Theatres and music venues in Warwickshire
For a county best known to the outside world for one playwright, Warwickshire punches well above its weight when it comes to live performance. From one of the world's great theatrical institutions to intimate community halls with unexpectedly storied pasts, the county offers a genuinely varied programme of theatre, music, comedy and dance — and something worth booking whatever the season.
The Abbey Theatre
Pool Bank Street, Nuneaton CV11 5DB
For more than 50 years, the Abbey Theatre has been bringing live entertainment to Nuneaton. Created by volunteers who transformed a Victorian drill hall into a thriving performance venue, the theatre now welcomes over 35,000 visitors each year. From drama, musicals and comedy to live music, spoken word and film, its varied programme offers something for every taste. The characterful 250-seat auditorium and licensed bar make the Abbey a distinctive and welcoming place to enjoy a night out.
Royal Shakespeare Company
Waterside, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6BB
The RSC's riverside complex in Stratford-upon-Avon is the closest thing English theatre has to a spiritual home. The main house seats over a thousand and delivers Shakespeare's full range alongside ambitious contemporary work; the Swan Theatre, designed on Elizabethan principles, is among the most celebrated acting spaces in the country; and The Other Place provides a 200-seat studio for more experimental productions. The 32-metre tower is open to visitors and rewards the climb with sweeping views over the town and the Warwickshire countryside beyond.
Stratford ArtsHouse home of Orchestra of the Swan
14 Rother Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6LU
The town's former Civic Hall has found a worthy second life as the base for Orchestra of the Swan, one of the most inventive chamber orchestras working in the UK today. Up to ten concerts a season bring world-class soloists to Stratford, and the orchestra spills out into other town venues such as Holy Trinity Church and the Town Hall for programmes that range from baroque masterpieces to newly commissioned work.
Royal Spa Centre
Newbold Terrace, Royal Leamington Spa, CV32 4HN
Leamington's main civic venue sits just off the Parade and draws a broad programme of touring theatre, comedy, live music and dance to its 667-seat auditorium throughout the year. A smaller studio space doubles as an independent cinema, and the annual pantomime is a fixture in the local calendar. Managed by Warwick District Council, it remains the accessible heart of the town's cultural offer.
Warwick Arts Centre
University of Warwick Campus, Coventry, CV4 7AL
Set on the University of Warwick campus and recently transformed by a major redevelopment, this is one of the most substantial arts venues anywhere in the country, welcoming close to 300,000 visitors a year across more than 2,000 events. The Butterworth Hall holds 1,200 for concerts; two theatres cover drama and performance; three Dolby Atmos cinema screens serve film; and the Mead Gallery is the largest dedicated contemporary exhibition space in the region. The programme takes in everything from orchestral concerts and West End transfers to stand-up comedy and family shows.
Bridge House Theatre
Bridge House, The Butts, Warwick, CV34 4SS
Opened by Dame Judi Dench in 2000, this 300-seat venue in the centre of Warwick has earned a strong reputation for the quality and range of its programme - professional touring productions alongside community events, school performances and live music. The auditorium itself, with its warm brick and timber interior, is one of the more attractive smaller spaces in the county.
Benn Hall
Newbold Road, Rugby, CV21 2LN
Rugby's principal entertainment venue has a history that its current programme of tribute acts and touring comedy only partially hints at - in the 1960s the stage here saw Pink Floyd, The Kinks, The Bee Gees and John Lee Hooker, among others, pass through. The hall has been part of the town's cultural life since 1961 and continues a busy calendar of live music, theatre and comedy throughout the year.
Bedworth Civic Hall
High Street, Bedworth, CV12 8NF
A 763-seat venue at the centre of Bedworth town, with a programme that covers live music, comedy, dance, theatre and an annual pantomime. Well-placed on the national touring circuit, the hall regularly brings headline acts to north Warwickshire and has a loyal local following.
Music and theatre in Warwickshire
Whatever you're looking for - a landmark Shakespeare production, an evening of orchestral music in a candlelit church, a touring comedy act or a community pantomime - Warwickshire's venues have the range of venues to deliver it. Most offer online booking; checking individual websites for what's on is the best way to plan ahead.