As both the Barbican's owner and principal patron, the City of London provides the home for the London Symphony Orchestra, as well as directly funding the company. Alongside its continuous support for a variety of arts activities, this contribution makes the City of London one of the UK's most significant arts sponsors.

Michael Snyder, City of London’s Chairman of Policy and Resources Committee

Every day the Barbican contributes mightily to the City's reputation as a crossroads of the world. With its strong commitment to international-standard arts, the Centre has brought talent from every quarter of the globe for audiences to enjoy. Just like the City, it has been unafraid to experiment, take risks and occasionally get it wrong in the single-minded pursuit of excellence. And just like the City, it has thrived.

The working City of London has gone all out to become and secure a ranking as the No 1 centre for international financial business. The Barbican Centre has matched it step for step under the best group of arts managers anywhere on the planet. As a world-famous resource with a global vision, the Centre adds immeasurably to the City’s credibility as an international place for international workers to do international business.