London Palladium
Argyll Street, London, W1V 1AD

Nearest underground:
Oxford Circus (Central Line, Bakerloo Line, Victoria Line)

Nearest rail:
Charing Cross

For most of the Palladium’s history, variety was the name of the game. From its opening in 1910 with a variety bill, to the 1950s television show broadcast from here, Sunday Night At The London Palladium, the many performers who graced the theatre’s stage made up the great and good of show business. Interspersed with this had been the comics of the Crazy Gang that filled the theatre in the 1930s and the revue shows of the war years. Headline concerts too have been here, Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli, and Frank Sinatra amongst others. When its staple, variety, eventually lost its shine it was musicals that stepped in to fill the gap such as The King And I (1979 and 2000), Oliver (1994) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (2002).

Despite being one of London’s larger theatres at 2,290 seats the Palladium has a surprisingly intimate atmosphere that has welcomed some stellar performances. Entertainment must have been in the air here, the building was formerly an ice rink and then occupied by Charles Hengler’s Circus. Prolific theatre architect Frank Matcham even managed to incorporate parts of the original circus building into the Palladium’s façade.

What's on at London Palladium

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