From Beatles to 'Late Show,' what will happen to Ed Sullivan Theater?

• New York's landmark Ed Sullivan Theater holds a place in pop culture history.
• Unforgettably, the theater that sits on Broadway hosted The Beatles' American TV debut in 1964.
• The 400-seat theater has housed "The Ed Sullivan Show" and two versions of "Late Show," initially hosted by David Letterman, followed by Stephen Colbert.

The Ed Sullivan Theater sits on New York’s famed Broadway (in between 53rd and 54th Streets), currently advertising CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on its marquee in vibrant royal blue and cherry red. The gothic building, opened in 1927, was first named Hammerstein's Theatre in honor of owner Arthur Hammerstein’s father, Oscar Hammerstein I, who helped develop New York’s luminous Times Square. (Oscar Hammerstein I is also grandfather to lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, half of the famed theater duo Rodgers and Hammerstein.) The theater underwent several name changes and became a tribute to one of its notable tenants, Ed Sullivan, 40 years after opening.

The theater, declared a landmark in 1988, is a 13-story shadow box preserving bits from a rich history of pop culture pinnacles past. While giving a tour, Colbert once pointed out “elephant columns” below the stage that he said Sullivan had built to accommodate larger-than-life guests.

“When he used to have elephants from Ringling come into the building,” Colbert explained, “they needed to reinforce the stage. So we kept them when we renovated the building.”

Beyond circus acts, the theater, via the "Ed Sullivan Show," also hosted The Beatles’ American television debut and the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. Prior to “The Late Show” finale on May 21, 2026, we’re looking back at the legendary occupants of the building and its historic moments.

1953-1971: “The Ed Sullivan Show”

CBS began leasing the theater in 1936 for its radio programming, and converted the space, renamed Studio 50, for television production. “The Ed Sullivan Show” aired weekly on Sunday nights and moved into the theater in 1953. The Harlem-born Sullivan began his career as a journalist and became a radio host. He then took his talents to his variety series, which premiered as “Toast of the Town” in 1948. It was rebranded as “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1955.

Sullivan hosted notable guests of multiple eras, including George Carlin, Ella Fitzgerald, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Dean Martin, Richard Pryor, The Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder. Elvis Presley’s first appearance on Sept. 9, 1956, drew an audience estimated at 60 million. Nearly a decade later, The Beatles brought Beatlemania stateside when making their American television debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show” on Feb. 9, 1964. Seventh-three million tuned in to see George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr perform “I Saw Her Standing There” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”

Studio 50 officially became the Ed Sullivan Theater in 1967, ahead of the show’s 20th anniversary. CBS canceled “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1971.

1993–2015: “Late Show with David Letterman”

In the 70s and 80s, the theater served as the backdrop for shows like “The $10,000 Pyramid,” CBS’ sitcom “Kate & Allie,” and Nickelodeon’s kids’ talk show “Livewire.” CBS purchased the building in 1993 for “Late Show with David Letterman.” Letterman previously hosted “Late Night with David Letterman” on NBC but jumped to CBS when the former announced Jay Leno as Johnny Carson’s replacement on “The Tonight Show.”

The New York Times reported in 1993 that CBS paid approximately $4 million for the theater and the adjoining office building.Variety reported at the time that CBS shelled out $10 million for renovations of the 400-seat theater, which included modifications to accommodate the chilly temperature of “Letterman’s requested 62 degrees.”

“We had to replace every pipe, every wire in the building,” Edward Grebow, former executive vice president at CBS, told The New York Times. “There was more asbestos than I ever thought. We had a stream running through the basement. There was a terrible rat problem."Over 22 years, Letterman hosted actors, musicians and presidents; delivered countless Top 10 lists; ended a feud with Oprah Winfrey; revealed he was the target of an extortion plot; showcased “Stupid Human Tricks" and even welcomed back a Beatle in 2009. Forty-five years after their debut at the theater, McCartney marked the moment by rocking atop the building’s marquee.

Letterman announced his retirement in 2014 and wrapped “Late Show” on May 20, 2015.

2015-2026: “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”

Months prior to his debut on Sept. 8, 2015, Colbert went to Letterman for advice.

"He said, 'I would like to have tried the desk on the other side to see what that was like,'" Colbert told CBS New York. "And so I thought, 'Well listen, I'll try it.'"In addition to flipping the stage, Colbert’s team uncovered the theater’s plastered dome. Letterman was wowed by the renovations when he returned as a guest in 2023. “I think it’s delightful,” he told Colbert in review. “By the way, the dressing room is nicer than the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed in in my life. I’ll be here through Christmas.”Colbert made the talk show his own, infusing it with his interest in politics that fueled Comedy Central’s satirical “The Colbert Report” (2005–2014). The host went live on election night and for high-profile political events.

Colbert and his staff were forced to exit the theater in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funnyman produced shows remotely from his home and then an office in the Ed Sullivan Theater. He welcomed a vaccinated, live audience to the theater on June 14, 2021, after 460 days without a crowd.

Soon, the theater will be without its host once more, after “The Late Show” wraps on May 21. When the program’s cancellation was announced in July 2025, CBS’ parent company, formerly Paramount Global and now Paramount Skydance Corporation, explained the call was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night." But some suspected Colbert’s criticisms about President Donald Trump played a role. Colbert described Paramount’s $16 million payment to Trump pertaining to a "60 Minutes" interview as a "big fat bribe."

Colbert addressed his cancelation with The New York Times in an interview published on April 28, 2026.

“It’s possible that two things can be true,” Colbert said. “Broadcast can be in trouble. They cannot monetize because of things like YouTube, because of the competition of streaming. They’ve got the books, and I do not have any desire to debate them over what they say their business model is and how it does not work for them anymore. But less than two years before they called to say it’s over, they were very eager for me to be signed for a long time. So, something changed.”

What does the future hold for the Ed Sullivan Theater?

CBS has announced that it will fill “The Late Show” timeslot with the syndicated “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen." But the network has yet to reveal plans for the iconic space and did not respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.