High Society and Hotel Packages.
Clear your diary, book your hotel, because you’re invited to the party of the year, Cole Porter’s High Society.
A glorious dose of Golden Age musical theatre escapism comes to the Barbican in 2026 when Helen George (Call the Midwife, The King and I) stars as glamorous socialite Tracy Lord with Felicity Kendal (Rosemary and Thyme, Anything Goes) in High Society featuring a score overflowing with the very best of Cole Porter’s songbook.
What is the plot of High Society? The musical is set at the Lord family’s Long Island estate, where socialite Tracy Lord is preparing for her wedding. Her plans descend into chaos when her charming ex-husband, Dexter Haven, and a pair of undercover tabloid reporters arrive. The story follows Tracy’s struggle to choose between her sensible fiancé, her ex-husband, and the charming reporter.
The musical is a stage adaptation of the 1956 film musical High Society, which itself was a musical remake of the 1940 non-musical film The Philadelphia Story, starring Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. The score features many popular Cole Porter standards such as “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”, “True Love”, “I Love Paris”, “Just One of Those Things”, “Let’s Misbehave”, and “You’re Sensational.
Join the 28-strong cast for Rachel Kavanaugh’s lavish new production ( with choreography by Anthony Van Laast) as plans for the society wedding of the year descend into chaos, with old flames and new flames vying for attention as a sharp-eyed tabloid reporter hunts for scandal at the waterfront estate.
High Society FAQs
When are High Society and hotel packages available? High Society opens on 19 May 2026 and runs to 11 July 2026. Evening shows are at 19:30 Monday to Saturday whilst there are matinees on various Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 14:30.
Where is the Barbican Theatre? The theatre itself is in the Barbican complex on Silk Street. The actual address is Barbican, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. It ois 5 minutes walk from Barbican Tube Station.
Which are the closest hotels to the Barbican Theatre that would be a good base for a High Society Theatre Break? The 5 star Montcalm Royal London Hotel with a fancy pants rooftop bar and spa is perfect for those looking for real high society accommodation and actually their are some great deals if you get the right date: the first Friday of the run there is a great deal for tickets and hotel! Well worth checking out. There are also three and four star hotels nearby, like the 4 star Clayton London wall and the 3 star Point A Shoreditch
The 4 star Club Quarters St Pauls is only half a mile away and that had some great delas too.
Can you buy ticket, hotel and train packages for High Society? Yes our theatre and hotel packages come with both optional rail travel and optional coach travel: you choice.
