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For 40 years, Battersea Power Station was closed to the public and one of London’s largest (literally) enigmas. But these days the old power station is open for all to explore. Following a mega redevelopment completed in 2022, BPS boasts everything from designer shopping and swanky bars with incredible vistas to glitzy multi-million-pound penthouses and a shiny new tube station.
The revamped Battersea Power Station has been quite the hit – and that’s shown by the latest visitor figures. Stats released in December by the riverside landmark show that over 11.2 million people visited in 2023, proving that people are indeed willing to travel south of the Thames.
The Grade-II listed building’s figures showed a 30 percent increase in visitor numbers in December 2023 compared to December 2022, perhaps thanks to the 40-plus new bars, shops and restaurants which opened in the face-lifted hub in 2023. This included an 11,200-square-foot new Boots emporium dedicated solely to beauty and a luxurious timber-clad Apple store designed by architectural giants Foster + Partners.
These figures also see the waterside landmark muscle in as one of London’s most visited attractions. The capital’s other venues attracting similar numbers in previous years include the Natural History Museum and British Museum, which garnered 4.6 million and four million visitors respectively (at Statista’s last count in 2022). Those numbers seem a wee drop in the ocean compared to the Power Station’s 11-million-strong hoard.
Battersea Power Station was originally built between 1929 and 1955 as a coal-guzzling powerhouse and at its peak produced a whopping fifth of the capital’s electricity. An Art Deco landmark, it was famously home to gargantuan inflatable pigs for a Pink Floyd album cover.
Following an eight-year renovation, the building has enjoyed a new lease of life following its October 2022 reopening. In the coming months BPS will get a slew of new outlets, including Mexican restaurant El Pastor and luxury health club Third Space.
Battersea Power Station isn’t the only new entry on the list of London’s most visited attractions. Last year, entertainment complex Outernet found itself among London’s tourist big players, welcoming 6.4 million visitors in 2022.
Check out Time Out’s ultimate guide to Battersea Power Station here.
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