This was the year Sadler’s Wells sprung back from the pandemic and despite the pressing economic pressures on us and audiences – we got our groove back.

We’ve proved our resilience to overcome some of the greatest challenges we’ve ever faced… and we remained determined in 2022/3 to provide brilliant performances, to support the dance community and to enable a global audiences to engage with and be inspired by dance. The results show we are firing again on all cylinders and on track to open our fourth venue, Sadler’s Wells East in 2024. With the support of our audiences, artists and sponsors, we were able to present 26 new productions, 28 new works for our Digital Stage, and enable artists to come back from the pandemic.

We welcomed 433,539 ticket holders to our London venues – 118,213 more than the previous year. On tour, our productions gave 72 performances in 20 cities in 11 countries, to audiences of more than 55,000. Our Learning and Engagement team ran 900 classes, workshops and events with 26,705 attendees and continue to engage and inspire our communities with dance.

Things are returning to normal following the pandemic and despite challenges Sadler’s Wells had a successful year, creating award-winning productions. Ivan Michael Blackstock’s TRAPLORD won Best New Dance Production, while Dickson Mbi’s Enowate won Outstanding Achievement in Dance at the Olivier Awards. New work is the life blood of the dance industry, and we are proud that we are be able to bring new works to the stage.

Dance is an art form which we believe can inspire everyone. We’ll continue to make and present dance works that inspire us all and we will continue to engage communities and audiences in our local community, the UK and around the world. Next year, Sadler’s Wells East will be opening in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford. We look forward to this new step for us and for dance.

The headlines

• 26 new dance works
• 28 on our Digital Stage
• 433,539 tickets booked (118,213 up on the previous year)
• £15,916,003 ticket income
• Sadler’s Wells Productions gave 72 performances in 20 cities in 11 countries, to audiences of more than 55,000
• 900 learning sessions with 26,705 attendees
• 18,210 Barclay’s Dance Pass holders (now up to 20,000 at 1 July)
• 100 schools connecting with National Youth Dance Company
• Well Seasoned reached audiences of more than 30,000 and commissioned over 100 artists
• 9 Olivier nominations and 4 awards^*
  • Gillian Lynne award for best theatre choreographer – Kate Prince for Sylvia at the Old Vic^*
  • Best musical revival – South Pacific at Sadler’s Wells
  • Best actress in a supporting role in a musical – Beverley Knight for Sylvia at the Old Vic – WIN^*
  • Best actor in a musical – Julian Ovenden for South Pacific at Sadler’s Wells
  • Special Award – Dame Arlene Phillips^**
  • Best new dance production – TRAPLORD by Ivan Michael Blackstock. Sadler’s Wells x 180 Studios – WIN
• Outstanding Achievement in Dance x 3
  • Manuel Liñán for his choreography of ¡Viva! at Sadler’s Wells
  • Dickson Mbi for his choreography of Enowate at Sadler’s Wells – WIN
  • Outstanding achievement in dance – Catrina Nisbett for her performance in Family Honour by Spoken Movement at Sadler’s Wells

*Sylvia is an Old Vic and ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company production in association with Sadler’s Wells

**Dame Arlene Phillips is a Sadler’s Wells Ambassador