The National Theatre is celebrating 50 years at its South Bank home with a free outdoor installation, "Stories Start Here: 50 Stories for 50 Years", opening on the Queen's Walk in October 2026. The anniversary marks the milestone since the Grade II listed, Denys Lasdun-designed building opened after seven years of construction, having initially divided public opinion before becoming celebrated as a landmark of brutalist architecture.

The wooden installation, inspired by the Olivier Theatre's amphitheatre seating, will let visitors listen to memories and reflections from actors, writers, directors, designers, staff and audience members, with recordings also available via the Bloomberg Connects app and printed as keepsakes at an in-theatre story station. The theatre is also launching a new apprenticeship named after Lasdun, offering mechanical and electrical engineering training through its Skills Centre in partnership with Bank of America, as co-chief executives Indhu Rubasingham and Kate Varah highlighted both the building's cultural legacy and its ongoing modernisation needs.