'Sylvia' Returns For a UK Tour In 2026, Including Royal Albert Hall

The acclaimed and Olivier-nominated musical Sylvia is returning in 2026 for a limited tour ahead of five performances at the Royal Albert Hall.

The tour kicks off at Curve Leicester on 24th September, before heading to Birmingham, Edinburgh, Salford, Norwich and Canterbury. It will play at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall from 13th - 15th November.

There is a significance to this choice in venue as the Royal Albert Hall as it was the home of over 20 suffragette rallies and some of the most historic speeches in the fight for women to gain the vote, and the suffragettes were banned from the Hall between 1913 and 1918. With Sylvia telling the story of activist and icon Sylvia Pankhurst, it feels very fitting.

The show previously ran at the Old Vic in 2018 and 2023 (you can read my review for the most recent run here) and starred Beverley Knight as Emmeline Pankhurst and Sharon Rose as Sylvia Pankhurst. Both will reprise their roles for this tour.

Beverley Knight said:

“I could not be more chuffed to reprise my role as Emmeline Pankhurst one more time! The spirit, courage and determination of the suffragettes and in particular Sylvia Pankhurst is so brilliantly celebrated in this show. The Soul, R&B, HipHop and Blues reflects the joy, passion and the fight of the women and their allies. It seemed to me like the perfect place to perform “Sylvia” was the very stage on which the suffragettes were roundly expelled and rejected, the Royal Albert Hall. Over 100 years later Sylvia and the Suffragettes are returning to triumph.”

It will be a busy year for Beverley Knight, as she will also be starring in the West End transfer of Marie & Rosetta at @SohoPlace earlier in the year, before embarking on her own tour Born To Perform.

Helen Pankhurst, activist, scholar and granddaughter of Sylvia Pankhurst, said:

“I’m thrilled that Sylvia will be touring the UK next autumn, reaching audiences right across the country including Greater Manchester, the birthplace of the suffragette movement, and the Royal Albert Hall which became a powerful stage for some of the most memorable events in the fight for women to gain the vote. This production is a stunning retelling of the Suffragette movement, focusing on the fiery personal and political dynamics within my family. With only a few years until the Centenary of Equal Franchise in 2028, this might seem like a story of the past and of one extraordinary family, but the themes it explores are as relevant and topical as ever.”

The full creative team includes: Kate Prince (Book and Lyrics, Director and Choreographer), Priya Parmar (Book), Josh Cohen and DJ Walde (Music), Ben Stones (Set and Costume), Natasha Chivers (Lighting), Tony Gayle (Sound), Andrzej Goulding (Video and Animation), Cynthia De La Rosa (Wigs, Hair and Make-up), Lolita Chakrabarti (Dramaturgy) and Sean Green (Music Supervisor).

The Royal Albert Hall played a defining role in the campaign for women’s suffrage, serving as the backdrop for some of the most significant speeches and gatherings in the movement’s history. Between 1908 and 1913, the Hall hosted nearly thirty events linked to the fight for the vote, attracting both militant and pacifist suffrage groups — as well as the National League for Opposing Women’s Suffrage — who hired the venue for their meetings. The first meeting took place at the Hall in April 1908 and each event drew immense public interest; every seat was sold well in advance, with hundreds more turned away at the doors. According to accounts of the time, audiences were composed almost entirely of women, with 200 women stewards dressed in white overseeing proceedings.

Affectionately known by the Suffragettes as a “Temple of Liberty,” the Royal Albert Hall even appeared as their base in a popular board game of the era. However, following the intensification of militant tactics, the Hall’s trustees — like many London venues — banned Emmeline Pankhurst, her daughters, and the Women’s Social and Political Union from using the venue in April 1913. The Suffragettes thus became the first political group ever to be barred from the Hall. After the partial victory of 1918, when some women gained the right to vote, the Hall lifted its ban. On 16 March 1918, it hosted a special “Celebration of the Women’s Suffrage Victory” meeting, featuring addresses from Mrs. Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel — marking both a symbolic and literal return to the “Temple of Liberty.”

Full tour dates are as follows:

Curve Leicester

Thursday 24th September - Saturday 3rd October 2026

On sale 14 November

Birmingham Hippodrome

Tuesday 6th - Saturday 10th October 2026

On sale w/c 24 November

Edinburgh Festival Theatre

Monday 12th - Saturday 17th October 2026

On sale 19 November

Lowry, Salford

Monday 19th - Saturday 24th October 2026

On sale 31 October

Norwich Theatre

Tuesday 28th -Saturday 31st October 2026

On sale 26 November

Marlowe Theatre Canterbury

Monday 2nd November - Saturday 7th November 2026

On sale soon

Royal Albert Hall

Friday 13th November (evening), Saturday 14th November (matinee and evening) and

Sunday 15th November (matinee and evening)

On sale 7 November

Tickets from http://sylviamusicaluk.com/