Five new theatres set to open in London

We’re so blessed with a thriving theatre scene in London and across the UK – and it is only getting bigger!

While we urge everybody to support their local venues, explore off the beaten track and give love to spaces of all shapes and sizes, there are plenty of new developments bringing even more stories to our stages that deserve a mention, too.

As the Arts Theatre West End, the Shaftesbury Theatre and the Barbican all undergo refurbishments, new venues are popping up across London.

Arts Theatre Marble Arch

What are the plans?

This summer, the Arts Theatre (previously home to Six and Choir of Man) will open a new temporary home in Marble Arch. Its West End counterpart is currently closed for major works, which you can learn more about here, but the new semi-permanent theatre will have 550 seats. Designed by Reed Watts Architects, it will feature a grandstand, a 17-metre-wide stage, and state-of-the-art facilities. The Arts Theatre at Marble Arch is being built by OSMO Projects.

Any shows confirmed?

Get ready for some “Big Fun” as the WhatsOnStage Award-winning musical Heathers will open the new theatre for 52 performances only. After that, Burlesque the Musical will be taking up residence, with previews beginning on 12 September 2026, and performances are currently booking until Sunday 31 January 2027. At the same time, a second production will launch a UK tour, opening at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking. We’ve covered that in more detail here.

British Airways Theatre

What are the plans?

In a historic move, the Shubert Organization and Trafalgar Entertainment are set to open the largest new theatre 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 1,575-seat venue is set to open in 2027, and the Olympia redevelopment will also include exhibition and conference facilities for up to 20,000 people, a 3,800-capacity live music venue operated by AEG Presents, as well as 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.

Any shows confirmed?

The venue is under a 70-year lease with Trafalgar Entertainment and is made for musicals – as discussed in the below episode of the WhatsOnStage Podcast.

Capital Theatre

What are the plans?

You will soon be able to pair your shopping trip with a matinee! The new purpose-built Capital Theatre will open in the Westfield shopping centre and seat 620 audience members. It’ll be designed by the same team responsible for notable London venues, including the Bridge Theatre and the transformed Kit Kat Club, home of Cabaret.

Any shows confirmed?

Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage will open the new venue and will have a live band and a company of more than 40 performers, performing songs from the film’s soundtrack, including “Hungry Eyes”, “Hey Baby”, “Do You Love Me?” and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”. Directed by Federico Bellone, who also designs the set, it is booking from 16 October 2026, with a gala performance scheduled for 6 November.

Saville Theatre

What are the plans?

Planning permission has been granted for the reinstatement of the new Saville Theatre as a performance space. Yoo Capital purchased the Shaftesbury Avenue venue in 2021 and is preparing to re-open it as a 622-seat theatre, as well as developing a boutique hotel operated by citizenM, and food and drink offerings by Icipio Group. The redevelopment is being led by London-based architects SPPARC and includes the restoration of the Art Deco façade and the Gilbert Bayes frieze, Drama through the Ages.

Any shows confirmed?

Nothing concrete yet, but word on the street is that the famed circus company Cirque du Soleil is initially attached as potential residents for the performance space.

Troubadour Greenwich Peninsula Theatre

What are the plans?

Troubadour Theatres are planning to add another venue to their ever-growing canon. The company already has existing sites at Wembley Park, where the WhatsOnStage Award-winning production of Starlight Express is running its last service, and Canary Wharf, hosting the first stage adaptation of The Hunger Games. However, a new venue on the Greenwich Peninsula will feature two 1,500-seat auditoriums when it opens later this year.

Any shows confirmed?

Nothing firm just yet. However, not too far away, Secret Cinema recently unveiled plans for a long-term flagship venue at Greenwich Peninsula, with an immersive production of Pirates of the Caribbean set to be the first to play there from February! Yo, ho!