How to buy London theatre tickets

Buy from an official seller

• Book with the theatre’s own box office or website, with Official London Theatre, or with another member of STAR.^[2][3]
• STAR is the self-regulatory body for UK ticketing. Its members follow a code on clear prices and terms, refund at least face value when an organiser authorises refunds for a cancelled event, and STAR runs an approved dispute service.^[3]
• Do not share photos of your tickets, booking confirmations or barcodes: others could copy them.^[2]

Every show page on Britlens links to the venue’s official website. Britlens earns nothing from ticket links. See our disclosure.

The Leicester Square booth and same-day tickets

• The Official London Theatre Ticket Booth, in partnership with tkts, is in the Clocktower Building on the south side of Leicester Square. It is run by the Society of London Theatre, a not-for-profit, and sells tickets direct from theatre box offices.^[1]
• It sells mainly on-the-day tickets, discounted and full price, plus some advance tickets. Booking fees cover its running costs.^[1]
• New on-the-day tickets go online at 12.01am each day, and you can buy online to skip the queue. When we read the page the booth opened Monday to Saturday 10.30am to 6pm and Sunday 11am to 4pm: check before you go.^[1]
• Same-day tickets sell out: the page showed “sold out” for that day when we read it.^[1]

Cheaper tickets

• Rush and lottery. Some productions sell discounted tickets through a rush system or a lottery on their own website. Check each show’s official site for whether it runs one and how.^[2]
• Previews. Performances before press night are often cheaper.^[2]
• Midweek. Prices move with demand; midweek performances often have better deals.^[2]
• Theatres’ own schemes. Some theatres sell cheaper tickets through their own schemes; check each theatre’s ticket page. The National Theatre’s ticket page refused our automated reading, so we state nothing from it.^[4]

More low-cost ideas in free and cheap London.

Find your show

• London theatre guide and musicals
• What to book ahead in Britain
• Outside London, each region guide has a theatre page, for example Edinburgh and Manchester.

Questions

Where is the official ticket booth in London?

The Official London Theatre Ticket Booth, in partnership with tkts, is in the Clocktower Building on the south side of Leicester Square. It is run by the Society of London Theatre and sells on-the-day and advance tickets for West End shows, some discounted.

When are same-day tickets released?

Official London Theatre puts new on-the-day tickets online at 12.01am each day. Popular shows can sell out of them.

How do I know a ticket seller is genuine?

Official London Theatre advises booking with it or another member of STAR, the self-regulatory body for UK ticketing. STAR members follow a code on clear prices and terms, and STAR offers a dispute service.

What are rush and lottery tickets?

Some productions sell a small number of cheap tickets through a rush (first come, first served, often on the day) or a lottery run on the show’s own website. Schemes vary by show, so check each production’s official site.