It's Official! PADDINGTON Will Arrive on Broadway in 2027; Watch a New Trailer!

It's official! As BroadwayWorld reported last month, the record-breaking, smash hit, seven-time Olivier Award-winning Best New Musical  PADDINGTON The Musical will begin performances Tuesday, March 30, 2027 and officially open Sunday, April 18, 2027 at Broadway’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Tickets start at $69 and are now on sale at https://broadway.paddingtonthemusical.com/.

Based on the beloved “A Bear Called Paddington” written by Michael Bond and the award-winning film ‘PADDINGTON,’  by special arrangement with STUDIOCANAL, PADDINGTON The Musical features music and lyrics by Olivier Award winner  Tom Fletcher, a book by Olivier Award winner Jessica Swale and direction by Olivier Award winner Luke Sheppard. 

PADDINGTON The Musical is the most awarded new musical in the history of London’s West End. Check out what the critics had to say.

The show won seven  2026 Olivier Awards, tying the record for the most the number of wins for any musical in Olivier Award history – including winning Best New Musical, Best Director for Luke Sheppard, Best Set Design for Tom Pye and Ash J Woodward,  and Best Costume Design for Gabriella Slade and Tahra Zafar – the latter, who designed the bear. The production also  received a record nine WhatsOnStage Awards – the most for any new musical – including winning Best New Musical, Best  Direction for Luke Sheppard, Best Set Design for Tom Pye, Best Costume Design for Gabriella Slade and Tahra Zafar, Best  Sound Design for Gareth Owen, Best Wigs, Hair and Make-Up Design for Campbell Young Associates; Best Musical  Supervision/Direction for Matt Brind and Best Casting Direction for Natalie Gallacher, for Pippa Ailion & Natalie Gallacher  Casting, Nick Hockaday and Annabelle Davis. The production also recently won the Critics’ Circle Award for Best New  Musical. 

 Composer Tom Fletcher said: "It has been the greatest adventure of my career to be entrusted with bringing Paddington's  story to life on stage alongside my brilliant creative collaborators Jessica, Luke and our producers Sonia and Eliza. The  response from West End audiences of all ages has been unlike anything I've ever experienced. It's a great privilege to  welcome New York audiences into Paddington's world of curiosity and I am absolutely thrilled at the opportunity for this  very rare and special bear to be on Broadway." 

Book Writer Jessica Swale said, “I couldn’t be more excited to bring Paddington to New York. As a city that breathes theatre,  storytelling and imagination, Broadway is the perfect place to celebrate this exuberant and heart-filled story. I can’t wait.  Let’s just hope Paddington loves Big Apples as much as he loves oranges.” 

Director Luke Sheppard said, “Paddington approaches life with curiosity, kindness and an unwavering sense of adventure,  and what an adventure Broadway will be. It’s a dream come true to be bringing this joyful show to New York and I can’t  wait for audiences to meet this very special bear that we all hold so close to our hearts.” 

Producers Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley said, "Producing Paddington The Musical with our extraordinary writing and  creative team has been an immense privilege. Paddington Bear has endured for generations because he reminds us of the  best of ourselves: kindness, curiosity, empathy and the belief that everyone deserves to belong. Wrapped inside a joyful  theatrical adventure, with Tom Fletcher’s exceptional score at its heart, is a story about finding home, family and  community in unexpected places. We have been genuinely blown away by the response to the production so far and are  thrilled to be bringing it to Broadway. As the home of so many of the world’s great musicals, there is no more exciting place to produce new work than New York, and we cannot wait to share Paddington’s world with Broadway audiences.” 

Anna Marsh, CEO of STUDIOCANAL, Chief Content Officer of CANAL+, expands “It is an immeasurable privilege to bring  Paddington the Musical to Broadway with Sonia, Eliza and the exceptional team they have assembled. To witness their  collective gift in bringing Paddington to life on stage has been a masterclass in production. Over the past 12 years we have  put such genuine care into honoring Michael Bond’s legacy with our films, series and as proud owners of the IP. We cannot  wait for a new audience to delight in the heart, humor, wonder and magic of Paddington’s Broadway debut.” 

