17 August 2026
A London Icon Is Reborn
By Publisher Ray Carmen
For almost 140 years, Olympia has been one of London’s great landmarks — a magnificent Victorian stage where exhibitions, entertainment, commerce and international ideas have met beneath its unmistakable glass-and-iron roofs.
Now, Olympia has entered an extraordinary new era.
Following a £1.3 billion transformation, the historic West London landmark is being reinvented as a major destination for entertainment, culture, hospitality, dining, business and international events — while retaining the architectural character that has made Olympia famous for generations.
The new Olympia began welcoming the public into its latest chapter in 2026, with new restaurants, bars and entertainment spaces opening alongside the historic exhibition halls. The development also includes premium hotels, extensive new public areas, offices and a new generation of cultural venues.
Among its headline attractions is British Airways ARC, a purpose-built live music venue with a capacity of around 3,800 people. A new 1,575-seat British Airways Theatre forms another major part of Olympia’s cultural transformation.
There are also 2.5 acres of pedestrianised public space and an ambitious collection of places to eat, drink, meet and simply enjoy London — helping turn Olympia from somewhere people traditionally visited for an exhibition into somewhere they can spend an entire day or evening.
FOR ME, OLYMPIA IS PERSONAL
Olympia is more than another London landmark to me.
I used to live next door to it.
For years this remarkable building was part of my own London landscape. I watched the neighbourhood, walked its streets and knew Olympia long before today's extraordinary transformation began.
I eventually sold my nearby flat to members of the Royal Family of Oman, who purchased it for their 18-year-old daughter while she was studying at Oxford.
And just a minute or so from my home stood the headquarters of another great British name — Harrods.
So when I look at the new Olympia today, I do not simply see another major property development.
I see an old neighbour reborn.
WHERE LONDON'S PAST MEETS ITS FUTURE
That may ultimately be the greatest achievement of the new Olympia.
London has never needed to erase its history in order to reinvent itself.
The great glass roofs, Victorian scale and unmistakable identity remain, but around them a new world is emerging — live music, theatre, restaurants, hotels, international events, creative businesses and public spaces designed for a new generation.
Olympia has survived changing fashions, changing industries and changing centuries.
Now it is ready to entertain the world all over again.
The curtain has risen.
Welcome to the all-new Olympia.
The World of 7 — The World Is Your Oyster.
