Glasgow's Citizens Theatre was named Britain's best at a new awards night

Glasgow's Citizens Theatre has been named Great British Theatre of 2026, and it also won the renovation prize, at the first Great British Theatre Awards. BBC News reported the double win. The Theatres Trust, which advises on theatre buildings, created the awards for its 50th anniversary. Judges said the Citizens "embodies the spirit of the awards."

The theatre closed in 2018 for a renovation that was supposed to take three years. Costs rose, and the Covid-19 pandemic delayed the work, so the building stayed shut for seven years. It reopened for community events in August 2025 and staged its first production the following month. The work kept the Category B-listed sandstone auditorium and the Victorian stage equipment, and it updated the facade, backstage, foyer, and bar, including access. The theatre sits in Laurieston, south of the Clyde.

The building opened in 1878 as the Southside's first theatre and took the Citizens name in 1945. A 1977 fire at the neighbouring Palace bingo hall led to the neo-classical facade being torn down, and six statues — William Shakespeare, Robert Burns, and four Greek muses — came off the roof. After years in storage they are back up. The renovation also added a 150-seat studio. The news is these two awards and that the building is open again. It is not a review of the shows now on the stage.