Spring on the South Bank

The daffodils are starting to appear and the days are getting longer – spring has arrived and there are few better places in the country to celebrate its arrival than the South Bank. Within a few minutes of The Sidings there are many lovely things to do as spring blossoms.

A Playground With a Difference

Part installation, part adventure playground, REPLAY is a space built entirely out of waste materials repurposed for fun. The space features a design to ignite imaginations, a score composed of recycled sounds and a crowd-sourced play generator.

In REPLAY’s self-led experience, you can build your own worlds, invent your own games, be inspired by others and leave ideas for players to come. The experience is open over the whole of spring and is accessed in the exhibition space in the Royal Festival Hall.

The Best Plants in London

We appreciate that’s quite a bold claim, but the good people at the Garden Museum know their stuff, so who are we to argue! On Sunday 13th April, the annual Spring Plant Fair will be taking place.

From shade specialists to plants for pollinators, meet the growers and pick their brains on what will flourish in your garden, balcony or allotment. But it isn’t just stalls and amazing plants to purchase, as there is a full programme of talks and workshops, ranging from enhancing your knowledge to understanding the power of the land.

A Lovely River Walk

Queen’s Walk is a lovely stroll at any time of the year, but we could make a strong argument that spring is the best possible time to walk it. The weather is just turning, the many green areas you pass are beginning to show themselves off and yet the crowds and heat haven’t fully kicked in.

As the days grow longer, it’s the perfect time to go for an early evening walk with friends, grab a bite to eat as you go, maybe check out some market stalls and listen to some of the talented buskers on the way. If you need a coffee to fuel the walk, then as you arrive on the train, pop into Black Sheep Coffee before heading to the river.

BrewDog Beer Garden?

It’s not the traditional beer garden we will admit, but as the weather turns and sitting outside with friends having a drink becomes the norm again, BrewDog has a lovely little spot right in front of The Sidings where you can sample the great selection of beers and chat with friends.

And just along from here, you can also indulge in al fresco dining at Nando’s. Select the spice level, pick a drink, and off you go!

Leake Street

On the doorstep of The Sidings you’ll find the ever-popular Leake Street Arches. All the usual venues and opportunities exist this time of year, but in addition, the popular Spring Market is returning. It’s an opportunity to meet small businesses, artists and designers – it’s an amazing lineup of eco-conscious makers.

Moomin Adventures

It’s the 80th anniversary of the Moomins this year, and the Southbank Centre is celebrating with multiple events across the spring, from creating your own Moominvalley through to hosting a party to celebrate the anniversary.

They also have hundreds of other events happening over the season, so check out their events page to learn the many things you could be doing with the family this spring.

With so many great options, we have surely missed some great things to do, so please let us know and we’ll update the list!