London theatres
London’s West End is one of the two great theatre capitals of the world, with around forty commercial houses clustered between Covent Garden, Soho and the Strand, plus a strong subsidised sector at the National Theatre, the Old Vic, the Royal Court and the Bridge.
Listings below are correct as of 13 September 2026. Runs change constantly, so always confirm dates with the theatre or an official ticket seller before you travel.
Booking tickets
Book directly through the theatre’s own website or an official agent wherever you can. The TKTS booth in Leicester Square, run by the Society of London Theatre, sells discounted same-day and next-week tickets and is the only booth in the square worth using; the surrounding shops offering “cheap theatre tickets” are not official.
Most productions release a small number of cheap day seats at 10am, either online or at the box office, and many hold rush tickets or lotteries through the TodayTix app. Weeknight performances are generally easier and cheaper than weekends. London Theatre Week, which runs several times a year, discounts seats across ninety or more shows.
Long-running musicals
Lyceum Theatre — The Lion King. Disney’s stage adaptation of the animated film, directed by Julie Taymor, with its celebrated puppetry and African-influenced score. Playing since 1999 and currently booking into May 2027.
His Majesty’s Theatre — The Phantom of the Opera. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s adaptation of the Gaston Leroux novel, the story of a masked figure living beneath the Paris Opera who falls in love with a young soprano. Running since 1986 and booking to March 2027.
Sondheim Theatre — Les Misérables. Boublil and Schönberg’s adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel, in its staged concert-derived production. The world’s longest-running musical, in London since 1985. Booking to March 2027.
Apollo Victoria Theatre — Wicked. The story of the witches of Oz before Dorothy’s arrival, based on Gregory Maguire’s novel, with a score by Stephen Schwartz. Marking its twentieth year in London and booking to May 2027.
Novello Theatre — Mamma Mia! The ABBA musical, in which a bride-to-be invites three men from her mother’s past to her wedding on a Greek island. Running in the West End since 1999.
Victoria Palace Theatre — Hamilton. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop retelling of the life of Alexander Hamilton. Booking to October 2027.
Cambridge Theatre — Matilda The Musical. The Royal Shakespeare Company’s adaptation of Roald Dahl, with songs by Tim Minchin. Winner of multiple Olivier Awards and playing since 2011.
Prince of Wales Theatre — The Book of Mormon. The satirical musical from the creators of South Park, about two missionaries sent to Uganda. Strong language throughout.
Other musicals
Gielgud Theatre — Oliver! Matthew Bourne and Cameron Mackintosh’s revival of the Lionel Bart classic.
Piccadilly Theatre — Moulin Rouge! The Musical. The jukebox adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s film, staged as a full sensory spectacle.
Lyric Theatre — Hadestown. Anaïs Mitchell’s folk-and-jazz retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth. Booking to June 2027.
Vaudeville Theatre — SIX the Musical. The six wives of Henry VIII reimagined as a pop concert. Eighty minutes, no interval.
Playhouse Theatre — Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. The Kander and Ebb musical staged in the round, with the auditorium remade as a Weimar nightclub. Audiences enter through the club and are encouraged to arrive early.
Dominion Theatre — The Devil Wears Prada. The musical adaptation of the novel and film, with a score by Elton John.
Prince Edward Theatre — Beetlejuice. The musical version of the Tim Burton film. Booking to January 2027, with Miss Saigon announced for the theatre from May 2027.
Savoy Theatre — Paddington The Musical. A new family musical based on Michael Bond’s bear.
Aldwych Theatre — Sinatra The Musical. A biographical musical built around the Sinatra songbook.
Shaftesbury Theatre — Avenue Q. The puppet musical for adults, returning to the West End. Booking to January 2027.
Criterion Theatre — Titanique. A comic musical that retells the film Titanic through the songs of Céline Dion.
Gillian Lynne Theatre — My Neighbour Totoro. The Royal Shakespeare Company’s acclaimed stage version of the Studio Ghibli film, with puppetry by Basil Twist. Excellent for families.
Tom Stoppard Theatre — Rent. Jonathan Larson’s rock musical returns for its thirtieth anniversary in a new production directed by Luke Sheppard, with Gaten Matarazzo making his West End debut. From 26 September 2026, booking to March 2027. The theatre is the former Duke of York’s on St Martin’s Lane, renamed in honour of the playwright Sir Tom Stoppard and unveiled under its new name in September 2026.
