The musical is set to open at the Barbican in 2027.
After months of theatre-world whispers, Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey have confirmed they are teaming up once again, this time for Sunday in the Park with George. The Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine musical is set to land at the Barbican Theatre in summer 2027, with Tony and Olivier Award-winning director Marianne Elliott at the helm.
The announcement arrived via a suitably art-geek Instagram moment. Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey posted a photo of themselves seated in front of Georges Seurat’s landmark painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte at the Art Institute of Chicago, captioned: “All it has to be is good”, a lyric lifted directly from the show.
If you have never fallen down the rabbit hole, the musical is inspired by Seurat’s vision of Parisians enjoying a lazy day in the park beside the River Seine, a scene built from meticulously placed dots of colour. It is a painting that rewards patience, and a story that does the same.
Grande is set to play Dot, the artist’s muse and lover, while Bailey will take on Georges Seurat. It is a casting pairing that makes sense on paper and should be even better in motion, especially after their on-screen chemistry in Wicked and the upcoming sequel Wicked: For Good.
The Barbican’s summer slot has become a reliable home for headline theatre, with recent seasons including Fiddler on the Roof in 2025 and Cole Porter’s High Society in 2026. Expect this one to follow suit.
GO: Visit www.barbican.org.uk for more information.