Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

Shakespeare's Globe is a faithful reconstruction of the open-air playhouse where William Shakespeare worked and performed in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The original Globe burned down in 1613; this version, completed in 1997 on Bankside just 230 metres from the original site, was the passion project of American actor and director Sam Wanamaker, who spent decades campaigning for its creation. Built using traditional Elizabethan construction methods — green oak, thatched roof, lime plaster — it is the only thatched building permitted in London since the Great Fire of 1666. It seats around 1,500 people and stages Shakespeare's plays in conditions close to how they were originally performed, including natural light and an open sky above the yard.

A visit here falls into two distinct experiences. If you come for a performance, you can either book a seat in the covered wooden galleries or buy a standing 'groundling' ticket for the yard — the cheapest option and, many argue, the most electric, putting you right in front of the stage where Elizabethan audiences once stood. Groundlings are encouraged to react, heckle, and engage; the actors play directly to the crowd. Outside of performance season, the Globe runs guided tours that take you into the theatre itself, and the connected exhibition covers the history of Bankside, Elizabethan theatre, and the reconstruction project in genuine depth.

The performance season runs roughly April through October, with a winter indoor season at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse — a candlelit Jacobean indoor theatre within the same building, which feels like a genuinely different and often overlooked experience. For performances, groundling tickets sell for around £5 and go on sale the day of the show; they're enormously popular and worth queuing for. The Globe sits on the South Bank Thames Path, so you can combine a visit with a walk along the river, stopping at Borough Market ten minutes east or Tate Modern directly next door.