Theatres Attract Larger Audiences Than The Premier League!

West End visitors surpass Premier League as revenue revealed as £1.08bn last year.

The report from SOLT and UK Theatre, published this week, shows that:

• More than 37 million people attended West End and UK Theatre venues in 2025.

• In 2025, the West End alone drew a record 17.64 million people (up 3.16%), generating £1.08 billion in revenue (up 4.1%).

• The West End attracts over 2 million more people each year than the entire Premier League

• The West End attracts nearly 3 million more than Broadway!

Theatre is an industry which is highly resilient to automation and AI - it is labour-intensive and place based, dependent on talented and creative people working collaboratively.

From actors to writers, directors to designers, theatre develops the talent that powers Britain’s global screen success.

The Creative Industries continue to thrive in the UK, generating more for the economy than Aerospace, Automotive and Life Sciences combined.

Real-terms ticket prices have also fallen since 2019!

However, it's not all great news. The SOLT and UK Theatre report also shows that more than a third of organisations forecast operating deficits this year, rising to over half among theatres in the subsidised sector, where pricing flexibility is most limited, and public funding has not kept pace with inflation.