How to book West End show tickets in London

• The official box office (best): buy from the show's own website or the theatre. Phantom of the Opera and Matilda, for example, list tickets with no booking fee, with a small restoration levy included in the price. Booking direct also gets you the show's exchange policy. The Mousetrap allows free exchanges up to 24 hours ahead, and Wicked allows exchanges up to 48 hours ahead, subject to availability and a possible fee.
• The Official London Theatre Ticket Booth: the booth in the Clocktower Building on the south side of Leicester Square, run by the not-for-profit Society of London Theatre. It sells on-the-day and advance tickets, both discounted and full price, and it opens Monday to Saturday 10:30am to 6pm and Sunday 11am to 4pm. Same-day tickets also go on sale on its website at 12:01am each day. There are no concession rates, and booking fees apply.
• Authorised agents: if you use an agent, Official London Theatre advises picking a STAR member. Avoid paying by bank transfer, and double-check the web address, because fake sites copy real ones.
• Resale sites: Westminster Trading Standards warns that even a genuine ticket bought from an unauthorised seller can be refused at the door if the show doesn't allow resale.

Viator sells tickets for the long-running shows through TTG Encore. They're handy for booking alongside your tours, but they're priced by seating area rather than a chosen seat, and all sales are final. If you might change your plans, book direct.

If you're flexible, these official schemes get you in for much less (checked October 26, 2026):

• Phantom of the Opera: day seats from £37.50, released online at 10am for that day's performances and on sale until noon.
• Wicked: the Daily Dozen, a limited number of £29.50 day seats released at 10am each performance day in the TodayTix app. Wicked also releases its 24 front-row seats for the following week every Wednesday at 10am, at £29.50.
• Hamilton: £10 lottery tickets for every performance, through the Hamilton app. Entries open at 12:01am on Friday and close at 1pm the following Thursday, for shows the week after.
• Matilda: a weekly lottery for £30 tickets, and children go half price at selected performances if you book at least six weeks ahead.
• The Mousetrap: a limited number of £29.50 rush tickets for every performance, from 10am in the TodayTix app. Booking 12 weeks ahead also saves 20%.

Schemes change, so check each show's official site on the day.

• The Phantom of the Opera, His Majesty's Theatre: the classic choice for a first visit, running since 1986. Shows are Monday to Saturday at 7:30pm, with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2:30pm, and it runs 2 hours 30 minutes. It's recommended for ages 8 and up, and booking is open until October 2, 2027. The Viator ticket is rated 4.53 from 229 reviews.
• Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre: big, colorful and family-friendly (ages 7 and up; under-5s aren't admitted). It plays Tuesday to Saturday evenings at 7:30pm, with matinees on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, and there are no Monday shows. It runs 2 hours 45 minutes, and booking is open until May 30, 2027.
• Hamilton, Victoria Palace Theatre: recommended for ages 10 and up because of strong language. Shows are Monday to Saturday at 7:30pm, with Thursday and Saturday matinees, and booking is open until October 2, 2027. The Viator ticket has only 46 reviews, so the official lottery and box office are worth trying first.
• The Mousetrap, St Martin's Theatre: Agatha Christie's whodunnit, which has run in London since 1952 and at St Martin's since 1974. It's about 2 hours, and from November 9, 2026, evening shows start at 7:30pm (7pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays), with matinees on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. It's recommended for ages 7 and up.
• Les Misérables and The Lion King: the two best-rated tickets we found on Viator, at 4.66 and 4.59. The Lion King is at the Lyceum Theatre and recommended for ages 6 and up. Check booking dates on each show's official site.
• Matilda, Cambridge Theatre: a good pick for younger children, with 7pm weekday evening shows and 2pm matinees, and no Monday shows. Booking is open into September 2027. Its Viator ticket rates lowest of these, at 3.88, so book direct, where Upper Circle seats start from £20.

• Curtain times: most evening shows start at 7pm or 7:30pm, and matinees at 2pm to 3pm. Arrive 30 minutes early to find your seat. Latecomers are usually held until a suitable break, and Wicked doesn't refund late arrivals.
• Dark days: each show has one night off. Phantom, Hamilton and The Mousetrap don't play on Sundays, while Wicked and Matilda don't play on Mondays.
• What to wear: there's no dress code. Smart casual is fine, and many people dress up a little for an evening show. See our what to wear in London guide for the weather.
• Bags: leave suitcases at your hotel. Wicked's theatre has no cloakroom and refuses large bags.
• Children: every show we cover needs a ticket for every child, sets a minimum age, and requires under-16s to sit with an adult.

Where to stay for theatre nights: Covent Garden and the West End put you within walking distance of most theatres. See where to stay in London.

The big seasonal show is the London Palladium pantomime. In 2026 it's Cinderella, from December 5, 2026, to January 10, 2027, with Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders as the Ugly Sisters and Julian Clary as the Fairy Godfather. Tickets start from £25 with no fees. The theatre warns it's full of innuendo and not tailored for young children, and under-4s aren't admitted.

The long-runners change their schedules over Christmas. Hamilton has extra matinees between Christmas and New Year and no shows on December 25 or 26. Matilda adds 2pm matinees on December 17, 22, 29, 30 and 31, and Wicked often adds performances in school holidays. Check the calendar for your date, and see Christmas in London for the rest of the season.

Eat early. With a 7:30pm curtain, aim to finish dinner by about 7pm. Covent Garden, Soho and Chinatown are close to most theatres, and many restaurants there offer early pre-theatre menus; book a table in advance on Friday and Saturday nights. For a lighter option, an afternoon tea before a matinee or early evening show works well. If you'd rather make dinner the show, compare the options in our Thames dinner cruise guide.