Seeing a West End show in London doesn’t have to break the bank. Here are some tips on how to get cheap London theater tickets.
London theater passport
Heading to London and wanting to see a West End show but not sure which one? Traveling on a budget? Enjoy considerable savings with The London Theater Passport. You pay a flat fee for a coupon that you can exchange to see a series of select shows with savings of up to 70%. Choice of shows is limited, but you can check the list before purchasing and exchanging vouchers at the Encore Ticket Collection Point in Leicester Square on the day of the show.
Viator
Viator doesn’t list every show, but they do have a ‘guaranteed low price’ promise and cover all the great London performances. I use them myself and have found better deals than theater websites.
TKTS en Leicester Square
TKTS was founded in 1980 as the half price box office and is the only official outlet for half price and discount theater tickets operated by the Society of London Theater, the industry body representing London theaters. Tickets are available on the day and up to a week in advance.
Buy a meal or hotel deal
Surprisingly, it can often be a better deal to reserve a meal or hotel stay when purchasing theater tickets. The hotel will be close to the theater so you don’t have to worry about traveling, or the restaurant will have experience with pre and post theater meals.
Superbreak is a great resource for these deals.
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Official London Theater Special Offers
Visit the official London Theater website for special offers from the industry body representing London theaters. Sign up for their newsletter to help you choose a show and check offers before your trip to London.
Entradas Royal Court Theatre 10p
The Royal Court Theater in Sloane Square (Chelsea) offers permanent tickets for just 10p. A limited number of tickets go on sale one hour before performances at the Jerwood Theater on the ground floor. Tickets are only available in person and are restricted to one per person. Each ticket offers a ‘restricted view’ and are subject to availability.
Tickets at the door
Big West End shows get booked up quickly, but some theaters keep a few tickets to open at the door on the day. Contact the theater directly to see what time tickets are released. For example, the National Theater releases day tickets on the morning of the performance. There is generally a limit of 2 tickets per person.
Returned tickets
90 minutes before a show starts, returned tickets arrive at the ticket agents’ box office. Check with the individual theater directly to see if this is likely to happen when you want to go.
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Travelex National Theater Tickets
For Travelex shows at the Olivier Theater, more than half the tickets for each performance are £ 15. These tickets can be booked online or by phone.
Pleasure theater
The Pleasance Theater in Islington is linked to a theater in Edinburgh, Scotland. Both places specialize in complementary shows so you can see someone new and fresh at a really good price.
Islington Delight has been open since 1995 and has a wide range of productions starring established names and new talent. There are also comedy and shows for the whole family.
London Theater New Years Offer
The London Theater New Years Sale is run by the Society of London Theater at the beginning of each year. It usually runs through January and sometimes February and March as well, and has a wide variety of theater ticket deals for £ 10, £ 20, £ 30 or £ 40.
Kids week
Kids go free to West End shows for the last two weeks in August each year for Children’s Week. Young people up to 16 years old can enjoy London’s Theatreland absolutely free! Children under 5 years of age can also join in, with an exclusive program of shows and activities for all tastes. The ticket is simple: for every adult who pays in full, one child goes free and up to two additional children are paid half price.
