FREE EVENTS Caribbean Christmas with Just Vibez present a family-friendly party with traditional music ​ ​ and performances (QEH Foyer, 14 Dec). Drag Syndrome at Christmas sees the world’s ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ first collective of drag kings and queens with Down’s syndrome return for the festive season with lip syncing, dancing and cabaret (QEH Foyer, 15 Dec). Opening Doors London and ​ performance artist XNTHONY join forces at The Legends and Legacies Yuletide Special ​ to celebrate London’s older LGBT+ community in a one-off festive variety show (QEH Foyer, 21 Dec). Kids Countdown with Ida Barr is a daytime New Year celebration of sing-songs, ​ ​ ​ ​ dancing and Djing with ex-music hall singer turned hip-hop goddess Ida Barr (QEH Foyer, 31 Dec). Other musical treats include Gamelan Winter Chimes ringing in the festive season ​ ​ ​ ​ with beautiful music and dance from Java, Indonesia (QEH Foyer, 18 Dec) and Winter ​ Choirs presenting 30-minute concerts from community choirs (QEH Foyer, 8 – 19 Dec). ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ For those looking to dance their way through the winter months, both seasoned experts and total beginners can join in the Five Go Jiving dancing extravaganza of jive, jazz, jump, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ dancing and humour (CBR, 24 Dec). Queer Tango London presents an afternoon of ​ ​ ​ Argentinian tango lessons, social dancing and performances in collaboration with Tango on the Thames and Tango Terra (CBR, 26 Dec). Finally, New Year’s Day Ceilidh with Cut A ​ Shine is a pavement-stomping barn dance and Ceilidh show for all ages (CBR, 1 Jan 2020). ​ ​ ​ A free Pop-up Cinema provide further entertainment under the showman tents of The ​ ​ ​ ​ Circus Bar featuring films for all the family from Moana and The Lion King to Beauty and ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ the Beast and The Jungle Book, all in the comfort of a warm fire and a selection of snacks ​ ​ ​ ​ and refreshments (11 Nov – 29 Dec). ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ CLASSICAL Christmas with Alan Titchmarsh sees the household favourite present an evening of ​ ​ musical treats including ‘Silent Night’ and ‘Carol of the Bells’ with the London Philharmonic ​ ​ ​ Choir and the London Concert Orchestra (RFH, 14 Dec). The Philharmonia Orchestra ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ presents a number of special winter concerts including Swan Lake conducted by ​ ​ Santtu-Matias Rouvali (RFH, 3 Nov), Handel's choral masterpiece Messiah with 350 ​ ​ ​ ​ voices showcasing the power of massed choirs (RFH, 12 Dec), Grand Christmas Classics ​ with The Bach Choir offering a seasonal selection of carols and classics (RFH, 15 Dec), ​ ​ ​ and The Glory of Christmas brings the orchestra together with Trinity Boys Choir and ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Brighton Festival Chorus (RFH, 15 Dec). ​ Daytime classical events include the National Children's Orchestras Winter Concert ​ featuring the works of Mahler and Rimsky-Korsakov