Misan Harriman to step down as chair of Southbank Centre

Misan Harriman will not seek another term as chair of the Southbank Centre and is to step down in autumn after a month of intense pressure caused by accusations he shared a conspiracy about the Golders Green attack. Harriman, who has held the position since 2021 , confirmed in a social media post that he would not continue as chair beyond autumn. He said: “It’s semi-public knowledge that my term is coming to an end anyway … I had decided way before this madness that I was going to do two terms. “It takes a long time to find whoever the next chair will be, and that process will begin at some point, and I’ll update you more on exact dates and timelines probably in autumn.” Harriman praised the centre’s board and highlighted Harry Styles’ Meltdown festival, Anish Kapoor’s new show at the Hayward and the upcoming Nan Goldin show as evidence of an institution in fine health. He called the Southbank Centre , which is celebrating its 75th year in 2026, “a sacred 11 acres” and said he was “still very proud to be chair”. His departure comes after a month of intense scrutiny and criticism of his social media activity, although the Southbank confirmed Harriman had made the decision to depart in January. Harriman has more than 500,000 followers on Instagram after rising to prominence as a photographer of Black Lives Matter protests . …