Sydney is about to get a very polite new resident.
Paddington The Musical, the seven-time Olivier Award winner that has been playing to sold-out houses in London’s West End, will premiere at the Capitol Theatre in September 2027.
It makes Sydney only the third city in the world to host the show, after London and a Broadway season that opens in April next year.
“Sydney, please look after this bear,” producers said in the announcement on Thursday, a nod to the tag the small bear from Peru wears around his neck when he first arrives at Paddington Station.
A waitlist for priority ticket access is now open.
READ MORE: ‘This was always my dream’: Trevor Ashley takes his final West End bow in The Producers
What is Paddington The Musical about?
If you have read Michael Bond’s books or seen the films, you know the shape of it: a lost bear turns up in London looking for a home and is taken in by the Brown family, with mishaps, mayhem and a great many marmalade sandwiches along the way.
The stage show is based on Bond’s original characters, with a story inspired by the award-winning STUDIOCANAL film from 2014.
Producers are promising showstopping songs and dazzling choreography, and the creative pedigree backs that up.
The book is by playwright Jessica Swale, with music and lyrics by McFly’s Tom Fletcher, and the production is directed by Luke Sheppard, who took home the Olivier for Best Director for his work on the show.
Fletcher has said the story of a bear travelling from Peru to London in search of family is a very real one for a lot of people, and that the score draws on everything from the Beatles and Queen to the Sherman Brothers and Alan Menken.
How big a hit is it overseas?
Very. The show has become the most awarded new musical in the history of London’s West End.
At the 2026 Olivier Awards it won seven times, tying the record for the most wins by any musical in the ceremony’s history, including Best New Musical, Best Director and the design prizes for its sets and costumes.
It also collected a record nine WhatsOnStage Awards and the Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Musical.
The original cast recording, released through Decca Records, has been described by the production as the fastest-selling West End cast album of the century.
The Broadway transfer begins previews at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on March 30, 2027, ahead of an official opening on April 18.
READ MORE: ‘Stop changing the wording’: Fruit Fly author takes aim at M/M romance at sold-out Sydney event
When can Sydney see it?
Paddington The Musical premieres at the Capitol Theatre in September 2027.
The Sydney season is produced by in by Sonia Friedman Productions, STUDIOCANAL, Eliza Lumley Productions (on behalf of Universal Music UK), and Australian producer Suzanne Jones of JONES Theatrical Group, with government support through Destination NSW.
No Australian casting has been announced yet.
Until then, you can join the waitlist for priority access to tickets here.
Marmalade sandwiches, as always, are bring-your-own.
‘Stop changing the wording’: Fruit Fly author takes aim at M/M romance at sold-out Sydney event
Josh Silver doesn’t own a turtleneck – and he’d quite like the literary world to stop expecting one.