Where to Buy Your Theatre Tickets From?
All the best websites, apps, and physical locations for purchasing London theatre tickets in person or from home.
Contents
Online
Show/Theatre Websites
If you're looking to buy tickets for a certain show, especially if you are booking ahead, then you should always first check their official website, or the website run by the theatre where the show is playing
No Commission Fees
Unless there is a specific promotion running elsewhere, official sites offer the best standard prices because they don't add commission fees.
Flexible, Free Exchanges
If you can no longer attend, many official box offices allow you to exchange your tickets for another date for free. Third-party agents almost always charge a fee for this.
Exclusive Seating
Official sites often hold back unique experiences that aren't available on third-party sites, such as the special Juror seating for Witness for the Prosecution.
We will always add the official websites links for each show on our Show Search page so you can check, but always try some of the other sites recommended below too, as you could still find a better offer elsewhere.
Search Deals NowOfficial London Theatre (TKTS)
Run by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT), this not-for-profit website reinvests all the revenue it makes back into the theatre industry.
✅ Best For: Last-Minute
If you are looking for tickets on the day of a performance, this should be your absolute go-to place.
❌ Skip If: Booking Ahead
We don't recommend this site if you are purchasing tickets far in advance (unless they have an annual promo running).
Check the "Today's Tickets" Page
This dedicated page is for shows looking to urgently fill their remaining seats. You can often find real bargains here with over a 60% reduction off the original face-value ticket.
This is a website we use all the time, and since they don't offer an affiliate scheme, other websites will tend not to mention this - but it's a real gold mine.
Read our complete Official TKTS Guide to find out how to grab the best last-minute bargains.
Official TKTS GuideTodayTix
Of all the non-official London ticketing websites, TodayTix is easily the best. Their website is easy to navigate and they offer some nice incentive schemes to help you save.
Download the App
While the website is great, downloading the TodayTix app is a must. The app rewards you for each ticket you buy (giving you extra discounts on future purchases) and unlocks exclusive access to their Rush and Lottery features.
RUSH
Rush tickets are a fastest-finger-first race at 10 am for every performance of a show. While not guaranteed, being well prepared gives you a great chance of securing a bargain.
LOTTERY
Lottery tickets are weekly draws you enter for a specific show. Less frantic than Rush, but you still need to act quickly once you win to secure your seats.
Other Agencies
If you can't find what you are looking for on our main recommended sites, these established agencies are also well worth checking.
Theatre Tickets Direct
Especially good for booking theatre and dining bundles
Visit WebsiteLondon Theatre Direct
One of the most established websites in London. They often have exclusive show deals and participate in promotions like London Theatre Week.
Visit WebsiteATG Tickets
As the owners of some West End theatres, ATG often runs their own direct promotions and exclusive deals.
Visit WebsiteLove Theatre
Runs weekly deals and offers special discounts during seasonal sale periods.
Visit Website💰 Cashback Offers
If you are using ticket agencies to buy theatre tickets, it's worth checking cashback sites such as Quidco and TopCashback. These will give you an extra percentage discount when buying tickets through agencies - up to around 6%.
So it's worth checking these sites before buying tickets as there is no catch, although it does take some time for you to get paid.
Ticket Reselling Sites
Ticket reselling sites are a great option for finding discounted tickets. You can find some real bargains if you're flexible on dates and seating. These are also a great way to find tickets for sold-out shows, as people will often resell their tickets if they can no longer make it.
Twickets
A fan-to-fan ticket resale site that is definitely worth checking, especially if you are flexible on dates. We've found absolute bargains here.
Prices are capped at face value, so you will never pay more than what the original seller paid for the ticket.
AXS
Another official reseller website. While you can occasionally find bargains (like for ABBA Voyage), sellers are allowed to set their own pricing.
Because sellers can charge more than face value, we only recommend this if you are absolutely desperate to see a sold-out show.
Group Tickets
If you're visiting London with a crowd, booking as a group is a fantastic way to secure top seats at a massive discount compared to buying individual tickets.
Strict Allocations
Shows only allocate a fixed number of group tickets per performance. Once this allocation is sold, you can no longer book them. You must be willing to book well ahead!
How to Book Your Group
Easily search for shows offering group tickets on our Show Search page by looking for the GRP pill.
Visit Show SearchAlternatively, book directly through official group agencies used by the theatres such as Group Line.
Visit Group Line ↗Package Deals
If you are visiting London and need to book a hotel or restaurant, then a package deal is an option for you. We have personally never used package deals before, so we weren't sure if they were worth adding here.
So we did some investigation to see if these are a viable option, and as it turns out, you can make some savings if you are willing to purchase your theatre tickets in a package.
Hotels
Here's an example we tried for The Lion King plus a hotel room for the night, comparing it to Great Little Breaks :
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Strand Palace Hotel via Booking.com (1 night) | £304.00 |
| 2 x Lion King Tickets purchased from official website (good stalls seats) | £217.90 |
| Total (if purchased separately) | £521.90 |
| Package Price | £488.51 |
So it turns out you can actually make a decent saving. Whether or not this is true for all package websites, shows and hotels, we simply don't have to time to check, so always do your due diligence!
Restaurants
Combining your theatre tickets with a meal is another popular way to save money and complete your West End experience. Many packages allow you to add a pre-theatre or post-theatre dinner at a highly discounted rate compared to booking them separately.
Here's an example we tried for Hercules plus a meal for the night, comparing it to Theatre Tickets Direct :
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| 2 x Disney's Hercules Tickets (premium seats) | £159.00 |
| Dinner at The Delaunay with Cocktails | £65.00 |
| Total (if purchased separately) | £224.00 |
| Package Price | £169.98 |
Again, whether or not this is true for all restaurant packages we don't know.
In-Person
TKTS booth
The Official London Theatre TKTS website we mentioned above also has a physical booth, located right in the heart of the West End.
Leicester Square
Located right in the heart of the West End theatre district.
Expert Advice
Staff are highly knowledgeable and will give advice on what shows to see and which seats to avoid.
Expect a Queue
Give yourself enough time. Depending on the day, lines can easily take over 30 minutes.
Beware of Imitators
There are dozens of other unofficial ticket booths in the West End. We strongly advise against visiting these, as they will add large commission fees to your ticket price.
Find the exact location and opening times for the official booth below.
TKTS Booth GuideTheatre Box Offices
Your other option is to visit the theatre box office of a show, especially if you have a specific show you intend to see. Most show box offices will open on the day of a performance, and may have returns or spare tickets available.
⏱️ When to Visit
Right when the box office usually opens for the day.
Shortly before curtain, when last-minute returns are processed.
You can visit the individual venue pages on our guide to find the official opening times for each theatre.
Visit Theatres Page🎟️ Returns & Spares
If someone cancels last minute, the box office will resell their ticket right there at the counter.
🧍 Standing Tickets
Some sold-out shows hold back cheap standing tickets that can only be purchased in person on the day.
This is done entirely at your own risk. It is never guaranteed, and there is always a chance you will leave empty-handed. Have a backup plan!