# West End musical revival cancellation

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/west-end-musical-revival-cancellation
> Updated: 2026-09-14T11:18:52.000Z. Sources: 27. Developments: 2.

The planned 2027 West End revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ at London’s Barbican Centre has been cancelled. 

The production faced instability following the departure of Ariana Grande, who withdrew approximately one month prior to the scheduled debut to ‘step back from visibility’ following her ‘Eternal Sunshine’ tour. Shortly after, actor Jonathan Bailey, who was set to play Georges Seurat, also exited the production. Bailey stated his decision followed ‘much consideration’ and was motivated by his support for Grande.

While producers at Empire Street Productions initially indicated that casting discussions were underway to reshape the production around a new company, they later confirmed the scheduled production will no longer proceed as planned. The production company retains the rights to the musical and expressed intentions to present the production in 2028 instead. Further details regarding the new timeline and casting are expected to be announced in due course.

## Claims

- The 2027 production of Sunday in the Park with George at the Barbican has been canceled. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Empire Street Productions intends to present the production in 2028. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Ariana Grande exited the production in August. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Jonathan Bailey withdrew from the production on September 1. (corroborated by 3 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-14: Sunday in the Park with George West End revival canceled

The 2027 West End revival of ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ at the Barbican is canceled following the exits of stars Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey. A 2028 production is being considered.

15 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sunday-in-the-park-with-george-london-revival-cancelled

### 2026-09-01: Jonathan Bailey exits West End musical revival

Jonathan Bailey has dropped out of the West End revival of ‘Sunday in the Park with George’, following the earlier departure of Ariana Grande. Casting for the 2027 Barbican production is now underway.

15 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/jonathan-bailey-exits-west-end-musical-sunday-in-the-park-with-george

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Cite as: West End musical revival cancellation. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/west-end-musical-revival-cancellation