THE GREATEST SHOWMAN Will Premiere in London in Spring 2026

Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for! As BroadwayWorld first reported last summer, the greatest show will soon be the greatest stage show. We've just learned that The Greatest Showman, based on the 2017 smash-hit film, will premiere at ATG Entertainment’s Bristol Hippodrome in Spring 2026.

The musical will feature the GRAMMY Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated songs by EGOT winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, Dear Evan Hansen, Disney’s forthcoming film Snow White), including “The Greatest Show,” “A Million Dreams,” “Come Alive,” “Rewrite the Stars” and the Golden Globe® Award-winning “This Is Me,” together with their brand-new songs written especially for the musical. The book is by Emmy® nominee Tim Federle (Ferdinand, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Tuck Everlasting).

The Greatest Showman will be directed and choreographed by two-time Tony® Award-winning Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Aladdin, Mean Girls and the forthcoming production of Disney’s Hercules, opening at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in June).

Based on the 20th Century Fox motion picture, The Greatest Showman, with story by Jenny Bicks, this is the first 20th Century Studios (formerly 20th Century Fox) title to be adapted for the stage by Disney Theatrical Group and The Seelig Group, a producer of the original film. The production continues Disney Theatrical’s long-held relationship with the Bristol Hippodrome where Mary Poppins made its world premiere, and the UK tours of The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast began their journeys. 

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul said, “We are continuously surprised and moved by how much the songs from The Greatest Showman seem to have resonated around the world, and to now have the opportunity to bring them to the stage is truly thrilling.”

Andrew Flatt, Anne Quart and Thomas Schumacher for Disney Theatrical Group added, “It has been decades since an original film musical has been as passionately and broadly embraced as The Greatest Showman, and Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s songs have found a treasured place in the world’s heart. Audiences responded to the film’s joyful energy and themes of self-discovery, community, and the families we create. We’re excited to bring it to the stage as a purely theatrical piece and the natural next chapter in its extraordinary life. We cannot wait to see how this incredibly talented team of creatives elevate the beloved work still further. Tim Federle is among the new generation of Disney storytellers, returning to Broadway after remarkable success in film and television.  Casey Nicholaw, a longtime key contributor to Disney Theatrical Group’s success, has an unrivaled genius for combining joy and heart in his award-winning stage work. Now we begin the search for the performers who will bring this story to life on stage.” 

A casting search is underway across the UK and Ireland for this brand-new production, discovering the stage talent who will play the roles originated by the stars of the film. Open auditions will take place throughout March and April in Dublin, Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Exeter, Newcastle and London. For more information visit thegreatestshowman.co.uk.

Disney on Broadway celebrated its 30th anniversary with a performance of "The Greatest Show" at D23 in summer 2024, featuring Ryan Vasquez, Aisha Jackson, Josh Strickland, Mykal Kilgore, Anastasia Talley, and Hannah Corneau.

Audiences are invited to sign up for more information about The Greatest Showman at www.thegreatestshowman.co.uk. Casting, full creative team and the Bristol performance schedule will be announced later this year. Future plans for the show will be determined in due course.

The Greatest Showman,  inspired by the ambition and imagination of P. T. Barnum, celebrates the birth of show business and of dreams coming to life. The soundtrack achieved global success, winning the Golden Globe® Award for Best Original Song, a GRAMMY Award and a nomination for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards®. It became the biggest-selling album of 2018 and the first number one album of 2019. Remarkably, it matched The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band for weeks spent at number one, holding the top spot for 28 non-consecutive weeks.