Free to attend and open to all, the 2026 show builds on record attendance of over 3,200 last year with an expanded offer across seminars, workshops, and a first-of-its-kind Coffee Chat series.

Conversations you won’t hear anywhere else
New for 2026, the Coffee Chat series puts industry leaders in the room with attendees for peer-to-peer discussion — no panel format, no slides. Emma Wilson MBE (Royal Ballet & Opera) and Anna Fox (RSC) will reflect on their routes to the top and what needs to change to bring more diverse voices backstage. Paul Handley (National Theatre) and Gemma Swallow (former Technical Director, National Theatre of Scotland) take on the challenges of leading change at scale.

Further conversations feature Kat Ellis (Young Vic) with Sam Garner-Gibbons (Glyndebourne), Sara Beer (Craidd) with Michèle Taylor MBE (Ramps on the Moon) and Chris Boone (Chichester Festival Theatre) alongside a current CFT apprentice. Plus more to be announced.

A programme built around what matters now

The seminar programme tackles the topics the industry is actually wrestling with: Martyn’s Law and what the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 means for venues; a panel on the future of health and safety from practitioners at the National Theatre, Royal Ballet & Opera and Birmingham Hippodrome; sustainable theatre-making with the Theatre Green Book team; and The Last Authentic Experience — a provocation on why live performance can still win in an automated world. The workshop programme gives attendees a chance to get hands-on and spans radio mic fitting techniques, scenic painting, wig-making, stage management and more, delivered by teams from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, ENO, Royal Ballet & Opera and others.

A show for everyone
Liz Sillett, CEO of the ABTT said:
“We really want the Theatre Show to feel welcoming to everyone. This year we’re introducing a dedicated parents and carers area to make sure people who may be on parental leave can still come along and feel part of the industry. We’re also making sure we’ve got BSL interpreters in attendance.”

The Parent and Carer Space is supported by PiPA (Parents and Carers in Performing Arts). A Quiet Room and Prayer Room will also be available throughout both days.

Two new ABTT Awards
The ABTT Awards — sponsored by TAIT — will welcome two new categories in 2026. The Apprentice of the Year Award, introduced alongside the relaunch of the ABTT Apprenticeship Network, recognises exceptional individual contribution from those in or recently completing a backstage or technical apprenticeship. The Sustainable Product of the Year Award recognises outstanding environmental credentials in a product brought to market in the past twelve months.

Suzy Somerville, ABTT Theatre Show Producer said:
“These new awards reflect two areas vital to our industry’s future — emerging talent and genuine innovation in sustainable practice. We’re proud to recognise the individuals and products that are helping to shape a more skilled, inclusive and sustainable future for theatre and live events.”
Both awards are presented at the ABTT Awards ceremony on the evening of 3 June. The established programme — Technician of the Year, Emerging Excellence, Environmental Sustainability, Costume and WHAM Design — continues alongside them.

Registration is free: www.abtt.org.uk/abtt-theatre-show