Hackney Empire has announced the first plans for its landmark 125th anniversary year, alongside a bold new vision for its future titled Hackney:Central.
The iconic East London venue will celebrate its anniversary from autumn 2026 with a 16-month programme spanning theatre, comedy, music, heritage and community activity.
Led by CEO Chris Sudworth, Hackney:Central sets out ambitions to expand production, support artists and young people, and place the theatre at the heart of both its local community and the wider cultural landscape.
Since opening in 1901, Hackney Empire has championed under-represented creatives and audiences, with its anniversary programme set to reflect both its history and its future direction.
Celebrations will begin with a launch weekend on 19 and 20 September 2026, featuring an outdoor festival curated by Young Producers, an exhibition highlighting the theatre’s history, and a collaboration with London College of Fashion to create a new football kit for Hackney Women’s FC.
Chris Sudworth said, “Hackney Empire is a unique and magical venue, delivering iconic experiences of theatre, comedy, music and cultural change with the people of Hackney since 1901. Our 125th anniversary is a moment of huge celebration, and a moment to look forward, imagining what is possible.”
He added, “Hackney:Central builds on our history and looks to the future – central to supporting the ambitions of artists and young people, central to the development of a more representative arts workforce, central to new partnerships, productions and collaborations, central to the lives of local people and ever-more central to the local, London and national arts narrative.”
Highlights of the anniversary programme include Theatre Re’s internationally acclaimed The Nature of Forgetting, which opens its 10th anniversary tour at the venue on 8 October.
Hackney Empire will also host Talawa Theatre Company’s 40th Anniversary Showcase on 13 October, celebrating four decades of Black excellence in British theatre.
A new live series titled Empire Nights will launch on 22 October, hosted by Jamali Maddix with a line-up including Guz Khan, Michelle de Swarte, Kyrah Gray and Manga St Hilare.
November will celebrate the theatre’s comedy heritage, welcoming back early headliners Lenny Henry and Jo Brand for special performances.
The anniversary season will culminate with the return of the Hackney pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, directed by and starring Clive Rowe.
Looking ahead, the theatre has also confirmed a major new co-production, Nanny of the Maroons, which will premiere in 2027 before transferring to Hackney Empire.
The venue has further secured support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to develop plans that will preserve and celebrate its history, including research into the artists and communities who have shaped its legacy.
Further programming and events will be announced in the coming months as Hackney Empire continues to mark this significant milestone.
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