Buying Your Theatre Tickets on a Budget
Every way you can game the system and take advantage of the many incentives available to theatre-goers on a budget.
Contents
Buy Unwanted Theatre Tickets
We generally steer clear of buying theatre tickets from standard reselling websites, as most allow scalpers to resell tickets at vastly inflated prices. However, there is one major exception.
Twickets
"This is usually the very first place we look when booking a show. It is an ethical, fan-to-fan marketplace endorsed by major venues like LW Theatres."
Good to know: Twickets adds a booking fee of 10-15% on every listing. However, because sellers are desperate to offload unwanted seats, you will still frequently find tickets for under half their original price.
Summer Deals
During the summer months, some London theatres host outdoor performances with great deals on tickets, even during peak periods. These summer-only opportunities are often some of the best ways to see top-tier shows for less. There is even a summer annual event that allows theatre-goers to see performances for free!
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Located in the beautiful surroundings of Regent's Park, this award-winning theatre runs a celebrated summer season from May to September. They offer some of the best budget initiatives in London:
For most productions, heavily discounted tickets at fixed price points (£15, £25, or £35) are released for Monday performances.
A limited number of highly economical grass bank tickets are held back and sold on the day of the performance for guests who don't mind sitting on the lawn.
Shakespeare's Globe
The Globe is famous for its iconic, open-air "Groundling" standing yard. It is one of the most authentic and atmospheric ways to see classic plays during the summer months:
They sell standing yard tickets for every single performance at incredibly low prices, letting you stand right in front of the stage.
A portion of these cheap Groundling tickets are released online during their Friday 'Rush' sale a week in advance.
West End Live
Almost every major West End musical performs at least one song at this annual two-day event. It is the best way to sample London's best musicals for free.
Arrive Early: Performances start at 10 or 11 am, but because this is a non-ticketed event, you must join the queue a few hours beforehand. Once the square reaches capacity, you won't get in!
Go Off-Peak
Ticket prices in London are driven by a demand. Popular times, such as weekends or holidays will see increased demand and therefore higher ticket prices.
September - November
You can often find heavily discounted tickets for shows, even some of the more popular ones, and you can even find some good seats for well under 50% of their peak pricing.
You can also buy your tickets last-minute, or take advantage of one of the promotional events during this time.
Read more about the best times to visit, and how you can save during peak periods.
Best Time to Visit GuideBuy Same-Day Tickets
Buying your tickets on the day of a performance is a fantastic option, and one we use all the time. Official London Theatre (TKTS) is a not-for-profit organisation that has some amazing deals for many London shows, with discounted tickets for London shows available for purchase on the day of a performance.
They have both a website and a physical booth right in the heart of the West End.
Read our complete guide to learn more about how to get the most out of TKTS.
TKTS GuideYou can see which shows usually have TKTS seats available from our Show Search page, although this does change from time to time. Just look for the TKTS symbol.
Buy During an Annual Promotion
There are several annual schemes devised by Society of Ticket Agents to help encourage people to visit the theatre during quieter periods. London Theatre Week is the most well-known of these, but there are a few others that generally run outside of the busier months.
- NYENew Year's Sale
- LTWLondon Theatre Week
- KIDSKid's Week
- BLKFRBlack Friday Sale
You can find many great value budget, mid-range or even premium seating for a lot less than you would normally pay.
To find the best deals and promotions, check out our full guide.
Theatre Deals and PromotionsBuy in Advance
Ticket prices in London will generally increase as performances approach. While this isn't strictly true for all shows at all times, it's certainly true for the more popular shows.
Look out for the EARLY pill when browsing to easily spot these high-value deals.
Search for Shows and DealsTake Your Chance
Many popular West End shows offer massive incentives to fill seats. Choose your strategy below.
🏃 Rush & Day Tickets
- ⏰Released every morning of a performance, or sometimes weekly.
- 💰£15 to £30 per ticket.
- ⚡Fastest-finger-first: You must be quick to tap the promotional button before others.
