British Airways has been named the first Founding Partner of the revamped Olympia, home to a new 3,800-capacity music venue and a 1,575-seat theatre. Members of The British Airways Club will receive exclusive perks, including reserved ticket access and the ability to earn Avios on select onsite purchases. The airline will also partner with The BRIT School, funding places for nearly 60 students each year. (Image: BA)
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British Airways (IAG)26 November 2025.
Press release: 20 November 2025
- British Airways is announced as the first Founding Partner of the reimagined Olympia, London’s newest entertainment destination, featuring a cutting-edge 3,800-capacity music venue and a state-of-the-art 1,575-seat theatre
- Members of the airline’s loyalty programme, The British Airways Club, can enjoy exclusive benefits such as a dedicated ticket allowance to the music venue’s shows, and opportunities to collect Avios when purchasing food and drink at select venues across Olympia
- Reflecting the UK flag carrier’s commitment to backing British originality and championing UK talent in the arts scene, the airline will also become a brand partner of The BRIT School, and will fund places for nearly 60 students each year
British Airways has been unveiled as the first Founding Partner of Olympia, becoming the naming rights partner for its new music venue and theatre, and offering exclusive benefits to its Club members.
Built as an events and exhibitions venue almost 140 years ago, Olympia is being transformed into a world-leading showcase for global culture, live entertainment, innovation and creativity.
As well as the heritage halls, a new music venue and an outstanding customer-experience theatre, the reimagined destination will be home to two new hotels, 30 bars, restaurants and eateries – offering food ranging from grab-and-go to fine dining, 550,000 sq. ft of best-in-class offices and 2.5 acres of new public space that will be animated with a year-round enlivenment programme.
Olympia is planning a phased opening of these new venues from early 2026.
Introducing British Airways ARC
Located above Olympia’s existing West Hall, British Airways ARC will be operated by AEG Presents UK, a division of AEG’s global sports, entertainment and venue operator business. Due to open in 2026, it will offer a state-of-the-art, purpose-built live music and entertainment venue with a capacity of up to 3,800.
Customers interested in finding out more about the new venue, including the first acts announced to play, can sign up via email at britishairwaysarc.co.uk.
A partnership with London’s newest permanent theatre
Scheduled to open in 2027, the 1,575-capacity world-class British Airways Theatre currently under construction at Olympia, will be the largest permanent new theatre to be built in London in almost 50 years and will be operated by global entertainment companies, Trafalgar Entertainment and The Shubert Organization.
British Airways ARC and the British Airways Theatre will form the heart of the reimagined Olympia, continuing the destination’s legacy as a hub for live entertainment since its opening in 1886.
Exclusive access for British Airways Club members
Through this founding partnership with Olympia, British Airways Club members will be able to enjoy exclusive access and year-round special touches across the venues.
Club members will gain access to a ringfenced allocation of tickets at every British Airways ARC show via a dedicated portal. To make their Olympia visits extra special, all customers can choose from tickets offering exclusive access to the VIP lounge, the British Airways Wing, featuring a dedicated cocktail bar and for select shows, a private balcony overlooking the stage.
Whether attending a headline concert, a world class show at the brand-new theatre, or simply enjoying a night out in London’s newest cultural hotspot, British Airways Club members will be at the centre of the action and can earn Avios, the airline’s loyalty currency, on their spend at select venues across Olympia – including Incipio Group’s new portfolio of destination bars and restaurants.
More details on these exclusive benefits will be shared with members in the coming months.
Championing British originality with The BRIT School
Building on the success of its partnerships with the likes of American Express presents BST Hyde Park and England Rugby, British Airways’ partnership with Olympia reinforces the airline’s commitment to championing British originality and representing modern Britain.
As part of this commitment, British Airways will also become a brand partner of The BRIT School and naming partner to create The BRIT Theatre presented by British Airways. Through this partnership with the UK’s leading free performing and creative arts institution, the airline will invest in the next generation of British talent by funding places for nearly 60 students each year. Additional investment will support the refurbishment of The BRIT Theatre, elevating the experience for students, community groups, and more than 10,000 audience members who attend performances annually.
Calum Laming, British Airways’ Chief Customer Officer, said: “We proudly celebrate British originality in everything we do, and we are thrilled to be investing in the future of London’s arts and culture scene. Being a Founding Partner of Olympia allows us to celebrate the best of both British and globally recognised talent across music and theatre.
“This iconic new destination, located on our flight path as customers arrive at Heathrow, offers a unique opportunity to connect our customers with our home city’s vibrant culture. We’re excited to be part of Olympia’s transformation and be able to offer our customers even more exclusive benefits that go beyond travel.”
