Moulin Rouge! The Musical comes to Sunderland Empire!

The first ever World Tour of multi-award-winning hit stage show Moulin Rouge! The Musical, will come to the Sunderland Empire with performances from Friday 5 June to Saturday 27 June 2026.

Enter a world of splendour and romance, of eye-popping excess, of glitz, grandeur, and glory! Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life onstage, remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza. A celebration of Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and — above all — Love, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is more than a musical — it is a state of mind.

“It is incredibly exciting that the Sunderland Empire will host Moulin Rouge! The Musical next year. Sunderland is such a welcoming and lively city, with a vibrant community, so we know that the bohemians and artisans of Montmartre will be embraced with open arms. We can’t wait to welcome Sunderland to the Moulin Rouge! The Musical family” says Carmen Pavlovic for Global Creatures, producer of Moulin Rouge! The Musical.

As in the film, Moulin Rouge! The Musical celebrates over 160 years of music – from Offenbach to Lady Gaga. The stage musical features over 70 iconic songs, many from the movie as well as recent hits released since the movie premiered over 20 years ago.

Set in Paris, 1899, a world of indulgent beauty and unparalleled extravagance, of bohemians and aristocrats, of boulevardiers and reprobates, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is the story of a lovesick American writer, Christian, and Satine, the dazzling star of the Moulin Rouge nightclub.

When their lives collide at the Moulin Rouge, they fall hopelessly in love, only to be thwarted by the nightclub’s host and impresario, Harold Zidler, and The Duke of Monroth, the wealthy and entitled patron of the club who thinks he can buy anything he wants, including Satine. Together with his Bohemian friends – the brilliant and starving artist Toulouse-Lautrec, and the greatest tango dancer in all of Paris, Santiago – Christian stages a musical spectacular in an attempt to save the Moulin Rouge and win the heart of Satine.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical is the winner of ten 2021 Tony Awards including Best Musical, an Olivier Award, two Drama League Awards including Outstanding Production of a Musical, five Drama Desk Awards and ten Outer Critics Circle Award Honor citations including New Broadway Musical.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical is directed by Tony Award^® winner Alex Timbers (other credits include Here Lies Love, Beetlejuice, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Peter and the Starcatcher) with a book by Tony Award^® winner John Logan (also three-time Academy Award nominee including for Gladiator and The Aviator), choreography by Tony Award^® winner Sonya Tayeh (also Lucille Lortel Award for Kung Fu and Emmy winner) and music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Tony Award^®winner Justin Levine (other credits include The Outsiders, Here Lies Love, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson).

The design team for Moulin Rouge! The Musical includes Tony Award^® winner Derek McLane (sets; other credits include Beautiful – The Carole King Musical), Tony Award^® and Olivier Award winner Catherine Zuber (costumes; other credits include Kiss Me Kate, The King & I, South Pacific, Mrs Doubtfire), Tony Award^® winner Justin Townsend (lighting), Tony Award^® winner Peter Hylenski (sound), Drama Desk Award winner David Brian Brown (wig and hair design; other credits include Come From Away), Sarah Cimino (make-up design) and Tony Award^® winner Matt Stine (Music Producer). Casting is by Natalie Gallacher CDG for Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting.

The World tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical is produced by Carmen Pavlovic and Gerry Ryan OAM for Global Creatures and Bill Damaschke. Executive Producers of the World Tour are Angela Dalton and Nick Grace Management. General Management and Tour Booking by Nick Grace Management.

Casting and on sale dates for Moulin Rouge! The Musical in Sunderland are still to be announced.

• Show: Moulin Rouge! The Musical
• Dates: Friday 5 June to Saturday 27 June 2026
• Book here