Glasgow's Citizens Theatre has been named Great British Theatre of the Year at the inaugural Great British Theatres Awards, held in London on Monday night (November 2). The Gorbals venue took the top honour less than 18 months after reopening following a seven-year closure.
Award-Winning Renovation
The Citizens also won the Great Renovation award for the redevelopment of its historic home. The theatre reopened in August 2025 after undergoing the first comprehensive redevelopment of the building since it opened as a working theatre in 1878.
The £40m project restored the Victorian auditorium while adding new rehearsal and production facilities, improved backstage areas, a new studio, community spaces and expanded hospitality facilities.
Judges' Praise
Theatres Trust judges said the redevelopment had preserved the historic character of the Citizens while creating new spaces for audiences and artists. The theatre was named Great British Theatre 2026 after judges praised its commitment to accessibility, inclusion and community engagement.
The Great Renovation award recognised the way the project retained the original Victorian auditorium while introducing modern facilities and opening the building more directly to its Gorbals community.
Project Background
The Citizens closed for redevelopment in 2018. The project faced a series of delays, including the pandemic, rising construction costs and unforeseen problems with the historic building.
It eventually reopened in August of 2025. The Citizens describes the redevelopment as the biggest capital investment in a producing theatre in Scotland for a generation.
The Scottish Government announced a further £3.5m for the project earlier this year, bringing its total contribution towards the redevelopment to £17.5m.
Other Scottish Winners
The Citizens was not the only Scottish winner at the awards. Eden Court in Inverness jointly won the Great Community Connection category for work tackling rural isolation and supporting communities across the Highlands.
Leith Theatre Trust was also named a joint winner of the Great British Theatres Shining Star award for its long-running campaign to safeguard and restore the historic Edinburgh venue.
The awards were launched by Theatres Trust to mark its 50th anniversary. Celebrity Traitor's star and theatre campaigner Julie Hesmondhalgh received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ceremony, held at Central Hall Westminster.
The Citizens' overall award was presented by Theatres Trust chief executive Joshua McTaggart and Scottish actor Denis Lawson.
Joshua McTaggart, CEO of Theatres Trust, praised the achievement: "With so many exceptional theatres, there was stiff competition for the title of Great British Theatre 2026, but the Citizens Theatre thoroughly deserves this award.
"The return of a reinvigorated Citz is not just a boost for the Gorbals neighbourhood or the city of Glasgow, but for the nationwide theatre community."