Michael Volkert, CEO of Olympia Estates, said: “This new partnership with British Airways is testament to Olympia’s heritage, and to its future. For the last 140 years, Olympia has played a massive part in Britain’s cultural life, from welcoming one of the very first cinema screenings in the country to hosting performances from the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd. Now, as we inch ever closer to opening the doors of our fantastic new venues, we are delighted to be partnering with another iconic British brand to bring Londoners and visitors from all over the world the best music, premium theatre and hospitality the capital has to offer.”
AEG Presents Europe’s Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Spencer, said: “Continuing to grow the AEG Presents venue portfolio is a pivotal moment as we reveal the name of British Airways ARC. We’re so delighted to be working with British Airways and as we take this next step towards opening all the teams are very excited. Olympia is a place that has an incredible musical history which we want to honour whilst creating a venue that is thoroughly modern and with world class facilities for artists and fans alike.”
Trafalgar Entertainment’s Co-Founder and Creative Director, Sir Howard Panter, said: “We’re enormously excited at the potential of operating the theatre-of-tomorrow at Olympia. It’s wonderful to be developing this groundbreaking partnership with British Airways in what will be a truly iconic theatrical venue.”
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Images BA
About Olympia
Olympia is one of London’s most ambitious regeneration projects. With new venues launching from the second half of 2025 and throughout 2026 and 2027, the £1.3 billion transformation will turn Olympia into a showcase for the remarkable and the extraordinary.
The transformed destination will include British Airways ARC, a new 3,800-capacity live music venue managed by AEG Presents; the British Airways Theatre, London’s largest purpose-built theatre in almost 50 years, managed by Trafalgar Entertainment and The Shubert Organization; two hotels operated by citizenM Hotels and Hyatt Regency; 30 restaurants, bars and eateries; Wetherby Pembridge, a new co-educational senior school; a boutique gym by 1Rebel, 550,000 sq ft of offices boasting some of the largest terraces in London, as well as new public spaces for visitors to enjoy.
Olympia is being developed by Yoo Capital and Deutsche Finance International and co-designed by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC.
Stay tuned for future announcements at www.olympia.co.uk.
About AEG Presents
Combining the power of the live event with a focus on true artist development, AEG Presents is a world leader in the music and entertainment industries. Operating across five continents, the company has an unparalleled commitment to artistry, creativity, and community. Its tentpole festivals and multi-day music events — which include the iconic Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and the legendary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival alongside British Summer Time at Hyde Park, Stagecoach, Electric Forest, Rock En Seine and All Points East — continue to set the bar for the live music experience.
AEG Presents promotes global tours for artists such as Justin Bieber, Zach Bryan, Sabrina Carpenter, Kenny Chesney, Luke Combs, Celine Dion, Elton John, Carin León, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, and Tyler, The Creator, in addition to — through its network of clubs, theatres, arenas, stadiums and renowned partner brands such as The Bowery Presents, Cárdenas Marketing Network, Concerts West, Frontier Touring, Goldenvoice, Marshall Arts, MCT Agentur, Messina Touring Group, PromoWest Productions, and Zero Mile Presents — creating and developing an unmatched infrastructure for artist development and audience reach. More information can be found at www.aegpresents.com.
About Trafalgar Entertainment
Founded by Sir Howard Panter and Dame Rosemary Squire in 2017, Trafalgar Entertainment is an award-winning global live-entertainment business focussed on new productions, venue operations, live music and comedy, events and hospitality, Performing Arts education, ticketing, the distribution and filming of event cinema and TV live-streaming innovative content (from David Tennant in Macbeth to Taylor Swift) and the provision of great spaces where people can come together to share in the experience of live entertainment.
Trafalgar Entertainment is home to Trafalgar Theatres (with 21 venues in London, Sydney, and across the UK), Trafalgar Theatre Productions, Trafalgar Releasing (distributors of specialised content to over 13,000 cinemas, television and other broadcast platforms in more than 132 countries worldwide, with content ranging from Beyoncé to the Royal Opera House), Stagecoach Performing Arts (the UK market leader in extra-curricular Performing Arts tuition with over 2,000 schools and classes and 65,000 students in the UK and worldwide), Drama Kids, Trafalgar Tickets, London Theatre Direct (one of the UK’s leading ticket retailers and distributors), Stagedoor, Jonathan Church Theatre Productions and Imagine Theatre (one of the UK’s biggest pantomime and family entertainment producers with 21 pantomimes in 2024/25). The British Airways Theatre at Olympia will be Trafalgar Entertainment’s 21st venue.
Source: British Airways
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