Future of Theatre conference moves to Soho Theatre Walthamstow

Soho Theatre Walthamstow was earlier this month named Theatre Building of the Year at The Stage Awards 2026 just over six months after the venue first opened. 

The Future of Theatre conference will give professionals – spanning the breadth of the UK theatre sector – the opportunity to debate the industry’s most pressing issues. Previous conferences have staged debates about freedom of speech, crisis management, accessibility and funding scarcity. 

A key fixture at the conference, the Big Idea, will return this year, allowing theatremakers to pitch an intervention or innovation to a room full of industry leaders. 

The Stage’s interim editor Matthew Hemley, who is co-programming the conference with columnist Amanda Parker, said: "Planning is well underway for this year’s Future of Theatre conference and Amanda Parker and I can’t wait to finalise the programme, which is shaping up to be truly exciting and one that will really get under the skin of the issues impacting theatre today, taking ‘audiences’ as our theme. 

"We are lining up some fabulous names and think this year’s event will be bigger and better than ever before, not least because we are being hosted by the beautiful Soho Theatre Walthamstow, which will allow us space to offer more to delegates. 

"So please join us and be part of this year’s must-attend conference – we promise you won’t be disappointed."

Mark Twum-Ampofo, Moore Kingston Smith’s head of theatre, added: "We’re so excited to return as headline sponsors of The Stage’s Future of Theatre conference – this year hosted at the award‑winning Soho Theatre Walthamstow.

"The UK is the place to produce world‑class theatre and this event champions the ideas, talent and spaces that will sustain that position into the future.”

Soho Theatre’s executive director and chief executive Mark Godfrey and co-executive director Sam Hansford said: "We’re delighted to be hosting The Stage’s Future of Theatre conference in 2026 at Soho Theatre Walthamstow.

"A local theatre with a national profile, [the venue] has opened up opportunities for Waltham Forest residents of all ages and played a vital role in Walthamstow’s economic and night-time regeneration. We were thrilled to win Theatre Building of the Year at The Stage Awards and also be nominated for Theatre of the Year and so it’s fantastic to be working with The Stage to welcome everyone to Soho Theatre Walthamstow in April.”