London News
New U.K. Tour of Elton John's Billy Elliot Musical Will Play the West End
The Tony- and Olivier-winning musical will arrive at London's Adelphi in 2027.
February 11, 2026 By Andrew Gans
A new U.K. tour of the Tony-winning Elton John musical Billy Elliot will launch in the fall with a limited West End engagement scheduled for 2027.
Universal Theatrical Group and Working Title Films are presenting the tour of Billy Elliot the Musical, which will play November 4-28 at the Sunderland Empire. The production will arrive in the West End February 12, 2027, for a limited run at the Adelphi Theatre through July 31.
Current tour dates also include visits to the Palace Theatre in Manchester (December 2, 2026–January 9, 2027) and the Edinburgh Playhouse (January 19–February 6, 2027). Casting and additional touring information will be announced at a later time. Tickets will go on sale March 9 at BillyElliottheMusical.com.
Composer John and director Stephen Daldry said in a joint statement, “Creating Billy Elliot the Musical was one of the most joyous and inspiring moments of our careers, so to bring the show back for a U.K. tour and a season in the West End for the first time in over a decade is both incredibly emotional and exciting. It’s bold, it’s British, it’s full of heart and the story feels more relevant than ever. We can’t wait for a whole new generation to experience it!”
Based on the Universal Pictures/Studio Canal film of the same name, Billy Elliot is set in a northern mining town against the background of the 1984-1985 miners’ strike and follows the young Billy’s journey from the boxing ring to the ballet class, where he discovers a passion for dance that changes his life forever.
Billy Elliot features music by John, a book and lyrics by Lee Hall, choreography by Peter Darling, and direction by Daldry. The upcoming production will also have scenic design by Ian MacNeil, costume design by Nicky Gillibrand, lighting design by Rick Fisher, sound design by Paul Arditti, hair, wig, and make-up design by Campbell Young, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Martin Koch.
The tour director is Simon Pollard, and the associate choreographer is Jeroen Luiten with adult casting by Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher and children’s casting by Nick Hockaday for Jessica Ronane Casting.
After an Olivier-winning London premiere, Billy Elliot: The Musical played 40 previews and 1,312 regular performances at Broadway's Imperial Theatre October 1, 2008-January 8, 2012. The production recouped its $18 million investment in only 14 months.
Billy Elliot was the winner of 10 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Musical; Best Book of a Musical (Lee Hall); Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, Kiril Kulish); Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Gregory Jbara); Best Direction of a Musical (Stephen Daldry); Best Choreography (Peter Darling); Best Orchestrations (Martin Koch); Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Ian MacNeil); Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Rick Fisher); and Best Sound Design of a Musical (Paul Arditti).
The tour is produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, and Jon Finn. David Furnish and Angela Morrison are the executive producers.