PADDINGTON The Musical features musical supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Olivier Award nominee  Matt Brind; choreography by Tony and Olivier Award nominee Ellen Kane; scenic design by Olivier Award winner and Tony  Award nominee Tom Pye; costume design by Tony and Olivier Award winner Gabriella Slade; Paddington and puppet  design by Olivier Award winner Tahra Zafar; lighting design by Tony and Olivier Award winner Neil Austin; sound design  by Tony and Olivier Award winner Gareth Owen; video design and animation by Olivier Award winner Ash J Woodward;  hair, wig and makeup design by Campbell Young Associates; casting by Jim Carnahan Casting, Jim Carnahan, CSA.  and Jason Thinger, CSA; and Paddington Casting Consultant Annabelle Davis. 

The most award-winning new musical in West End history is playing to sold-out audiences and capturing the hearts of all  ages. Now, Paddington is packing his suitcase and preparing for his next adventure: Broadway. 

In PADDINGTON The Musical, a small, lost bear from Peru arrives in London in search of a place to call home. A chance  encounter with the Browns leads him into an unexpected world of adventure, where kindness has the power to change  lives and strangers can become family. 

But London isn’t all afternoon tea and friendly faces—and even the seemingly happiest of families can have cracks beneath  the surface. So, when a mysterious and vengeful villain sets her sights on Paddington, the Browns embark on a thrilling  rescue mission, realizing they need this special bear as much as he needs them. 

Filled with laughter, wonder, spectacular songs, dazzling choreography, and generous helping of marmalade,  PADDINGTON The Musical is based on Michael Bond’s beloved characters, with a story inspired by the award-winning films developed and produced by STUDIOCANAL with Heyday films and distributed by STUDIOCANAL worldwide. It features  original music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher, a book by Jessica Swale, and direction by Luke Sheppard. 

New York, please look after this bear. 

‘PADDINGTON The Musical – Original Cast Recording’, written by Tom Fletcher and produced by Matt Brind, is out now  on Decca Records and available to stream here. The album is the fastest-selling physical West End Original Cast Recording  of the 21st Century in the UK. Less than 6 months since PADDINGTON The Musical opened in the West End, the  Paddington album, recently released on vinyl, CD, cassette and Yoto, topped the Official UK Compilation Chart. Not since  the 1990s has a recording of original music for a brand-new stage production reached this level of popularity so quickly. 

Passers-by stopped in their tracks when Paddington was spotted on the famous Abbey Road Studios crossing. This led to  him gracing the cover of Rolling Stone UK Magazine, in another first for the unassuming bear.  

Michael Bond’s “A Bear Called Paddington” was published in 1958 by Collins, later Harper Collins – the first of 29 Paddington books he wrote, with the final one “Paddington at St. Paul's,” published posthumously in 2018. The books  have sold over 35 million copies worldwide.  

Paddington has been adapted for television several times – first by the BBC in 1976, voiced by Michael Hordern; and most  recently by STUDIOCANAL who developed and produced three series of Emmy & Annie award-winning “The Adventures  of Paddington” with Heyday Films, Simon Quinn and Karen Davidson. Paddington has enjoyed three successful big-screen  outings released in cinemas to critical and commercial acclaim, developed and produced by STUDIOCANAL with Heyday  films and distributed by STUDIOCANAL worldwide. A fourth feature film is in development with Armando Iannucci  attached to the write the script with his co-writer Simon Blackwell. Also in development is a new animated Paddington  feature film which will introduce Paddington to a new younger generation across all geographies and with an exciting new  look for Paddington. As proud owners of the Paddington IP, STUDIOCANAL has grown Paddington into a globally  recognized brand over the past 12 years. The Paddington films are the highest-grossing independent family franchise of all time, with over $800 million in box office worldwide, including Paddington in Peru, released through Sony Pictures in  the US.