London International Festival of Theatre to Return in 2027

London International Festival of Theatre will return to the capital in Summer 2027 across 5 weeks from 3 June to 4 July. Marking a new chapter presented by Battersea Arts Centre, the festival unveils a renewed artistic vision and reinvigorated partnerships across London, driven by LIFT's newly appointed Artistic Director Pelin Başaran.

LIFT will bring extraordinary International Artists to London responding to the questions shaping our world and our communities, weaving performance into the life of the city. Başaran's curation draws inspiration from the rhythms of everyday London, moving across theatres, public spaces and unexpected locations to create encounters between artists, audiences and the city itself. Her vision is for LIFT to create space for imagination, interrupting the familiar, opening up new perspectives and inviting audiences to see the world, and the city around them, differently.

Building on LIFT's long history of bringing daring, international performance to London, the 2027 festival will feature UK and London Premieres of Landmark Productions alongside multidisciplinary performances across the city. It will include artists from Asia, the Middle East, Australia, North and South America, and Europe.

In a new initiative sitting alongside the programme of international work, the festival hosts LIFT Off, a showcase funded by Arts Council England designed to platform contemporary performances made in England. Six tour-ready productions will be selected by the end of 2026 and the performances staged from 28 June to 4 July, during the final week of LIFT, with partners including the Barbican, Southbank Centre, Royal Court, Soho Theatre, Sadler's Wells East, Wapping Powerhouse, Unlimited, Theatre Green Book and Battersea Arts Centre. LIFT Off extends Battersea Arts Centre's and LIFT's international role, by creating a new route for artists based in England to build relationships with presenters and audiences around the world.

Battersea Arts Centre has spent over 50 years championing experimental performance, developing artists and finding new ways to connect ambitious work with wider audiences. Its programme brings artists from the UK and around the world together with a commitment to experimentation, access and transformative experiences. Presented by BAC, LIFT will build on this legacy and LIFT's reach across London, while creating new opportunities for artists and audiences internationally, with Başaran remaining as BAC's Creative Director.

This new chapter presented by Battersea Arts Centre builds on LIFT's world-renowned legacy spanning 45 years as London's definitive city-wide celebration of international theatre. Founded in 1981 by Rose Fenton and Lucy Neal, its unforgettable productions have included The Second Woman (2023) starring Ruth Wilson, Sun & Sea (2022), East Wall (2018), Fly by Night (2018), Sky Orchestra (2012), Life Streaming (2010) and Small Metal Objects (2007).

Pelin Başaran, Artistic Director of LIFT and Creative Director of BAC says: 'I am so honoured to be appointed LIFT's next Artistic Director. Many people across London have their own special LIFT memories, experiences that transformed the way they think and feel, and which have stayed with them for years. Over its history, LIFT has created unforgettable encounters by bringing extraordinary International Artists to different corners of the city, expanding our understanding of what theatre can be. I feel a huge responsibility to build on that legacy, while asking what an international festival can mean for London today.

Shaping the next chapter of LIFT is incredibly exciting. I see the festival as an opportunity for us to explore what it means to live in the world today, to engage with some of the big questions of our time and to imagine different possibilities for the future through the transformative power of performance. Before a different future can be built, it must first be imagined, and I want LIFT to offer a space where that imagining can happen.'

Tarek Iskander, Artistic Director and CEO of Battersea Arts Centre says: 'Battersea Arts Centre and LIFT have always shared a belief: that live performance should be daring, ambitious, unforgettable and for everyone - and that brilliance can be found anywhere in the world. Building on LIFT's extraordinary legacy is a natural extension of what we believe, with our capital as the largest stage there is. Pelin is the perfect person to lead the next chapter, with a wonderful set of partners alongside us. Our ambition is for LIFT to take its place among the world's most vital cultural events.

Personally, I'm especially excited about LIFT Off. We've spent years helping England's most daring artists reach new international audiences and partners, and a new showcase in the heart of London is the perfect way to introduce tomorrow's remarkable voices to the world.'