It would be very fair to say that few cultural institutions carry as much weight as the Royal Albert Hall (on our little island, anyway). It sits somewhere between national treasure and London landmark, unique in that orchestras, rock bands, activists and pop icons all feel equally at home there.
While that may be, even the most recognisable venues aren’t immune to the slow creep of inconsistency, and over the years, the Hall’s visual identity had begun to feel a little diluted. Brandpie, which previously worked with the Hall in 2014, has returned over a decade later to sharpen its presence for a new era.
The refreshed identity is a careful balance of refinement and ambition. Rather than tearing anything up, Brandpie and the Hall’s internal team worked closely to define a new vision: “The home of breathtaking moments and lasting memories, for everyone. Together, we create the amazing.” This sentiment became the project’s foundation, guiding every design decision from structure to storytelling.
For the Hall, the update is as much about clarity as it is creativity. Anna Gilmour, Head of Marketing, describes the collaboration as transformative: “This has been a wonderful collaboration between the Hall and Brandpie, and has produced spectacular results.
“It was fantastic to see such striking and distinctive artwork created in-house, and I can’t wait to see the impact this will have on our brand.” With the change comes renewed confidence, visible throughout the system.
The new logo gives the Hall’s distinctive silhouette equal billing with its name, reinforcing instant recognisability. Alongside it sits a new Masthead, which might be the most characterful part of the project.
The wordmark pulls directly from the building’s Victorian roots, with hints of the hand-drawn lettering that once welcomed audiences to its earliest performances. Look closer and you’ll find nods to the bold typographic language of the ’60s and ’70s, too. It manages to be timeless without being trapped in amber.
As Brandpie notes, the Masthead acts as a visual anchor across communications, offering consistency without dampening creative expression.
Typography has also been rethought, with the team opting for Aktiv Grotesk to give the Hall a more dynamic voice, bringing a gentle modernity that still feels approachable. It strikes that sweet spot of being both legible and expressive, which should help the identity flex across everything from event posters to social campaigns.
Perhaps the most symbolic shift lies in colour. Over time, the Hall’s iconic red had drifted into a family of slightly different shades. Brandpie has now brought it back into a single, unified hue: Royal Red. Paired with Hall White and a small set of vibrant secondary colours, the palette aims to be punchy, accessible and unmistakably theirs.
James Ainscough, the Hall’s CEO, explains the thinking behind the refresh. “For over 150 years, the Royal Albert Hall has been a global stage for exceptional events and unforgettable performances,” he says. “As we evolve to embrace new challenges, our brand needed to reflect the Hall’s heritage and reimagine it for a new generation. Our refreshed identity does exactly that – it’s elevated, vibrant, and ready for the future.”
It’s especially important given the Hall’s wider modernisation plans. The identity has been designed to roll out gradually, supporting long-term operational changes and offering the flexibility needed by an organisation of this scale. It’s already appearing across London in print, digital and outdoor media, with the Hall’s in-house design team applying the system to recent campaigns, including the Grand Sumo Tournament.
Creative director Deva Corriveau reinforces that the project was about amplifying rather than reinventing. He says: “This project was about amplifying what makes the Hall amazing, not overshadowing that,” adding that the goal was to “elevate the Hall above the noise, amplifying what matters, and giving it the confidence to stand tall for decades to come.”
The Royal Albert Hall is no stranger to reinvention, but this refresh feels especially considered, bringing heritage, vibrancy and precision into the same frame. It’s not trying to compete with the performances that fill its famous auditorium. Instead, it’s a visual identity designed to support the magic, not steal the spotlight.
