All the London shows eligible for 2026 Olivier Awards

Each year, the Oliviers honour the best of London theatre, including plays, musicals and revivals. Find out all the shows up for top awards this season.

Summary

• The 2026 Olivier Awards take place in April
• Learn all about which London shows are eligible for the Best New Play and Best New Musical categories
• There are also fantastic shows up for the play and musical revival prizes

It's getting close to the most prestigious date in the London theatre calendar: the annual Olivier Awards. In 2026 the star-studded ceremony takes place on 12 April at the Royal Albert Hall, and all the best shows that opened between February 2025 and February 2026 will be vying for prizes.

Expect to see a big presence from one of the year's biggest new musical openings, Paddington The Musical, while new play contenders may include Dracula, KENREX, Oh, Mary!, Stereophonic and Inter Alia. In the revival categories, musical hits Evita and Into the Woods will likely lead the charge, and on the play side, keep an eye on All My Sons, Much Ado About Nothing and The Weir.

Book tickets to West End shows on LondonTheatre.co.uk

What London shows are eligible for 2026 Olivier Awards?

In an exciting year for the London theatre scene, a wide range of new shows and revivals played across the capital between 15 February 2025 and 17 February 2026 – and could bag themselves an award!

• 4.48 Psychosis: Opened 18 June 2025
• 50 First Dates: The Musical: Opened 25 September 2025
• A Christmas Carol: Opened 25 November 2025
• A Knock on the Roof: Opened 26 February 2025
• A Man for All Seasons: Opened 6 August 2025
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Opened 5 June 2025
• A Moon for the Misbegotten: Opened 25 June 2025
• A Role to Die For: Opened 31 July 2025
• All My Sons: Opened 21 November 2025
• Alterations: Opened 27 February 2025
• An Oak Tree: Opened 6 May 2025
• American Psycho: Opened 30 January 2026
• Arcadia: Opened 4 February 2026
• Bacchae: Opened 24 September 2025
• Backstroke: Opened 20 February 2025
• Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo: Opened 9 December 2025
• Born With Teeth: Opened 1 September 2025
• Brigadoon: Opened 11 August 2025
• Burlesque The Musical: Opened 22 July 2025
• Christmas Carol Goes Wrong: Opened 14 December 2025
• Christmas Day: Opened 16 December 2025
• Clarkston: Opened 25 September 2025
• Clueless: Opened 13 March 2025
• Deaf Republic: Opened 4 September 2025
• Dealer’s Choice: Opened 28 April 2025
• Deep Azure: Opened 17 February 2026
• Disney’s Hercules: Opened 24 June 2025
• Dracula: Opened 17 February 2026
• Dracula: Opened 17 September 2025
• Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors: Opened 17 March 2025
• East is South: Opened 17 February 2025
• Elf The Musical: Opened 28 October 2025
• End: Opened 20 November 2025
• Entertaining Mr Sloane: Opened 24 September 2025
• Every Brilliant Thing: Opened 7 August 2025
• Evita: Opened 30 June 2025
• Fallen Angels: Opened 2 December 2025
• Gerry & Sewell: Opened 15 January 2026
• Ghost Stories: Opened 1 October 2025
• Ghosts: Opened 16 April 2025
• Girl from the North Country: Opened 9 July 2025
• Good Night, Oscar: Opened 6 August 2025
• Guess How Much I Love You?: Opened 22 January 2026
• Hamlet: Opened 2 October 2025
• Here We Are: Opened 8 May 2025
• High Noon: Opened 9 January 2026
• House of Games: Opened 12 May 2025
• How to Fight Loneliness: Opened 23 April 2025
• I’m Sorry, Prime Minister: Opened 12 February 2026
• Indian Ink: Opened 15 December 2025
• Inter Alia: Opened 23 July 2025
• Interview: Opened 28 August 2025
• Intimate Apparel: Opened 26 June 2025
• Into the Woods: Opened 11 December 2025
• Juniper Blood: Opened 26 August 2025
• KENREX: Opened 10 December 2025
• London Road: Opened 12 June 2025
• Macbeth: Opened 5 March 2025
• Maggots: Opened 2 February 2026
• Man and Boy: Opened 10 February 2026
• Manhunt: Opened 8 April 2025
• Marriage Material: Opened 28 May 2025
• Mary Page Marlowe: Opened 8 October 2025
• Mrs Warren’s Profession: Opened 22 May 2025
• Much Ado About Nothing: Opened 18 February 2025
• My Master Builder: Opened 29 April 2025
• Oh, Mary!: Opened 18 December 2025
• Ohio: Opened 3 October 2025
• Othello: Opened 4 November 2025
• Otherland: Opened 20 February 2025
• Porn Play: Opened 13 November 2025
• Paddington The Musical: Opened 30 November 2025
• Paranormal Activity: Opened 14 December 2025
• Play On!: Opened 2 February 2025
• Punch: Opened 6 March 2025
• Retrograde: Opened 19 March 2025
• Rhinoceros: 1 April 2025
• Richard II: Opened 17 February 2025
• Romans: Opened 17 September 2025
• Romeo a Juliet: Opened 6 November 2025
• Scenes from a Repatriation: Opened 30 April 2025
• Shanghai Dolls: Opened 10 April 2025
• Shadowlands: Opened 13 February 2026
• Shucked: Opened 20 May 2025
• Sing Street: Opened 18 July 2025
• Speed: Opened 11 April 2025
• Stereophonic: Opened 14 June 2025
• The Assembled Parties: Opened 23 October 2025
• The Brightening Air: Opened 24 April 2025
• The Comedy About Spies: Opened 12 May 2025
• The Crucible: Opened 21 May 2025
• The Deep Blue Sea: Opened 14 May 2025
• The Estate: Opened 17 July 2025
• The Fifth Step: Opened 19 May 2025
• The Great Gatsby: Opened 24 April 2025
• The Hunger Games: Opened 11 November 2025
• The Lady from the Sea: Opened 18 September 2025
• The Land of the Living: Opened 18 September 2025
• The Last Laugh: Opened 26 February 2025
• The Line of Beauty: Opened 29 October 2025
• The Maids: Opened 21 October 2025
• The Playboy of the Western World: Opened 11 December 2025
• The Producers: Opened 15 September 2025
• The Rat Trap: Opened 2 February 2026
• The Score: Opened 27 February 2025
• The Shitheads: Opened 12 February 2026
• The Spy Who Came In From The Cold: 26 November 2025
• The Unbelievers: Opened 20 October 2025
• The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: Opened 10 February 2026
• The Weir: Opened 19 September 2025
• Titus Andronicus: Opened 22 September 2025
• Top Hat: Opened 16 December 2025
• Twelfth Night: Opened 16 December 2025
• When We Are Married: Opened 17 December 2025
• Woman in Mind: Opened 6 January 2026

