Residents in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, can soon book seats for Billy Elliot the Musical, which opens its national tour at the Sunderland Empire on 4 November 2026. The four-week run allows local families to see the major production in their home city before it moves to other parts of the country.
Tickets for the performances will go on sale to the general public through ATG Tickets on Monday 9 March 2026 at 10:00 AM. The show will remain at the theatre until 28 November 2026, marking the first time this original version of the musical has toured the UK in a decade.
The production features music by Elton John and was directed by Stephen Daldry, who both noted that bringing the show back to the region where the story is set is an emotional highlight of their careers. The touring version is produced by Universal Theatrical Group and Working Title Films.
The story was written by Lee Hall and is set during the 1984-85 miners’ strike in County Durham, giving the Sunderland opening special local significance. After the engagement at the Sunderland Empire concludes, the tour will move to Manchester in December and arrive at the Adelphi Theatre in London by February 2027.
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