Pop star-turned-publisher Dua Lipa has been doing something a bit different between tours: running her own global book club, Service95, and the next stop is the Southbank Centre on London's South Bank. The riverside arts complex is hosting the book club event, giving fans of the singer's reading picks a rare chance to see her discuss books in person rather than through her newsletter or podcast feed.
For anyone who hasn't come across it, Service95 is Dua Lipa's broader media project — part newsletter, part platform — covering everything from music and culture to the books she's loving right now. The book club arm has featured in-conversation events with authors, and the Southbank Centre session follows the same format: the star sits down to talk through a chosen title, and audiences get to be part of the discussion.
The venue itself is half the draw. The Southbank Centre sits right on the Thames between the London Eye and Waterloo Bridge, alongside the National Theatre and BFI Southbank. It's one of those places where you can catch a headline event and then spend the rest of the afternoon wandering the riverside walkway, browsing the second-hand book market under Waterloo Bridge (fitting, given the occasion), or grabbing food at the market stalls nearby.
Details like ticket prices and exact dates vary by event, so check the Southbank Centre's own listings before planning anything around it. Big-name events there tend to sell out quickly, and the venue is huge — the Royal Festival Hall alone holds thousands — so even sold-out-adjacent sessions can be worth watching for returns or live streams.
Why should a traveller care? Because this is the kind of one-off cultural event that turns a regular London weekend into something memorable. If you're already planning a trip to the capital and Dua Lipa happens to be in residence, timing your visit around a Service95 book club session is a genuinely different way to experience the city — one that combines a major music figure with one of London's best-loved cultural districts, all within walking distance of the West End, Covent Garden and the Eye.
