It’s a little-known fact that the first live steel pan performance in the UK took place on the South Bank during the 1951 Festival of Britain, on the site of what is now Jubilee Gardens.
As part of Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary celebrations, Jubilee Gardens will host Steel Legacies on Sunday 26 July 2026 from 12pm to 7.45pm. This special day of free live music brings together leading steel bands from across the UK to celebrate 75 years of steel pan in Britain, honouring its heritage while looking ahead to what’s next for the instrument and carnival arts.
The afternoon’s program features steelpan orchestras playing an incredible array of genres – from dance music to soul and jazz – alongside a special arrangement of music by Sterling Betancourt MBE, the last surviving member of the original Trinidad All-Steel Percussion Orchestra who played in that historic 1951 concert. Bring the family, and join us in the Gardens for a landmark day of rhythm and history.
The full weekends celebrations at Southbank Centre alongside more information about the Steel Legacies event can be found on the Southbank Centre website. This is part of a whole weekend of steel pan celebrations from 24-26 July from Southbank Centre called Steel Scenes – find out more here.