Sadler's Wells is opening new Stratford theatre with prices from £15

London's premier dance theatre Sadler's Wells in Islington is set to be joined by a sidekick next February, when the much-vaunted 550-seater theatre Sadler's Wells East opens as part of East Bank in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, East London. Plans for the new theatre have been in the works for over a decade, with 21 shows now lined up to be staged from February 2025 onwards. Tickets will be available for purchase from September 25.

The first performance at Sadler's Wells East will be Vicky Ibokwe-Ozoagu's Our Mighty Groove, which runs from February 6 to 9, with tickets priced from £15. It is billed as a "cast of nightclub characters find community, connection and their true selves through dance", with house, waacking and vogue club styles fused with African and contemporary dance.

Further shows include Mythili Prakash's She’s Auspicious, a one-woman South Indian dance show exploring the line between Goddess and woman "immersed in mythical narratives surrounding the Goddess Devi", running from February 28 to March 2, with prices again from £15. Renowned ballet dancer Carlos Acosta will be bringing his Birmingham Ballet to the theatre on May 9 and 10, as the company's youth troupe BRB2 perform dances from standards such as The Firebird, Spectre de la Rose, Les Sylphides and Scheherazade, with tickets again priced from £15.

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The main Sadler's Wells Theatre is located in Rosebery Avenue, Islington, and has a 1,500-capacity auditorium in its modern building, which was constructed in 1998, although the company's origins at the site stretch back to the 17th century. Sadler's Wells has two other theatres, the 200-capacity Lilian Baylis Studio, and the 999-seater Peacock Theatre in the West End.

Sadler's Wells East will be the company's fourth theatre venue, and it states it "will support artist development and training, and the creation of new work".

The company adds: "[The new theatre] is a resource for the whole of the UK, offering a destination venue for dance companies around Britain to tour to the capital, and hosting the best work from international choreographers. Performances developed on the Stratford stage will tour the UK and the world, reaching new audiences.

"Being part of the community in Stratford is key for us, and Sadler’s Wells East will play a crucial role in the economic regeneration of the area. Our aspiration is that at least 50% of jobs created for our new venue will go to people from the four local boroughs – Hackney, Newham, Waltham Forest and Tower Hamlets."

Plans for the theatre also include a new hip-hop academy for 16 to 19-year-olds, a choreographic school, several rehearsal spaces for dancers and a bar open to the public.

Sadler's Wells East opens at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, east London, in February 2025. For more information see its website here.