Royal Albert Hall, London

“London’s most iconic venue”—and most humble too—unsurprisingly has ties to the Royal Family. It’s the brainchild of Queen Victoria, who commissioned two architects to build the hall in South Kensington to memorialize her late husband, Prince Albert, who’d hoped for a way to celebrate the arts and sciences in the capital city. Built in the Italianate style of architecture, a popular aesthetic in 19th century Britain, Royal Albert Hall was ahead of its time when it opened in 1871 as the world’s first domed amphitheater, and its defining oval shape can be seen from the exterior too. In 2021, to celebrate its 150th anniversary, the Royal Albert began a project called “The Great Renovation,” in which it’s excavating a double-height basement to make more room for artists and events.

While you’re there: Keeping the same eponymous royal couple in mind, check out the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens, considered one of London’s most ornate monuments, and the Victoria & Albert Museum. Also nearby are the Royal College of Music Museum, Kensington Palace and Kensington Gardens, and just across vast Hyde Park is Speakers’ Corner, where speakers with operatic passion can often be heard, free of charge.