West End’s Shaftesbury Theatre to begin refurbishment in 2026

The Shaftesbury Theatre in London’s West End, the current home of Just For One Day – The Live Aid Musical, is set to undergo refurbishment works from February 2026 until early 2027. During this time, the venue will remain open, performing to two levels (instead of three) until completion.

Chief executive Eleanor Lang said: “We are delighted to be continuing our work to ensure the Shaftesbury Theatre remains a beautiful theatre in the West End; a wonderful place for audiences to come and a good home for world-class theatre. We are so fortunate that DLT, the owners of the Shaftesbury, continue to reinvest in the building, allowing us to be custodians of the theatre, ensuring its survival for future generations. We look forward to welcoming audiences throughout 2026, and showing off our lovingly rejuvenated dome ceiling in 2027.”

This next phrase of the renovation will include restoration of the auditorium’s dome, with the addition of a specifically commissioned painting, renewal of some of the decorative designs, some auditorium redecoration and recarpeting, enhancement of the backstage areas, auditorium ventilation and theatre foyer accessibility.

Previous work on the building includes a new RIBA award-winning fly tower in 2016 and extensive work between 2020 and 2023 to the front of house spaces, with a new stalls bar, two hospitality rooms and an increased number of toilets.

Built in 1911, the Shaftesbury Theatre was the first steel-frame theatre in the West End. It is a grade II-listed building and is still the only London theatre featuring a dome that opens.

Chairman Donald Taffner Jnr commented: “We remain committed to restoring and improving the Shaftesbury Theatre for audiences for years to come. The theatre is a much-loved part of the DLT portfolio and we are proud to be able to support its continued development.”

Just For One Day – The Live Aid Musical continues until 7 February 2026, with future programming still to be announced.