Camden's £38 Million Irish Cultural Hub: London's First Dedicated Irish Theatre & Cinema

The London Irish Centre's massive redevelopment will feature a cinema, a public library and the capital's first-ever dedicated Irish theatre.

For more than 70 years, the London Irish Centre in Camden has been a home from home for the city's Celtic community — a place for trad music sessions, hurling screenings, Gaelic classes, community meals, wellbeing support and hardship grants. It's long been an essential bedrock for those hailing from the Emerald Isle. Now, it's getting a monumental makeover. The centre has appointed construction group Sisk as the main contractor for a £38 million redevelopment, with funding from the Irish government and donor pledges.

The new building on Camden Square will span three floors — up from two — packed with cultural and wellbeing spaces. It'll feature London's first dedicated Irish theatre, a multi-purpose performance space, a 130-seat studio theatre and cinema, a heritage and archive centre preserving the history of the Irish in Britain, a public library housing over 7,000 Irish literary works, modern community and enterprise spaces, welfare facilities, a multi-level bar, a café, and dedicated areas for artists, rehearsals and creative collaboration. Work is expected to begin in 2027 and wrap up by the first quarter of 2029, with the current centre remaining operational throughout construction. Cultural programmes will run via partner venues across London during the build.