7 easy ways to get cheap theatre tickets in London this summer

A trip to the West End can cost hundreds if you pay full price for tickets, but there are ways to get them for less.

From lesser-known sales and deals to cheap days and even the best times to buy, we’ve rounded up when and where to find lower-priced theatre tickets – and they don’t all involve snapping up last-minute seats. See below for tips that could save you up to £215 per ticket. 

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1. Buy last-minute theatre tickets

Last-minute tickets are often the most affordable way to see shows in London, as theatres try to fill their remaining seats. You have to hold your nerve for some, as they won’t come down in price until the day of the show, but others drop in price at least a week in advance.

Discounted last-minute tickets are very popular, so you often need to be ready to buy as soon as they're released. It’s worth comparing prices on different ticket websites in advance to ensure that you’re getting your seat at a good price.

Disney's Magical Mondays

On Mondays at midday, Disney releases tickets for selected West End performances in the coming week for just £29.50 (where you sit will depend on availability, but you’ll know before you purchase). Currently, only The Lion King tickets are available, but it’s likely that Hercules will be added when demand for this new show calms down. You can buy up to two tickets and need to create a MyDisney account to gain access. Do this in advance of the midday rush. With some full-priced tickets for The Lion King going for more than £150, you could make a sizeable saving.

Wicked front row seats for £29.50

Every Wednesday at 10am, Wicked’s front-row seats are sold for just £29.50 for performances in the following week (Tuesday to Sunday), and you can buy up to four at once. It's possible to get tickets for as little as £25 for Wicked, but they're unlikely to be so close to the action, although there are usually some available without a restricted view.

TodayTix's RUSH for £30 or less

TodayTix is a third-party ticket seller that sells tickets for a number of shows, including HadesTown, Starlight Express, The Great Gatsby, Evita and more. On its app at 10am, it releases £25 to £30 RUSH tickets for performances later that day. They're not always available, but checking the performance's availability in advance will help determine if RUSH tickets might be available. When testing it, we bought two Saturday tickets for Starlight Express for £30 each, which sometimes go for £175. But on another occasion, we weren’t successful getting Titanique RUSH tickets when we logged on after 10am, so be ready at 10am on the dot. You can buy up to two tickets per booking.

Visit Officiallondontheatre.com

This well-known ticketing website offers regular discounts, including deals on the ‘show of the week’. It’s not always as cheap as TodayTix’s RUSH tickets, but if you’re unsuccessful in getting those, it's a great backup option as it usually has more choices and availability.

Visit Leicester Square Box Office online.

You used to have to queue at the Leicester Square Box Office to get a cheap last-minute ticket, but now you can check for bargain tickets before you leave home.

Explore discounts and seat views with Seatplan

Seatplan has lots of last-minute theatre deals, but it also has pictures of the view from its seats that other theatre-goers have uploaded. This often reveals which cheaper seats are worth going for; those further back may have a brilliant view in a small venue, and some ‘restricted-view’ seats aren’t restricted much at all. These pictures are also worth looking at if you want to get a deal elsewhere.

Potential savings: £145 per ticket.

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2. Ring box offices directly for bargain resale tickets

When tickets are returned by customers, some box offices will sell them at a discounted price on the day of the performance. The time of day they go on sale varies from theatre to theatre, and while this information is sometimes published on the theatre’s website, it’s not always. If you’re unsure, ring or visit the box office as soon as it opens to find out if purchasing returns is possible. 

Potential savings: It varies considerably. For example, the National Theatre box office offers £20 off tickets one hour before the performance.

3. Take advantage of summer sales

Various third-party ticket websites run seasonal sales on West End tickets beyond last-minute deals. This includes free or discounted tickets for children with Officallondontheatre.com’s Kids Week, or tickets for adults from just £25 with Westendtheatre.com’s Summer Theatre Sale.

Some of these sales only last a week or so, so don’t leave it too long to book. 

Potential savings: Up to 50% off

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4. Select a Sunday ticket instead of a Saturday to save

It’s not unsurprising that tickets for weekday performances are usually cheaper than for Saturdays. But a number of shows (especially new ones) are staying open on Sundays to allow more people to visit on the weekends. Just some examples include Wicked, Back to the Future: The Musical, The Play That Goes Wrong, Six and Matilda: The Musical.

Sunday performances are often matinees, so if you’re in London just for the weekend, you can squeeze in a show and still head home early evening.

Potential savings: Up to 25% off

5. Try your luck with ticket lotteries

It’s the hack with the lowest odds in our list, but it’s also the cheapest way to get tickets. Some shows have a lottery that’s free to enter, and if you win, you gain access to very cheap tickets, usually for the following week, sometimes for as little as £10 each.

Sometimes these lotteries are run directly by the show’s website (such as for Operation Mincemeat or Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), or they are run through third-party ticket companies like TodayTix (such as for Hamilton). Head to the website of the show you want to see to find out how to enter.

Once you’re signed up, you can keep entering the lottery for performances each week with just a few clicks.

Potential savings: If you’re lucky enough to get tickets in the stalls for Hamilton, you could save up to £215

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6. Make the most of affordable rates for under-30s, senior citizens and key workers

Several shows and venues offer cheaper tickets for under-30s. For example, 16 to 25s can get tickets to the National Theatre for £10 or less, while under-30s can get £20 tickets for the Royal Albert Hall. 

Senior Citizens can get reduced prices at a variety of West End shows, too. For example, Mamma Mia currently discounts tickets, down from £87.75 to £37.75. Discounts are usually available for weekday matinee performances. 

Some companies offer ticket discounts for those working in the NHS, social care, education or the armed forces. For example, ATG offers a 25% discount for those working in these professions, as well as deals for Blue Light Card holders.

For these discounted tickets, you will likely be required to show proof of your age or employment to gain entry.

Potential savings: Usually 25% off

7. Consider an ATG+ membership

This one's only worth considering if you're a keen theatre-goer. An ATG+ membership gives you access to priority sales and discounted tickets with no transaction fees for just over £4 a month. Other useful perks include the ability to amend your tickets for free up to 48 hours before the curtain rises, plus savings on drinks during your trip.

It applies to all ATG venues. A lot of these are outside of London, so you can continue to use the benefits after your trip to the capital.

Potential savings: Up to 50% off

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