Top price West End tickets are expensive, end of story. For example, a premium stalls seat for the ever popular War Horse at the New London Theatre will set you back £84 a pop.
There are, thankfully, several ways of getting cheaper tickets for London theatre performances. Here we run down five ways you can save money on West End theatre tickets.
Featured image: London’s West End theatre district by Andy Bird
1) Half price last-minute tickets
At 10am on the morning of the day you want tickets for, head over to the TKTS booth in Leicester Square. That’s when the leftover seats for that day go on sale – be at the front of the line for the best choice.
2) 2for1 tickets with a cheap rail ticket
National Rail’s Go By Train scheme offers 2for1 tickets on a huge variety of London attractions, including the major West End shows. You do need a valid train ticket for the day of the show, but you can snag a cheap single for a few quid and save as much as £50 on theatre tickets in the process. Deals vary wildly – check the website to see what shows are available on any given day.
3) Tickets on the door
Most West End theatres hold a small number of tickets to sell on the door on the day of the show. Many are sold at a discounted rate. Seats with restricted views are sold with a massive discount. The only trouble is, before queuing, you have no idea what tickets are available and how much they’ll cost. To get into the most popular shows, you may have to start queuing as early as 8am!
4) Book way in advance online
Lastminute.com has some fantastic dinner & show and hotel room & show ticket deals. Generally speaking, the further in advance you book the better the offer. Theatremonkey.com collates hundreds of offers. Finally, check the regularly updated “daily cheap days’ out” page on moneysavingexpert.com.
5) Chance your luck with returns an hour before show time
A number of the major theatres offer unwanted tickets at a massive discount around an hour before show time. When it comes to cheap theatre tickets, this is as high-risk, high-reward as it gets!
