Guide to the Barbican Centre

The City of London arts complex is the largest in Europe, presenting an eclectic selection of work including High Society this summer.

Summary

• The multiuse Barbican Centre opened in 1982
• The venue is known for its distinctive Brutalist architecture
• The venue has a long association with the Royal Shakespeare Company
• Cole Porter's High Society is this summer's flagship show

Located in the City of London, the Barbican is the largest arts centre of its kind in Europe. Comprising two theatres, a concert hall, two art galleries, three cinemas, a rooftop conservatory, a lakeside terrace, a library, and lots of space in which to socialise or enjoy some quiet time, it’s a bit like a university campus where there’s always something new to learn, and plenty of fun to be had.

Featuring an extraordinarily varied programme that showcases talent and creativity from all over the world, you could probably visit the Barbican on a daily basis and experience a different cultural offering each time! Read our guide to this extraordinary venue to learn more.

Get to know the history of the Barbican Centre

Located in the City of London’s Cripplegate ward, which was known for its textile industries before being badly bombed during World War II (redevelopment of the City of London took many decades), the Barbican Centre was built within the Barbican Estate housing complex (completed in 1976). Due to the scale and ambition of the project, it was a lengthy process, and the venue was opened on 3 March 1982 by Queen Elizabeth II. The monarch remarked that the new arts complex was “one of the wonders of the modern world”.

The word Barbican derives from the Latin for watchtower, which was once name of a street in the area. Fittingly, the Barbican Estate features a watchtower motif. Plus, the entire complex is built on Roman foundations and some staff members claim to have seen ghosts of Roman centurions on the subterranean Level -2 after dark!

The Barbican Theatre was designed as the London base for the Royal Shakespeare Company, who remained in residence until 2002, and continue to stage productions at the venue as a visiting company (in winter 2025, they presented Wendy and Peter Pan and Twelfth Night). The Hall continues to be the home of the London Symphony Orchestra and BBC Symphony Orchestra. The Barbican has also always had an emphasis on experimental and international work, including hosting the UK’s first festivals of Japanese and Nordic cultures.

The Barbican Centre building

Built in concrete and designed by the architectural firm Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, the Barbican Centre is famous for its Brutalist style and is considered a masterpiece of post-war urban architecture with its monumental scale, dazzlingly complex geometric details, and detailed landscaping (all the trees and plants were carefully selected). The influences included Roman fortresses, French modernism, and Scandinavian design. The entire complex was Grade II listed in 2001.

The building comprises four main “Foyers” that link the various arts spaces and serve as communal areas where everyone is welcome to congregate. The Barbican Theatre seats 1,156 audience members, while The Pit is a flexible 200-seat space, and the Hall, which presents classical and contemporary music, seats up to 1,943 audience members.

From June 2028-29, the Barbican will close for refurbishment and to improve accessibility and sustainability. During this time, performances and events will take place at alternative venues across the City of London. However, there is plenty to enjoy before then!

Notable productions at the Barbican Centre

Some of the most celebrated theatre productions to have taken place at the Barbican Centre are as follows:

• Les Misérables (1985): The epic musical by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and directed by Trevor Nunn and John Caird premiered at the Barbican, starring Colm Wilkinson as Valjean and Roger Allam as Javert. Mixed reviews didn’t stop the show from being an enormous popular success, and it is now in its 40th year in the West End.
• Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1985): Christopher Hampton’s scintillating adaptation of the novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos received its London premiere in the intimate Pit with a cast that included Alan Rickman, Lindsay Duncan, Juliet Stevenson, and Lesley Manville.
• Julius Caesar (2005): Deborah Warner’s staging of Shakespeare’s political Roman play featured a 100-strong ensemble (and Ralph Fiennes as Mark Antony and Simon Russell Beale as Cassius) and drew parallels with the ongoing war in Iraq.
• Hamlet (2015): Benedict Cumberbatch was directed by Lyndsey Turner as the Prince of Denmark in the first NT Live broadcast from the Barbican.
• Anything Goes (2021): The delicious, delectable, and de-lovely Cole Porter musical comedy lifted audiences’ spirits following the Covid lockdowns, directed by Kathleen Marshall and starring Sutton Foster.
• My Neighbour Totoro (2022): The enchanting stage adaptation of the Studio Ghibli film broke box office records and transferred to the West End's Gillian Lynne Theatre, where it continues to play.

Food, drink, and shopping at the Barbican Centre

There are plenty of spots in which to enjoy refreshments in the Barbican Centre. The Level G Café is the perfect place to enjoy hot drinks, pastries, salads and sandwiches. For a more substantial meal, try the Barbican Kitchen or the Barbican Bar & Grill for wood-fired pizzas, fresh seafood, and much more. And perhaps treat yourself to a pre-show cocktail in the Martini Bar with its view of the lakeside terrace.

There’s a carefully curated gift shop featuring an eclectic selection of art and design books and other souvenirs. And, if you’re looking for more books (and a bargain), the library usually has a selection of withdrawn stock for sale.

How to get to the Barbican Centre

The Barbican is within easy reach of the following tube stations: Barbican, Moorgate, Liverpool Street, and Farringdon, and it is also served by numerous buses.

What shows can I book to see at the Barbican Centre?

This summer, the Barbican hosts a revival of Cole Porter’s High Society, the third Porter show to be presented at the Barbican in recent years, following crowd-pleasing and critically acclaimed productions of Anything Goes and Kiss Me, Kate. The 1956 film starred Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra and features the hits “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”, “I Love You, Samantha”, and “Well, Did You Evah”.

Directed by Rachel Kavanaugh (Shadowlands, The Great British Bake Off Musical), the show stars Helen George (Call the Midwife, The King and I) as glamorous and icy bride-to-be Tracy Lord, with Felicity Kendal (Indian Ink, Anything Goes, The Good Life) as her frazzled mother. Don’t miss this summer’s most elegant, swell-egant party!

Book High Society tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Main photo credit: Barbican Centre. (Photo by Dion Barrett). Inset: Wendy and Peter Pan (Manuel Harlan); Anything Goes (Tristram Kent); Helen George and Felicity Kendal (courtesy of production).