🎟️ Lotteries
- 📅Usually a weekly event that you enter in advance.
- 📉Fraction of the price if your name is drawn.
- ⚠️Winning doesn't guarantee a seat: You still need to finalize the purchase quickly if you win.
Read our full guides linked above to help maximize your chances of securing these tickets.
You actually have a much better chance of winning these than you might think!
Go for Budget Seats
Usually located at the back of the house or the extreme ends of a row, budget seats allow you to see a show for a fraction of the premium cost. Just be aware that for hit shows with limited runs, these seats can sell out months in advance.
Some budget seats have restrictive viewing. Use these community-rated sites to see the exact view from your proposed seat.
Standing
If you don't mind being on your feet for the entirety of a performance, standing tickets are the absolute cheapest way to get into a theatre.
You can find a list of many of the theatres with standing options in our Best Theatre Seats guide.
- •Not guaranteed: Many shows only release standing tickets if the seated performance is completely sold out.
- •In-person only: You may need to queue at the physical box office before the show starts to snag these.
Read our complete guide to learn more about picking the best seats at the theatre.
Best Theatre Seats GuideSee a Fringe or Off-West End Show
Although the West End is the most popular destination in London for theatre-goers, there are many more shows that are classified as Off-West End or Fringe.
✨ Off-West End
These shows are often equally as spectacular as their West End counterparts. Not all are cheaper, but you can usually find much better rates during peak times.
🍻 Fringe Theatre
Usually hosted in intimate venues or pubs, these are the grassroots of London theatre. They are generally the absolute cheapest way to see brilliant performances.
Many of the best shows we've ever seen in London have been Fringe or Off-West End productions.
See a Preview
Most new shows in London have a preview period before they officially launch, ranging from a day to a few weeks. It's a great way to be the first to see a top show for cheap.
You can look for shows that currently have previews by searching for the PREV pill on our Show Search page, or can view the latest preview shows added to the front page of our website
Search for PreviewsTeam Together and go as a Group / Family
Going to the theatre with a crowd is one of the best ways to see a show — mostly because it's much kinder to your wallet!
Bigger discounts for larger parties.
What to Expect with Group Bookings
- •Limited Allocations: Rates are often limited to off-peak performances, and shows only allocate a certain number per night. Book well ahead!
- •Booking Process: While some shows let you book directly on their site, most use agencies requiring you to fill out a request form first.
- •Group Accelerators: Some shows offer special "Accelerator" rates, which give your group a further discount if you commit to booking before a certain date.
Family Tickets
While individual child rates don't exist in the West End, a handful of shows offer bundled Family tickets that bring the overall cost down. These are usually limited to a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 children) although some do allow more.
Search for shows with group or family discounts on our site by looking for the amber pills. Just filter by the Group / Family option.
Sign Up to a Seat Filler Website
The worst thing for a show is to perform to a half-empty room. Seat filling sites help struggling shows build an atmosphere by virtually giving tickets away for nothing.
Central Tickets
Free to sign up. You'll be sent notifications of shows offering these deeply discounted tickets. We've seen great shows for virtually nothing.
Visit Central Tickets ↗MBO
My Box Office (MBO) operates similarly to Central Tickets, offering massive discounts on struggling shows, but requires a small yearly membership fee to access.
Visit My Box Office ↗SRO Audiences
Although not strictly a theatre site, SRO do find audiences for TV shows, including those on the BBC and ITV. You can see top shows like The Graham Norton Show or Taskmaster.
Go for Returns at the Theatre
There are always people who are unable to attend a performance at the last minute due to travel or family issues. This creates a hidden opportunity if you are flexible.
🏃 Turn Up In Person
While it's never guaranteed, it is absolutely worth visiting the box office of a show you'd love to see right before it starts to ask if they have any last-minute returns.
💷 Discounted Tickets
Because the theatre wants to fill the seat, returns are usually offered at a discount. Venues like the National Theatre even have specific schemes for these occurrences.
Check Box Office Times
Box office opening and closing times can be found for most venues on our theatre pages.