The Barbican

We're a catalyst for creativity, sparking possibilities for artists, audiences, and communities.

The Barbican is an arts, learning, and conference centre in the heart of the City of London.

We’re passionate about showcasing the most exciting art from around the world, pushing traditional artistic boundaries and helping us understand our lives in new and unexpected ways. Each year we present thousands of different performances, events and exhibitions that entertain and inspire millions of people, create connections, provoke debate, and reflect the world we live in.

We’re rooted firmly in our neighbourhood, collaborating with local communities to create joyful celebrations of the stories and places they care about, while putting the City of London on the map as a destination for everybody. Central to our purpose is supporting emerging talent, shaping opportunities that will accelerate the next generation of creatives.

As a purpose-driven organisation, our values inform our work as well as our everyday decisions. We want to ensure that creativity, inclusion, community, and enterprise are an essential part of the Barbican. By underpinning everything we do with our organisational values, by being inclusive, connected, sustainable, and daring, and by approaching our work in a joyful way, we hope that being part of the Barbican community will become a positive, life-enhancing experience for everyone.

We’re proud to be the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, and a London base of the Royal Shakespeare Company. We regularly co-commission, produce and showcase the work of our other associates and partners including the Academy of Ancient Music, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Boy Blue, Britten Sinfonia, Cheek by Jowl, Darbar Festival, Doc'n Roll Film Festival, Drum Works, EFG London Jazz Festival, Human Rights Watch Film Festival, London Palestine Film Festival, National Open Youth Orchestra (NOYO), Serious, and Trafalgar Theatre Productions.

The City of London Corporation is the owner, founder and principal funder of the Barbican Centre.