Bob Dylan goes classy with five night London Royal Festival Hall residency
Tickets go on sale soon
Legendary crooner Bob Dylan is going out on tour yet again, including a string of upcoming London dates later this year.
Testament to the confidence in Dylan’s continuing ability to shift tickets, a five night-residency at the Royal Festival Hall has been announced for this December — just a handful of months away.
The run of gigs begins on Thursday 3rd December, running through to Tuesday, 8th December, with a break on the Sunday.
London’s Royal Festival Hall has capacity for somewhre in the region of 2,700 attendees, so even adding all the dates together we’re only getting close to the capacity of a single night at The O2. Would we rather see the gravelly-voiced one at the more intimate Royal Festival Hall? Absolutely.
Tickets go on sale at 10am on 22nd July, but there is of course a presale period. This begins two days earlier at 10am on 20th July, and the venue’s presale requires a membership of the Southbank Centre. These start at £60 a year and include access to the Hayward Gallery.
Ticket prices start at £92 a pop, plus a £4 booking fee, and it’s listed as a 2.5 hour show, suggesting we’re not getting a full line-up with support acts this time.
Of course, one benefit of the Southbank Centre’s relatively modern layout is there’s not really a bad seat in the house. And those seats are typically a lot more comfy than those of one of the ancient and beloved West End theatres.
The residency is part of a wider UK tour that sees Dylan play in a selection of arenas and relatively intimate halls and opera houses across the country. Here’s the full list of dates outside of London:
- 25th November - Bournemouth, Windsor Hall
- 26th November - Birmingham, BP Pulse Live
- 27th November - Sheffield, Utilia Arena
- 30th November - Blackpool, Opera House
- 1st December - Blackpool, Opera House
The Royal Festival Hall gigs will mark Dylan’s first concerts in London since his three-day stint at the Royal Albert Hall in 2024. And this was a sequel of sorts to a 2022 four-run concert series at the London Palladium.
Kudos to Dylan’s management — these kind of venues are exactly where the 85-year-old singer is most likely to shine brightest, among London’s offerings.
The Royal Festival Hall’s other upcoming gigs are Pulp tomorrow night, 18th July, Kenny G on 23rd August and Billy Corgan on 1st and 2nd September. What a mix.
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