London is to get a major new theatre, the largest new permanent theatre to be built since the National Theatre in 1976.
Called the Olympia Theatre, the 1,575 seat venue is part of the £1.3 billion regeneration of the Olympia area of London.
Trafalgar Entertainment, the company set up by Rosemary Squire and Howard Panter, has taken a 70-year lease on the new theatre.
The new theatre, which is currently under construction and set for a mid to late 2025 opening date, is designed by Haworth Tompkins and will feature a stacked auditorium design, and state-of-the-art facilities.
The 14 acre redevelopment at Olympia, financed by Yoo Capital and Deutsche Finance, will also include Hyatt and citizenM hotels, a 4 screen cinema, a 1,000 seat performing arts space, a new jazz club style restaurant, and eating and retail.
Trafalgar Entertainment are currently refurbishing the Trafalgar Studios, to reopen as the Trafalgar Theatre in July 2021.
Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire set up Trafalgar Entertainment after leaving ATG – the international theatre group they established in 1992. Trafalgar also owns Sydney’s 1,200 seat Theatre Royal, and 12 regional theatres from HQ Theatres and Hospitality including the Churchill Theatre Bromley, the Wycombe Swan in High Wycombe and the Orchard Theatre in Dartford.
