‘Paddington: The Musical’ Is Officially Coming To Sydney

Paddington The Musical is gracing Sydney’s streets in September 2027 with its Australian premiere at the Capitol Theatre. Coming off its award-winning debut on London’s West End, Sydney will host the adorable bear for 10 weeks as Paddington dons his red bucket hat, coat and briefcase in search of a home.

As well as premiering here in Sydney, the record-winning musical will travel to New York and go on Broadway in 2027.

“From the outset, we have wanted PADDINGTON The Musical to open only in cities where it can be produced with the same ambition, care and theatrical scale as in London. Paddington’s journey across the world in search of a new home – and his discovery that home can be found through kindness, acceptance and a sense of belonging – feels particularly resonant for Australian audiences,” said producers Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley.

“Together with Sydney’s extraordinary appetite for world-class musical theatre and the affection Australians have long held for Paddington, this makes the city a natural new home for our production.”

The musical experienced major successes on London’s West End, securing a record of seven Oliver Awards and recording the highest number of ticket pre-sales for any West End musical.

Paddington Goes Global

The Australian premiere of Paddington The Musical is being brought to life by producers Sonia Friedman, Eliza Lumley, with StudioCanal, as well as Australian producer Suzanne Jones.

“As an Australian producer, I am immensely proud that Sydney will be the first city in Australia to welcome PADDINGTON The Musical. It is a rare new musical: spectacular in scale, but always led by character, humour and heart,” said Jones.

The musical follows Paddington Bear, as he travels to Lond from Peru in search of a home but instead finds a family in the Browns. Complete with songs from musician and composer Tom Fletcher that the the Rolling Stones says are  “as eclectic as they are joyous”, Australia Premiere of Paddington The Musical it expected to attract over 100,000 visitors to Sydney hoping to meet “this very special bear.”

“As an Australian producer, I am immensely proud that Sydney will be the first city in Australia to welcome PADDINGTON The Musical. It is a rare new musical: spectacular in scale, but always led by character, humour and heart,” said Jones.

“Our partnership with Sonia, Eliza and the wider creative team gives us the opportunity to bring Australian audiences a production with all the imagination, craft and ambition that have made the show such an unprecedented success in London. I cannot wait for Sydney audiences to meet this very special bear at the Capitol Theatre.”

From Book, To Film, To Centre Stage

The musical was originally based on the character Paddington Bear created by author Michael Bond in his 1958 novel, A Bear Called Paddington. Later adapted into a 2014 family favourite film that spiked global marmalade sales, Paddington first premiered at the Savoy Theatre in London’s West End on 1 November 2025.

“With its broad cross-generational appeal, PADDINGTON The Musical will draw audiences from across Australia and around the world, supporting Sydney’s hotels, restaurants and local businesses,” Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said.