Goalhanger: The Rest Is Fest

As part of Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary year programme, Goalhanger, producers of some of the world’s most popular podcasts such as The Rest Is Politics, is taking over the Southbank Centre.

In 1951 the Festival of Britain was created to celebrate the best of British innovation and propel the nation forward toward an optimistic future, with what is now the Royal Festival Hall forming a centrepiece of the South Bank festival-site. The Rest Is Fest promises to take the spirit of that 1951 festival and look forward once again in to the future with a live programme brimming with ideas, curiosity, and conversation. 

Taking place in the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Purcell Room and smaller spaces across the Southbank Centre, the programme boasts a range of intimate and large-scale live shows, featuring established names and renowned experts.

Programme highlights include:

GOALHANGER: THE REST IS FEST | THE REST IS MONEY: LIVE
Friday 4 September, 7.30pm, Purcell Room

Robert Peston and Steph McGovern take the audience on a journey, starting from the credit crunch in 2008 and going right through to Trump’s tariffs in 2025 – and their first-hand experience of reporting on both.

GOALHANGER: THE REST IS FEST | THE REST IS FOOTBALL: BURSTING ONTO THE STAGE
Friday 4 September, 8.30pm, Royal Festival Hall

The boys have a review of the FIFA World Cup and the new 2026 season that you’ll want to hear – but they also take you behind the scenes of some of their most memorable moments, both on and off the pitch.

GOALHANGER: THE REST IS FEST | EMPIRE: BOOZE AND BREWS
Sunday 5 September, 1pm, Queen Elizabeth Hall

From India Pale Ale to the gin and tonic and a humble cup of tea – both booze and brews are completely intertwined in the history of the British Empire. Anita Anand and Willie Dalrymple explore the intricate stories of power struggles and territorial conquests that shaped, and continue to influence, world history.

GOALHANGER: THE REST IS FEST | SHERLOCK & CO.
Saturday 5 September, 4pm, Purcell Room

221B Baker Street invites you to witness a brand-new tale featuring John, Mariana and, of course, Sherlock Holmes. The cast of the beloved audio drama perform an original story that was written exclusively for the Southbank Centre stage.

GOALHANGER: THE REST IS FEST | THE REST IS HISTORY: LIVE
Saturday 5 September, 4pm, Royal Festival Hall

Historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook's combination of penetrating knowledge, wit and superbly judged accents have sold out shows across the UK, Australia and the United States.

GOALHANGER: THE REST IS FEST | THE REST IS ENTERTAINMENT: LIVE
Saturday 5 September, 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall

Join Richard Osman and Marina Hyde as they pull back the curtain on television, movies, celebrities and much more in their riotous live show. This is the ultimate evening of excess, with the gossip and scandal you've come to expect from the UK’s favourite entertainment podcast.

GOALHANGER: THE REST IS FEST | WE HAVE WAYS OF MAKING YOU TALK
Sunday 6 September, 4pm, Purcell Room

Hosts Al Murray and James Holland argue the fiercest (and most serious) debates, including Bren or MG42? Spitfire or Hurricane? Monty or Alex? Come along and find out the answers for yourself.

GOALHANGER: THE REST IS FEST | THE REST IS POLITICS: US TRUMP ON A KNIFE EDGE
Sunday 6 September, 4pm, Royal Festival Hall

Journalist Katty Kay and former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci reveal secrets from inside the White House inner circles, as well as taking a wider look at the intricacies of the society of the United States and how they shape the world's most important economy.

GOALHANGER: THE REST IS FEST | THE REST IS POLITICS: OFF THE RECORD
Sunday 6 September, 7pm, Royal Festival Hall

Hosts Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell are back, bringing their trademark art of disagreeing agreeably live to the stage. As AI-powered disinformation and populism infect our newsfeeds and public sphere, writer and former politician Rory Stewart and journalist-turned-strategist Alastair Campbell ask how democracy can survive in its current state.