The subsequent sections break down which shows are eligible for some of the major Olivier Award categories in 2026.

Best New Musical

The contenders include new British shows Paddington and Harold Fry, American imports like Shucked and Great Gatsby, and Stephen Sondheim's final musical.

1. 50 First Dates: The Musical
2. Burlesque The Musical
3. Disney’s Hercules
4. Here We Are
5. Ohio
6. Paddington The Musical
7. Play On!
8. Shucked
9. Sing Street
10. The Great Gatsby
11. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Best New Play

These rich plays tackles subjects as varying as true crime and the judicial system, America's famous First Lady, espionage and politics, and the perils of putting on a show.

1. A Knock on the Roof
2. A Role to Die For
3. Bacchae
4. Backstroke
5. Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
6. Born With Teeth
7. Christmas Day
8. Christmas Carol Goes Wrong
9. Clarkston
10. Deaf Republic
11. Dracula
12. Dracula
13. Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors
14. East is South
15. End
16. Gerry & Sewell
17. Good Night, Oscar
18. Guess How Much I Love You?
19. High Noon
20. House of Games
21. How to Fight Loneliness
22. I’m Sorry, Prime Minister
23. Inter Alia
24. Interview
25. Intimate Apparel
26. Juniper Blood
27. KENREX
28. Manhunt
29. Marriage Material
30. Mary Page Marlowe
31. Maggots
32. My Master Builder
33. Oh, Mary!
34. Otherland
35. Porn Play
36. Paranormal Activity
37. Punch
38. Retrograde
39. Romans
40. Scenes from a Repatriation
41. Shanghai Dolls
42. Shadowlands
43. Speed
44. Stereophonic
45. The Assembled Parties
46. The Brightening Air
47. The Comedy About Spies
48. The Estate
49. The Fifth Step
50. The Hunger Games
51. The Lady from the Sea
52. The Land of the Living
53. The Last Laugh
54. The Line of Beauty
55. The Score
56. The Shitheads
57. The Spy Who Came In From The Cold
58. The Unbelievers

Best Musical Revival

A strong year for musical revivals includes that much talked-about Evita, with Rachel Zegler performing to people in the street below from her balcony, plus a dynamite Into the Woods and joyful outings via The Producers and Top Hat.

1. American Psycho
2. Brigadoon
3. Elf The Musical
4. Evita
5. Girl from the North Country
6. Into the Woods
7. London Road
8. The Producers
9. Top Hat

Best Revival

London is always a powerhouse place for play revivals, and this year was no exception, whether it's a gripping Arthur Miller, spellbinding Conor McPherson, or a Shakespeare that turns the West End into a giant pink-hued party.

1. 4.48 Psychosis
2. A Christmas Carol
3. A Man for All Seasons
4. A Midsummer Night’s Dream
5. A Moon for the Misbegotten
6. All My Sons
7. Alterations
8. An Oak Tree
9. Arcadia
10. Dealer’s Choice
11. Entertaining Mr Sloane
12. Every Brilliant Thing
13. Fallen Angels
14. Ghost Stories
15. Ghosts
16. Hamlet
17. Indian Ink
18. Macbeth
19. Man and Boy
20. Mrs Warren’s Profession
21. Much Ado About Nothing
22. Othello
23. Rhinoceros
24. Richard II
25. Romeo a Juliet
26. The Crucible
27. The Deep Blue Sea
28. The Maids
29. The Playboy of the Western World
30. The Rat Trap
31. The Seagull
32. The Weir
33. Titus Andronicus
34. Twelfth Night
35. Woman in Mind

Main photo credit: the Olivier Awards (courtesy of the awards). Inset: Paddington The Musical, Inter Alia, Much Ado About Nothing (Photos by Johan Persson, Manuel Harlan, Marc Brenner)