Somerset House

Somerset House: an iconic London venue

One of London's most iconic venues, Somerset House is used throughout the year for a multitude of events ranging from public ice skating to summer concerts. In addition to being an event space, it is famous as a filming location, a gallery for art exhibitions and the residence of numerous artists, writers and other creative tenants. A beautiful place to visit in summer or winter, you can buy or sell Somerset House tickets on StubHub now.

Somerset House is bursting with history

The history of Somerset House goes back to 1549 when Edward Seymour, then Duke of Somerset, began to build himself a London palace. After being used as a royal property and undergoing refurbishment by Christopher Wren, the building as it stands now began construction in 1776 with the intention of being a public building for arts and education. For a time, before moving to Burlington House, the Royal Academy (among other institutions) was housed here. The building has also functioned variously as a civil service building, naval property and office building before, in 1984, the decision was taken to transform it into a centre of the arts. This resulted in numerous renovations taking place, including the development of the now-iconic Somerset House terrace, which affords visitors spectacular riverside views and is used as a bar and restaurant in the summer months. With so much history present in the building, tickets for Somerset House will wow you with the spectacular surroundings and impressive atmosphere of the venue.

A wide range of events at Somerset House

Events at Somerset House encompass the vast majority of the arts and truly do offer something for everyone. Perhaps the most famous is the Somerset House ice skating, which involves an illuminated ice rink being set up in the courtyard during winter months, similar to that in front of the Natural History Museum of London. The Somerset House Summer Series is a wildly popular event that sees famous musicians play alongside newcomer acts: Adele, Florence and the Machine and Sam Smith have all played here. The summer continues with an outdoor cinema, which again offers a mixture of classic, blockbuster and independent films, while The Courtald Gallery hosts art exhibitions throughout the year, while numerous other events from public lectures to one-off shows are held within the palatial surroundings of Somerset House. Few venues can claim to be as diverse and exciting in their programming as this, and with history and spectacular architecture thrown into the mix, Somerset House is without a doubt a must-visit venue in London. Take your pick of the events and buy or sell Somerset House tickets on StubHub now.