The acclaimed stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s Oscar-winning film Spirited Away is going global. Producers Toho Co., Ltd. have announced a major world tour spanning 2026 to 2028, bringing the live production to audiences in Taiwan, Japan, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
This tour marks the first time the production will be performed in North America, with confirmed stops in Toronto and Los Angeles. The production also returns to the London Coliseum following its sold-out, award-winning run in 2024.
Tour Schedule and Locations for the Spirited Away Stage Play
The world tour begins in Taipei, Taiwan, with the production taking over the National Theater from December 17, 2026, through January 31, 2027. Following the Taiwan engagement, the tour moves to Japan for a national run starting in Tokyo at the Meijiza theater from March to May 2027. Additional Japanese dates include Nagoya (June 2027), Osaka (June-July 2027), Fukuoka (July-August 2027), and Sapporo (August 2027).
The production will then make its North American debut at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto, Canada, running from May 6 to August 15, 2027. The U.S. will see its first performances when the show moves to the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California, from September 2 to October 24, 2027.
The tour will conclude with a return engagement at the London Coliseum in England, where it will run from March to July 2028. The London production will be co-produced by PW Productions, who also partnered on the 2024 run.
Behind the Acclaimed Spirited Away Stage Adaptation
The stage play is directed and co-adapted by John Caird, a Tony and Olivier Award-winning director known for his work on Les Misérables and the Royal Shakespeare Company. He co-adapted the production with Maoko Imai. The show features the original score by Joe Hisaishi, who composed the music for the iconic film.
The production made its world premiere at the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo in March 2022. It then traveled to Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo, and Nagoya, completing a total of 102 performances in its first year. The play’s 2024 London run drew more than 300,000 audience members over a 17-week sold-out period at the London Coliseum.
Toho Co., Ltd. said, “Toho is deeply grateful for the opportunity to be welcomed back to London. This production made its world premiere in Tokyo in 2022, followed by sold-out success from London and Shanghai to Seoul. Through this journey, it has proven that the masterpiece by Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki from Studio Ghibli, brought to life through John Caird’s masterful direction, resonates universally.”
The production’s success in London led to four Olivier Award nominations and it won the Best New Play award at the 2025 WhatsOnStage Awards. Following London, the show played 42 performances at Shanghai Culture Square in 2025 and a 94-performance sold-out run at the Seoul Arts Center Opera House beginning in January 2026.
Also Read:
Casting and Performance Details for the Spirited Away World Tour
Casting for the world tour has not been announced yet. However, the production will be performed in its original Japanese, with English captions provided during international performances. This approach was also used during the 2024 London run.
The stage adaptation of Spirited Away was filmed during its 2022 Tokyo run with two different lead actresses playing Chihiro. Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi each performed the role, and GKIDS screened both versions theatrically in North America in 2023.
John Caird described the challenge of adapting the beloved film for the stage in a previous interview.
Caird said, “When I met Miyazaki at Ghibli Studios, I had a lovely, delightful meeting with Hayao and Toshio Suzuki. I made my little pitch, which was just two or three minutes of just talking about how I imagined how exciting I thought it could be in a theater. And Miyazaki just smiled and said, ‘Okay, go for it.’”
Spirited Away continues to be a landmark in animation history. It was the highest-grossing Japanese film worldwide until Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train surpassed the record. It remains the only non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, a record it held until The Boy and the Heron also won the award in 2024.
The production’s UK producer, Iain Gillie of PW Productions, had no doubts about bringing the Japanese-language production to London.
Gillie said, “We knew it didn’t matter who the audience would be, they were going to really love it,” adding, “It is a 100-percent Japanese production. I think that adds to the experience for the audience.”
Also Read: Gaurav Khanna Shocked by Akanksha Chamola’s Public Divorce Announcement on Lock Upp 2, Friend Reacts
For more updates on theater, anime adaptations, and global entertainment news, keep reading VvipTimes for the latest stories on your favorite shows and productions.
