New York, NY — Sonia Friedman Productions, STUDIOCANAL and Eliza Lumley Productions on behalf of Universal Music UK are thrilled to announce that the record-breaking, smash hit, seven-time Olivier Award-winning Best New Musical PADDINGTON The Musical will begin performances Tuesday, March 30, 2027 and officially open Sunday, April 18, 2027 at Broadway’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street). Tickets start at $69 and are now on sale at www.PaddingtonTheMusical.com.

Based on the beloved “A Bear Called Paddington” written by Michael Bond and the award-winning film ‘PADDINGTON,’ by special arrangement with STUDIOCANAL, PADDINGTON The Musical features music and lyrics by Olivier Award winner Tom Fletcher, a book by Olivier Award winner Jessica Swale and direction by Olivier Award winner Luke Sheppard.

PADDINGTON The Musical is the most awarded new musical in the history of London’s West End. The show won seven 2026 Olivier Awards, tying the record for the most number of wins for any musical in Olivier Award history – including winning Best New Musical, Best Director for Luke Sheppard, Best Set Design for Tom Pye and Ash J Woodward, and Best Costume Design for Gabriella Slade and Tahra Zafar – the latter, who designed the bear. The production also received a record nine WhatsOnStage Awards –the most for any new musical – including winning Best New Musical, Best Direction for Luke Sheppard, Best Set Design for Tom Pye, Best Costume Design for Gabriella Slade and Tahra Zafar, Best Sound Design for Gareth Owen, Best Wigs, Hair and Make-Up Design for Campbell Young Associates; Best Musical Supervision/Direction for Matt Brind and Best Casting Direction for Natalie Gallacher, for Pippa Ailion & Natalie Gallacher Casting, Nick Hockaday and Annabelle Davis. The production also recently won the Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Musical.

Composer Tom Fletcher said: “It has been the greatest adventure of my career to be entrusted with bringing Paddington’s story to life on stage alongside my brilliant creative collaborators Jessica, Luke and our producers Sonia and Eliza. The response from West End audiences of all ages has been unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s a great privilege to welcome New York audiences into Paddington’s world of curiosity and I am absolutely thrilled at the opportunity for this very rare and special bear to be on Broadway.”

Book Writer Jessica Swale said, “I couldn’t be more excited to bring Paddington to New York. As a city that breathes theatre, storytelling and imagination, Broadway is the perfect place to celebrate this exuberant and heart-filled story. I can’t wait. Let’s just hope Paddington loves Big Apples as much as he loves oranges.”

Director Luke Sheppard said, “Paddington approaches life with curiosity, kindness and an unwavering sense of adventure, and what an adventure Broadway will be. It’s a dream come true to be bringing this joyful show to New York and I can’t wait for audiences to meet this very special bear that we all hold so close to our hearts.”

Producers Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley said, “Producing Paddington The Musical with our extraordinary writing and creative team has been an immense privilege. Paddington Bear has endured for generations because he reminds us of the best of ourselves: kindness, curiosity, empathy and the belief that everyone deserves to belong. Wrapped inside a joyful theatrical adventure, with Tom Fletcher’s exceptional score at its heart, is a story about finding home, family and community in unexpected places. We have been genuinely blown away by the response to the production so far and are thrilled to be bringing it to Broadway. As the home of so many of the world’s great musicals, there is no more exciting place to produce new work than New York, and we cannot wait to share Paddington’s world with Broadway audiences.”

Anna Marsh, CEO of STUDIOCANAL, Chief Content Officer of CANAL+, expands “It is an immeasurable privilege to bring Paddington the Musical to Broadway with Sonia, Eliza and the exceptional team they have assembled. To witness their collective gift in bringing Paddington to life on stage has been a masterclass in production. Over the past 12 years we have put such genuine care into honoring Michael Bond’s legacy with our films, series and as proud owners of the IP. We cannot wait for a new audience to delight in the heart, humor, wonder and magic of Paddington’s Broadway debut.”

