British Airways has been confirmed as the first Founding Partner of the transformed Olympia, marking the beginning of a multi-year, multi-million-pound collaboration between two of the UK’s most recognisable heritage brands.
The agreement will see the airline secure naming rights for two major new venues within the £1.3 billion redevelopment and integrate Olympia into its loyalty programme, offering exclusive benefits for British Airways Club members.
Olympia, which first opened as an exhibition hall almost 140 years ago, is undergoing one of the most ambitious cultural redevelopment projects in Europe. When complete, it will feature a new live music venue, a landmark theatre, two hotels, more than 30 bars and restaurants, high-spec office space and 2.5 acres of landscaped public areas designed to host year-round cultural programming.
Under the partnership, British Airways will lend its name to two of Olympia’s flagship venues: the British Airways ARC and the British Airways Theatre. The ARC, a state-of-the-art 3,800-capacity live music and events venue operated by AEG Presents UK, is set to open in 2026 above Olympia’s historic West Hall. A year later, in 2027, the British Airways Theatre will open its doors as the largest permanent new theatre to be built in London in almost half a century. It is being developed jointly by Trafalgar Entertainment and The Shubert Organization, marking a unique transatlantic partnership in London’s theatre scene.
The venues will form the cultural centrepiece of the reimagined Olympia, continuing the destination’s long-standing legacy as a stage for global entertainment since its Victorian-era opening in 1886.
British Airways Club members will have access to a range of exclusive benefits across the new destination once it opens. These will include priority ticket allocations for every British Airways ARC performance, as well as access to a dedicated VIP lounge known as the British Airways Wing. The lounge will offer a private bar and, for selected shows, a balcony overlooking the stage. Members will also be able to earn Avios on purchases at selected venues across Olympia, including at the new Incipio Group restaurants such as Juno, expected to be the UK’s largest Italian restaurant, and Wolves of Tokyo, a premium Japanese dining and rooftop concept.
The partnership builds on British Airways’ growing presence in the cultural and entertainment sector, which includes existing relationships with American Express presents BST Hyde Park and England Rugby. Calum Laming, British Airways’ Chief Customer Officer, said the airline was proud to support a project that celebrates British creativity and modern identity. He noted that the new Olympia campus will be visible from the air for arriving Heathrow passengers and offers a unique opportunity to deepen the airline’s connection with London’s cultural life.
Michael Volkert, CEO of Olympia Estates, said the partnership reflects both the destination’s historic legacy and its future ambitions. He highlighted Olympia’s central role in the country’s cultural history, from hosting some of the earliest cinema screenings in Britain to welcoming performances by Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd. The redevelopment, he said, will cement Olympia as one of London’s leading destinations for music, theatre and world-class hospitality.
Andrew Spencer, Chief Operating Officer of AEG Presents Europe, described the naming of the British Airways ARC as a pivotal milestone in the development of the venue. He emphasised the teams’ excitement at creating a modern space that honours Olympia’s rich musical heritage. Sir Howard Panter, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Trafalgar Entertainment, said the British Airways Theatre would represent “the theatre of tomorrow”, adding that the partnership signals a new era for London’s performance landscape.
The partnership and naming rights deal were negotiated by AEG Europe’s Global Partnerships division.