Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Venue Information
- How to book (Phone)
- 0333 320 2834
- Guide dogs
- Guide dogs are welcome and can be looked after if required.
- Wheelchairs
- The theatre is fully accessible to people with reduced mobility. 4-8 wheelchair spaces, show dependant
- Sound amplification
- Radio-signal system.
- Audio description
- The main entrance to the theatre is through Queen’s Mary’s gardens and is completely level. There is also a more direct entrance through the Theatre Exit Gate which patrons requiring assistance with access are welcome to use. The main entrance is immediately adjacent to the box office. Through the gate you follow a gentle slope with a handrail. The auditorium entrances are opposite and you enter directly onto the theatre’s accessible row with discounted seats for qualifying patrons. The Theatre Exit Gate is immediately off the Inner Circle Road. There is a ramp up to the gate where a member of staff is on hand to assist. Once in the venue’s grounds there is a gently sloped path upwards with the auditorium at the top on your left hand side. Again, you enter the auditorium directly onto the theatre’s access row. Should you require help, the box office staff are on hand to collect tickets on your behalf. The auditorium consists of two tiers. The lower tear has shallow steps which are easier to negotiate than the Upper Tier. Please be aware that the Upper Tier has steeper steps and doesn’t have any handrail support. All patrons need to exit through the Theatre Exit Gate as The Royal Parks lock Queen Mary’s Gardens during the evening performance.
- Level access
- Yes
- Bars
- 1 licensed bar at ground level
- Food
- Summer Café, The Grill and Covered Dining areas
- Toilets
- Mens and Womens throughout. There is an accessible toilet located to the left of the box office entrance as you enter the theatre or another to the right as you exit the theatre.
- Air conditioning
- No
- Accepts Theatre Tokens
- Yes
Established in 1932, the multi-award-winning Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is one of the largest theatres in London (at a capacity of 1,304). Passionate about producing popular, enriching and unexpected theatre that provides a lens into the here and now, the scale and ambition of their productions together with a magical outdoor setting, makes them unique in the capital’s cultural landscape. Every year they welcome over 150,000 people to their 20-week summer season.
Drew McOnie assumed the role of Artistic Director in January 2024, taking over from Tim Sheader, and will programme the 2025 season onwards. James Pidgeon was appointed Executive Director in 2021.
Over the last fifteen years, their productions have won seven Olivier Awards, ten WhatsOnStage Awards, and four Evening Standard Awards. Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre were named London Theatre of the Year in 2017 by The Stage, and received the Highly Commended Award for London Theatre of the Year in 2021. Their productions have toured the UK, and have transferred to both the West End and the United States. Their 2016 revival of Jesus Christ Superstar is currently touring North America for the second time, and commenced a UK tour in September 2023.
As a registered charity that receives no regular public subsidy, the venue relies entirely on earned income and charitable contributions. Nevertheless, they have introduced 33,000 tickets at £15 across the whole of 2024’s summer season, the BREEZE scheme enables those aged 18-25 to buy tickets for £10, and they regularly work with local charities. Each year, on average, they subsidise tickets for 6,000 school pupils.
Food and drink plays a significant role in the Open Air Theatre experience, with in-house bars and restaurants including Covered Dining (recently certified as a Sustainably Run Restaurant), The Grill and The Pizza Oven. They also have our own picnic lawn and the West End’s longest bar!
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has become one of the most independently sustainable and financially successful producing theatres in the country, and they’re proud to embark on the next stage of their vision with ever-increasing artistic ambition and entrepreneurial spirit.