Theatre Royal Drury Lane — The Last Ship, followed by Jesus Christ Superstar from 16 October 2026. Timothy Sheader’s Olivier-winning production of the Lloyd Webber and Rice rock opera transfers in, with Sam Ryder as Jesus.
Plays and comedies
St Martin’s Theatre — The Mousetrap. Agatha Christie’s murder mystery, which opened in 1952 and holds the record for the longest continuous run of any play anywhere. Audiences are still asked not to reveal the ending.
Palace Theatre — Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The eighth Potter story, by Jack Thorne, directed by John Tiffany. After ten years the two-part version gives its final performance on 20 September 2026; the production reopens on 6 October as a single play running just under three hours, booking to June 2027.
Phoenix Theatre — Stranger Things: The First Shadow. The prequel to the Netflix series, staged with some of the most ambitious effects in the West End.
Duchess Theatre — The Play That Goes Wrong. Mischief’s farce about an amateur company staging a disastrous murder mystery. The Monday slot at the same theatre is given over to White Rabbit Red Rabbit, a solo piece performed cold by a different actor each week.
Garrick Theatre — The Producers. Mel Brooks’s musical comedy, with One Day: The Musical announced for the theatre from November 2026.
Trafalgar Theatre — Oh, Mary! Cole Escola’s Broadway hit, a very loose comedy about Mary Todd Lincoln.
Wyndham’s Theatre — Hay Fever. Noël Coward’s comedy of appalling hospitality, with Christine Baranski and Richard E. Grant, from late September 2026.
@sohoplace — Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Gillian Anderson and Billy Crudup in Edward Albee’s marital drama, directed by Marianne Elliott and staged in the round. 21 September to 19 December 2026.
Theatre Royal Haymarket — The Standard of Living. A new James Graham play about the economist John Maynard Keynes, starring Rory Kinnear and directed by Nicholas Hytner. From 21 September 2026.
Noël Coward Theatre — Into the Woods. Sondheim’s fairy-tale musical transfers into the West End from 22 September 2026.
Harold Pinter Theatre — Abigail’s Party, Mike Leigh’s suburban comedy, followed by The Cherry Orchard from 13 October 2026.
Ambassadors Theatre — Paranormal Activity. The stage version of the horror franchise. Booking to January 2027.
Apollo Theatre — My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?) From 16 September 2026, with Derren Brown: Only Human following from 10 October.
Adelphi Theatre — The Comedy About Spies. Mischief’s Cold War farce, to 26 September 2026. The Lives of Others follows from 29 October, and Billy Elliot the Musical returns to the theatre in February 2027.
London County Hall — Witness for the Prosecution. Agatha Christie’s courtroom drama staged in a real debating chamber on the South Bank, which is much of the appeal.
Beyond the West End
National Theatre, South Bank. Three auditoriums on the river. Currently The Story in the Olivier and Electra/Persona in the Lyttelton, a double bill pairing Sophocles with Bergman starring Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss. The NT’s Travelex-supported seats are among the best value in London.
Bridge Theatre, Tower Bridge. The Oresteia, Aeschylus’s revenge trilogy, in a flexible modern house next to City Hall’s old home.
Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square. London’s home of new writing. Tilda Swinton returns to the stage in Manfred Karge’s solo play Man to Man.
Old Vic, Waterloo. How the Other Half Loves, Alan Ayckbourn’s comedy, to 19 September 2026, with the theatre’s annual A Christmas Carol to follow in December.
Young Vic, The Cut. Thelma & Louise: A New Musical.
Shakespeare’s Globe, Bankside. Much Ado About Nothing in the open-air reconstruction of the Elizabethan playhouse. Standing tickets in the yard are £5 and remain the cheapest good seat in London, weather permitting. The candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse next door runs through the winter.
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. Cats closes the summer season in mid-September; the theatre is dark until spring.
ABBA Arena, Stratford — ABBA Voyage. The digital avatar concert, in a purpose-built arena. Booking to February 2027.
Troubadour Canary Wharf — The Hunger Games: On Stage.
Empress Museum, Earls Court — Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular. An immersive circus staging of the film. Booking to April 2027.
Practical notes
Most theatres are dark one day a week, usually Sunday or Monday, and matinees are typically Wednesday or Thursday and Saturday. Arrive around thirty minutes before curtain; many West End houses are Victorian, with narrow stairs, tight seating and very limited storage for coats and bags.
There is no dress code. Running times for musicals are usually around two and a half hours including an interval, though a few shows run straight through without one.