Electric Theatre Guildford

17/08/2026

Update from GBC. Those that want The Electric Theatre to remain a Theatre need to unite.

26/06/2026

Expression of interests are being asked for soon. Let us know if you’d like to be involved with our inclusive and community focused bid 🎭❤️

We’re taking the next step to help secure a bright and sustainable future for The Electric Theatre.🎭

Following an independent assessment, the future of the venue will be shaped by a mix of cultural, community and commercial use, bringing together community benefit, financial stability and value for money.

👉 What's next? We’ll soon launch an Expression of Interest to invite ideas from those keen to run or use the space. This will explore both cultural and commercial opportunities to support this much-loved venue’s long-term sustainability.

30/03/2026

The Electric Theatre has historically been a hub for youth groups. When we started business in Guildford the resident youth theatre group was Man in the Moon which was set up in 1990. Guildford Theatre School who have been training since 2010 also made The Electric Theatre their home for many years. Both organisations must have trained 1000s of young people over the years, and continue to do so in other locations.

🎭 Youth theatre is a lifeline for so many young people in the UK and it would be a big part of The Electric Theatre should we take over the ownership.

For many young people, theatre isn’t just a hobby.
It’s confidence when they struggle to speak up.
It’s communication when words feel hard.
It’s belonging when they don’t feel like they fit anywhere else.

Youth theatre gives young people structure, purpose, and community which are all proven protective factors that help keep them engaged, supported, and away from taking the wrong path.

That’s why we’ll always back youth theatre.
Because sometimes, a stage is the difference between a young person feeling lost and feeling seen. 💛

We want the theatre to be a hub for young people to be who they want to be.

20/02/2026

Operators of Guildford's Electric Theatre cancelled shows from April last year after £250k losses.

13/02/2026

This week Guildford Borough Council budgeted £100,000 for repairs to The Electric Theatre whilst its future is being considered.
It is very reassuring to see this included in the budget as it continues to show that GBC are wanting to get this theatre back up and running and serving the community as quickly as possible.

22/01/2026

Apologies for being quiet on this account recently. We are theatre producers and have just closed our Christmas season, the most important time of year for theatre, so our focus has very much been there. We have some exciting ideas about what we would love to do at Christmas at The Electric Theatre if we had the opportunity, and how this could beautifully complement the existing cultural offering in Guildford.

For now, we wanted to share that we attended the council’s roundtable event on Saturday 17th January at the council offices. We’d like to thank the council for hosting this event and for bringing together so many people who care deeply about the theatre.

It was a full day filled with positivity from both attendees and the council. We truly believe everyone shares the same hope: that the theatre can reopen as a community arts venue, focusing on theatrical performances and productions, both professional and amateur.

This will not be a quick process, and we also have the upcoming changes to local government in mind, with Guildford Borough Council due to cease to exist in 2027. If the theatre is not reopened before then, there is uncertainty around what could happen, as no one yet knows who the new unitary authority will be or what their priorities might be.

GBC is currently carrying out surveys on the building, and once they understand its condition, we hope they will open the bidding process so interested parties can submit official proposals to take on the lease of The Electric Theatre.

We’ve made it clear to the council that we are happy to help in any way possible to move things forward and get the theatre back in action as soon as we can so the people of Guildford can once again use and enjoy it.

Our thanks again to GBC, both councillors and officers, for inviting us to the roundtable. We really appreciated being part of such an open and honest conversation about this much-loved theatre.

GBC have released a press release on the day and that can be found on the ‘Guildford Borough Council News Room’ page on their website.