The King’s Theatre has reopened in Tollcross, Edinburgh, after two years of refurbishment. 2026 marks the 120th anniversary of the theatre, and an opening gala show was held to mark its historic reopening.
The theatre first opened in 1906, and quickly became a staple of Edinburgh’s cultural landscape. From world premiers of now-classic plays, to the Edinburgh International Festival to the incredibly popular pantomime, the ‘Grand Old Lady of Leven Street’ has been a home for some of the biggest moments in Scotland’s performing arts history since it opened its doors.
Several renovations and refurbishments have taken place in the building since the first in 1947, but 2023’s redevelopment marks the biggest change to the theatre since its opening. Along with repair, the project undertook to redesign the theatre for the modern age, incorporating current technologies into the historic space and making the whole theatre fully accessible. The redevelopment has also added the new Creative Engagement Studio in the previously disused attic, a space for workshops, classes, and more engagement with the wider artistic community and the public.
The redevelopment has maintained some of the King’s most iconic Edwardian elements – the striking red stone exterior and intricate ornamental plaster interior walls – while modernising the bar and foyer areas, replacing the old sloped stage, and changing seating areas to enhance audience comfort and accessibility.
The opening night was a gala show featuring a variety of Scottish artists and acts. The night began with a lightshow projected directly onto (and clearly designed around) the theatre’s decorative plaster, as the red curtain was raised to reveal legendary classical violinist Nicola Benedetti, who played an excerpt from Bach to open the show. What followed was approximately two hours of interspersed speeches, performances, and comedy interludes by the three hosts: Scottish panto icons Allan Stewart, Grant Stott and Jordan Young. Speakers included Dame Joan Stringer and Fiona Gibson of Capital Theatres, Dr Heather Reid of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and First Minister John Swinney. Performances included a pas de dieux from Starstruck performed by the Scottish Ballet, an extract from the Lauder by the Scottish Opera starring tenor Jamie MacDougall as legendary Scottish entertainer Sir Harry Lauder, and a medley of musical numbers performed by the National Theatre of Scotland. Actor Brian Cox, honorary patron of the King’s Theatre, reading a Scots-language poem entitled The King’s in a pre-recorded video, and poet Hannah Lavery ready her newly commissioned poem The King’s 2026. The show ended with a collection of Edinburgh choirs singing The Streets of Edinburgh by The Proclaimers.
The atmosphere was celebratory and energetic; the presence of the pantomime legends lent the show a casual and humorous air, and there was lots of emphasis on the importance of the King’s iconic panto to the families of Edinburgh.
A running theme throughout the show was the famous glass bottle found in 2025 behind the decorative plaster of the original construction. Dated to 1906 and including a paper with the names of the workers who built the original King’s Theatre, the bottle made international news and was used to highlight the important heritage of the theatre. The families of those named in the bottle were traced, and I even spoke to one woman in the foyer whose great-grandfather had been a plasterer on the original construction, and who expressed pride and honour at having so much respect paid to those who had worked to make the theatre what it was, and what it remains today. In the spirit of the bottle, and as a sort of time-capsule for the modern age, Capital Theatres asked the public to submit their thoughts, hopes and dreams for the future of the King’s Theatre on their website. The hosts of the gala show then read some of these messages out throughout the evening, which synthesised the message of the King’s importance both in its history and its future.
It is an exciting new chapter in the life of one of Edinburgh’s most iconic theatres. The theatre officially opens on August 1st, with the public invited to explore the new building, and even offering limited backstage tours. The theatre will be hosting a number of events in the Edinburgh International Festival this August, and the famous panto will be back in November with The Adventures of Pinocchio. We look forward to following the new journey of our Grand Old Lady of Leven Street.