The London Palladium is considered to be the most famous theatre in the capital city and perhaps even in the United Kingdom, due to its musical variety shows that were televised in the 1950s and 60s and the host of famous celebrities that have performed on the theatre’s stage over the years. It was built by Walter Gibbons in 1910, making the theatre over a century old, and was named ‘The Palladium’ until 1934 when the ‘London’ was added to the official title of the venue.}

In its early beginnings the theatre was used as a circus, an ice rink and a cinema, but after the Second World War ended in 1945, Val Parnell became managing director of the theatre and successfully placed many big stars from the United States on the famous London stage such as Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, much to the annoyance of the British stars of the time.

For twelve years from 1955, the theatre hosted the extremely popular ‘Sunday Night at the London Palladium’ which was aired on ITV for a very successful run. The show was revived in the late 1980s under the new name of ‘Live from the Palladium’.

In the year 2000, the theatre was bought by Andrew Lloyd Webber and his Really Useful Group, which has seen many popular and important stage musicals grace the stage such as The King and I, The Sound of Music and Sister Act the Musical. Today, the London Palladium is home to new musical, The Wizard of Oz, based on the classic tale of a girl swept away to a magical land by a tornado, and featuring songs we all know and love from the 1939 MGM film adaptation, including ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’. The show opened in March 2011.

At London Palladium.org we provide a guide to the current show, The Wizard of Oz, including videos and reviews. We also describe the location of the theatre with a map of the area included, details on how to buy The Wizard of Oz tickets, seating plan and the best available seats and information on hotels and restaurants near the London Palladium.