PADDINGTON The Musical features musical supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Olivier Award nominee Matt Brind; choreography by Tony and Olivier Award nominee Ellen Kane; scenic design by Olivier Award winner and Tony Award nominee Tom Pye; costume design by Tony and Olivier Award winner Gabriella Slade; Paddington and puppet design by Olivier Award winner Tahra Zafar; lighting design by Tony and Olivier Award winner Neil Austin; sound design by Tony and Olivier Award winner Gareth Owen; video design and animation by Olivier Award winner Ash J Woodward; hair, wig and makeup design by Campbell Young Associates; casting by Jim Carnahan Casting, Jim Carnahan, CSA. and Jason Thinger, CSA; and Paddington Casting Consultant Annabelle Davis.

The most award-winning new musical in West End history is playing to sold-out audiences and capturing the hearts of all ages. Now, Paddington is packing his suitcase and preparing for his next adventure: Broadway.

In PADDINGTON The Musical, a small, lost bear from Peru arrives in London in search of a place to call home. A chance encounter with the Browns leads him into an unexpected world of adventure, where kindness has the power to change lives and strangers can become family.

But London isn’t all afternoon tea and friendly faces—and even the seemingly happiest of families can have cracks beneath the surface. So, when a mysterious and vengeful villain sets her sights on Paddington, the Browns embark on a thrilling rescue mission, realizing they need this special bear as much as he needs them.

Filled with laughter, wonder, spectacular songs, dazzling choreography, and generous helping of marmalade, PADDINGTON The Musical is based on Michael Bond’s beloved characters, with a story inspired by the award-winning films developed and produced by STUDIOCANAL with Heyday films and distributed by STUDIOCANAL worldwide. It features original music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher, a book by Jessica Swale, and direction by Luke Sheppard.

New York, please look after this bear.

‘PADDINGTON The Musical – Original Cast Recording’, written by Tom Fletcher and produced by Matt Brind, is out now on Decca Records and available to stream here. The album is the fastest-selling physical West End Original Cast Recording of the 21st Century in the UK. Less than 6 months since PADDINGTON The Musical opened in the West End, the Paddington album, recently released on vinyl, CD, cassette and Yoto, topped the Official UK Compilation Chart. Not since the 1990s has a recording of original music for a brand-new stage production reached this level of popularity so quickly. Passers-by stopped in their tracks when Paddington was spotted on the famous Abbey Road Studios crossing. This led to him gracing the cover of Rolling Stone UK Magazine, in another first for the unassuming bear.

Michael Bond’s “A Bear Called Paddington” was published in 1958 by Collins, later Harper Collins – the first of 29 Paddington books he wrote, with the final one “Paddington at St. Paul’s,” published posthumously in 2018. The books have sold over 35 million copies worldwide.

Paddington has been adapted for television several times – first by the BBC in 1976, voiced by Michael Hordern; and most recently by STUDIOCANAL who developed and produced three series of Emmy & Annie award-winning “The Adventures of Paddington” with Heyday Films, Simon Quinn and Karen Davidson. Paddington has enjoyed three successful big-screen outings released in cinemas to critical and commercial acclaim, developed and produced by STUDIOCANAL with Heyday films and distributed by STUDIOCANAL worldwide. A fourth feature film is in development with Armando Iannucci attached to write the script with his co-writer Simon Blackwell. Also in development is a new animated Paddington feature film which will introduce Paddington to a new younger generation across all geographies and with an exciting new look for Paddington. As proud owners of the Paddington IP, STUDIOCANAL has grown Paddington into a globally recognized brand over the past 12 years. The Paddington films are the highest-grossing independent family franchise of all time, with over $800 million in box office worldwide, including Paddington in Peru, released through Sony Pictures in the US.

Follow PADDINGTON The Musical on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok at @PaddingtonOnBway. For tickets and more information visit www.PaddingtonTheMusical.com.

