Broadway's Shubert Organization makes historic London move with partnership of new Olympia Theatre

The Shubert Organization and Trafalgar Entertainment have announced a 50:50 joint venture partnership for the ownership and operation of the new 1,575-seat Olympia Theatre, now set to open in 2027.

The venue, under a 70-year lease with Trafalgar Entertainment, will be the largest new theatre to open in London since the National Theatre in 1976. It forms part of the £1.3 billion redevelopment of the 140-year-old Olympia exhibition site into a cultural and entertainment destination near the Royal Albert Hall.

The partnership marks the first time in a century that the Shubert Organization, which owns 17 Broadway theatres, has invested directly in a London venue. The new Olympia Theatre has been designed to accommodate large-scale productions while maintaining an intimate auditorium layout.

According to the team behind the project, designers have prioritised audience comfort and accessibility, with high-speed lifts, multiple entry points, extensive bar space, premium lounges, and wider seating and legroom than typical West End theatres. Facilities include more than 80 toilets across multiple levels.

We had an exclusive insight into the new space earlier this year in our dedicated podcast:

The Olympia redevelopment will also include exhibition and conference facilities for up to 20,000 people, a 4,000-capacity live music venue operated by AEG Presents, hotels, offices, restaurants, a school, and a community theatre. Partnerships with organisations such as The BRIT School will form part of the site’s broader cultural offer.

Robert E. Wankel, chairman and CEO of The Shubert Organization, said the project represents an opportunity to help shape London’s cultural future, while Jeff Daniel, president of The Shubert Organization, added: “Theatre-making is an increasingly global endeavour and the connection between Broadway and London has never been stronger. Our investment in the Olympia Theatre reflects Shubert’s deep commitment to world-class storytelling, wherever it takes place.”

Trafalgar Entertainment’s joint CEO and creative director, Howard Panter, said: “For Trafalgar Entertainment to have such an important company as the Shubert Organization with us operating the exceptional new Olympia Theatre, creates an appropriately global and exciting partnership.”

Trafalgar’s other divisions include Trafalgar Theatre Productions, Jonathan Church Theatre Productions, Trafalgar Releasing, Imagine Theatre, Trafalgar Education, and ticketing agency London Theatre Direct.

The Olympia Theatre has been designed by Haworth Tompkins, with contributions from Charcoal Blue, Buro Happold, Robert Bird Group, Avison Young, and AECOM. Make One London is handling the fit-out. The wider Olympia redevelopment has been co-designed by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC.