Olympia: Rooted in history. Transformed for the future.
Olympia’s legacy
Olympia opened its doors in 1886 and has been hosting inspiring events ever since. From breathtaking consumer shows and thrilling sporting and music events, Olympia has been an icon for culture, creativity, entertainment, events and exhibitions.
As it approaches its 140th year, Olympia is getting ready to unveil its £1.3bn regeneration project, set to transform the historic events venue into part of London’s newest landmark cultural destination. Preserving and celebrating Olympia’s rich heritage has been central to its transformation. Iconic structures like The Grand and National Hall are being carefully restored to retain their architectural splendour while upgrading their functionality to modern standards. It’s a careful blend of old and new, preserving character while introducing stunning, world-class architectural design and functionality.
By evolving into a fully integrated destination, with on-site hotels, dining, live entertainment venues, and more, Olympia is both enhancing its capabilities and improving the experience for organisers, promoters, rights holders, content creators, exhibitors, and guests alike.
A destination reborn
One of the most ambitious regeneration projects in the world, designed by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC for Yoo Capital and DFI, the regeneration will see Olympia transformed into a new kind of event destination, attracting visitors globally for both leisure and business.
The new destination will reset the standard for the future of events, offering visitors the chance to come together to be entertained, learn, innovate and do business in one entire ecosystem. In doing so, the venue aims to be the most dynamic international conference, exhibition, entertainment, and major event destination in the world.
The new venues and public spaces will start opening in phases from later this year and is anticipated to welcome an annual footfall of circa 10 million.
Once complete, Olympia will be home to:
- 5 event and conferencing venues with a total capacity of around 20,000 people; operated by Olympia Events (part of ASM Global)
- A 1,575-seat theatre, the largest new purpose-built theatre in London in almost 50 years (1976, The National); operated by Trafalgar Entertainment
- A 4,000-capacity live music venue; operated by AEG Presents
- 30+ restaurants and bars with operators including Incipio and D3 Collective by Des Gunewardena
- 2 new hotels: citizenM London Olympia (146 rooms) and Hyatt Regency London Olympia (204 rooms)
- 1Rebel, a boutique gym
- 550,000 sq ft of state-of-the-art offices offering some of the largest rooftop terraces in London, and flexible, interactive workspaces
- Wetherby Pembridge, a new co-educational senior school focusing on academia, sports and the creative arts, operated by the Inspired Education Group.
Olympia’s brand-new International Convention Centre
Located at the beating heart of London’s newest cultural destination, the ICC at Olympia will offer event organisers the opportunity to craft unforgettable event experiences that seamlessly integrate both heritage and cutting-edge innovation.
Opening in early 2026, the ICC will be fully connectable to Olympia’s current four iconic exhibition spaces, offering event planners complete flexibility to get creative and tailor-make their event exactly to their needs.
The Addison, Olympia’s new private members club, will also provide a great opportunity to extend conferences in a more informal setting, perfect for networking. Event organisers will be able to host private dinners and drinks gatherings by hiring the entire restaurant and bar, as well as the mezzanine above.
Features of the ICC include:
- 2 theatre style auditoriums with 400–830 capacity
- 7 breakout and seminar rooms
- 1 business lounge
- c.3000 sqm flexible space
- Private hire bar/restaurant
To find out more about the reimagined Olympia, click here