Sonia Friedman Productions, STUDIOCANAL and Eliza Lumley Productions on behalf of Universal Music UK present PADDINGTON THE MUSICAL

Music and Lyrics by Tom Fletcher Book by Jessica Swale

Directed by Luke Sheppard

Based on “A Bear Called Paddington” written by Michael Bond and the film ‘Paddington’, by special arrangement with STUDIOCANAL

About STUDIOCANAL (a CANAL+ Company) (Producer)
STUDIOCANAL, CANAL+’s in-house studio, is Europe’s leading film and television studio. Through its in-house operations and network of 23 production companies across Europe and the US, STUDIOCANAL finances, produces and distributes around 100 films per year, and produces more than 20 premium local and international series. STUDIOCANAL owns one of the world’s most prestigious film libraries, including the largest catalogue of European films, with nearly 10,000 titles from 60 countries spanning a century of cinema. Since 2020, the studio has invested €25 million in the 4K restoration of 1,000 films, including Breathless, The Graduate, Terminator 2, and Love Actually. Building on the global success of Paddington, STUDIOCANAL is scaling its franchise model through three new labels: STUDIOCANAL Stories, focused on adapting literary hits for film and TV; STUDIOCANAL Kids & Family, dedicated to building children’s entertainment franchises, and STUDIOCANAL ON STAGE, specializing in adapting films for live theatre. STUDIOCANAL KIDS & FAMILY LTD. is part of STUDIOCANAL, a CANAL+ company. STUDIOCANAL KIDS & FAMILY owns and manages the PaddingtonTM IP and operates as a full-service global licensor, providing strategic worldwide IP development, licensing and retail expertise. The Paddington brand continues to increase its international visibility particularly in the US through global partnerships and strategic collaborations bestowing Paddington’s values of kindness, politeness, inclusion and a strong sense of belonging. STUDIOCANAL KIDS & FAMILY continues to honor Paddington’s legacy while embracing new opportunities for growth and global expansion.

About ELIZA LUMLEY PRODUCTIONS (Producer)
Eliza is an Olivier Award-winning Producer. She founded Eliza Lumley Productions to develop and produce original musicals of genuine ambition and contemporary relevance of which Paddington The Musical, is the first. The show is the recipient of 17 major awards (including 7 Olivier Awards) and won Best New Musical at the Critics Circle Awards, the WhatsOnStage Awards and the Olivier Awards 2026. She is the Executive Producer of the Paddington The Musical cast album, which reached no. 1 on the UK Compilation Chart and is the fastest selling West End cast album this century. Forthcoming projects include a new musical based on the iconic, multi-million selling artist, Shania Twain. Previously, Eliza founded and ran the theatre division at Universal Music UK where she oversaw the company’s theatre business, originating and developing new musical theatre, including the critically acclaimed dance- theatre show, Message In A Bottle, based on the music of 17-time Grammy Award-winning artist, Sting, and directed and choreographed by 4-time Olivier-nominated Kate Prince. The show has played three times in London’s West End (Peacock Theatre), completed three major European tours and has toured North America more extensively than any other British dance show. Eliza was Executive Producer of the film of the show, which premiered on PBS and was shown in cinemas worldwide. A first-class Cambridge graduate and the first ever Associate of the Royal Academy of Music for Musical Theatre, Eliza started her career as an actor and was a principal in the original West End cast of Mamma Mia! (also featured in the Grammy-nominated cast album), and has performed leading roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Royal National Theatre and on Broadway. Eliza is also Co-Founder of music management company Locomotion Entertainment and has been instrumental in forging the careers of several artists, including trail-blazing superstar Dominic Harrison aka YUNGBLUD.

About UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP (Producer)
At Universal Music Group, we exist to shape culture through the power of artistry. UMG is the world leader in music-based entertainment, with a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising and audio-visual content. Featuring the most comprehensive catalogue of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMG identifies and develops artists and produces and distributes the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world. Committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship, UMG fosters the development of services, platforms, and business models in order to broaden artistic and commercial opportunities for our artists and create new experiences for fans. For more information, visit www.universalmusic.com.