Cheap West End Tickets, Day Tickets, Previews and Walk Up Deals

London theatres offer a range of affordable ticket options, including Day Seats, Weekly Seat Releases, Preview Seats and Walk Up Seat Deals. This means that thousands of the best seats to top rated productions - everything from Book of Mormon and Curious Incident to off-West End productions can be had for well under £20! The process of securing the tickets isn't hard, often very social and ultimately enjoyable. 
We've put together a list of 50+ fantastic theatres with all their respective deals - 100% FREE to use and enjoy the theatre immediately.

Quick Note About This Information
Our team has made every effort to ensure the information presented on this page is an accurate as possible. However, there will be times when a theatre or producer's terms change the availability of tickets, and we will do our best to promptly modify the page. In cases where we are not aware, please feel free to contact our team and we will verify and make the neccessary updates. We’ve exhausted ourselves in identifying and presenting everything you could ever want with London tickets, so with that disclaimer out of the way, let’s dive into our top picks for a brilliant visit to a top show. 

1. Day Seats

What are Day Seats/Day Tickets?
  • Day Seats are discounted "best seats" tickets, sold to a limited number of customers directly from the Box Office. 
  • Day Seats are exactly as there name implies - bought and used on a single day. 
  • As a price comparison, Day Seats usually cost between £15-25 for stall seats, compared to a standard price of £60-100+. 
  • Each venue usually makes anywhere from 10 to 30 Day Seats available per purchase, per performance. 
  • The idea behind Day Seats is to make theatre affordable to everyone, if you're prepared to put in the effort to buy them. 

​How Do I Buy Day Seats, and How Many Can I Get?
  • Day Seats are only available to purchase in-person from the box office.
  • The time of first sale tends to be 10am, but this may vary by venue (as outlined below).
  • If you go on the day of a matinee and evening performance, twice as many day tickets are available. This means you have better changes of getting a ticket if you're not first in line. 
  • The venue usually limits the number of ticket per person in line to 1 or 2 (as outlined below). 
  • Don't risk having a card decline or not work - take cash for the tickets, as the venue will not hold them if you need to "nip to the bank". 
  • Once day tickets are exhausted, box office staff will outline other available tickets, and are often within their powers to discount seats considerably. As they know their forward bookings, it is in their interests to sell seats. Do push for discounts if you miss out on a Day Seat.

OK. Now, What Time Do I Need To GET in the Line?
  • This is best answered by the box office staff. Simply call them the day before you want to go, and ask them what time the line started that morning, and how many people missed out. For safety, it's best to grab a newspaper and get to a line around 9am. 
  • However, the popularity of the line will depend on the day itself (Saturday is often the most popular day), the weather (rain makes lines scatter), the show itself, the time of year (summer is busier than winter etc) and if the show is finishing. For example, when War Horse ended in 2016, the final days of its Day Seats saw people gather 6+ hours earlier than a month before!
  • Public holidays mean a change of opening times, so do check as this is certainly in place at a number of theatres (delaying opening times from 10am to 11am or even 12pm). 

Day Seat Productions (September/October 2016)

​

Aladdin
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts 1&2 Jersey Boys
Kinky Boots
​​Matilda
The Bodyguard
The Book Of Mormon
The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time
The Lion King
The Mousetrap
The Phantom Of The Opera
Wicked

Cheap Aladdin Day Tickets

Theatre: Prince Edward
Location: ​Old Compton St, London W1D 4HS
Day Tickets Program: The Aladdin Lottery offers winners the option to buy up to two £25 tickets.
How to Get Tickets:
  • Simply visit the Prince Edward theatre, enter the lottery and wait around for the lottery draw!
  • Draws are made at 12:30pm (for matinees) and 5:30pm (for evening productions); the theatre only issues entry forms in-person and it's best to show up 10-15 minutes before the draw to make sure you don't rush completing the entry form. 
  • Winners are promptly drawn, and to date there around around 20-25 seats offered for the front section of the stalls (this may vary day-to-day)
  • If you don't win, there may be the option to purchase tickets directly with the box office at a discount - theatres don't like empty seats, so you're in a strong position to look for a deal as the disappointed crowd leaves the theatre foyer.

Cheap Jersey Boys Day Tickets

Theatre: Piccadilly Theatre
Location: ​16 Denman St, London W1D 7DY
Day Tickets Program: Jersey Boys offers 10+ day seats for £25 each for each performance. 
How to Get Tickets:
  • Simply visit the Piccadilly Theatre well before 10:00am and join (or form!) the line; TheatreSmart suggests 8:30-9:00am is a good time to arrive to safely secure a day seat.  
  • Once the box office opens at 10am, you can purchase up to two day seats if there is remaining availability. Remember, on days with matinees there will be twice as many tickets available at 10am, so if you are flexible with what time you see Jersey Boys, this will be in your favour. 
  • If you don't make it in time, there may be the option to purchase tickets directly with the box office at a discount - theatres don't like empty seats, so you're in a strong position to look for a deal.
​

Cheap Kinky Boots Day Tickets

​​Theatre: Adelphi Theatre
Location: ​Strand, London WC2R 0NS
Day Tickets Program: Kinky Boots offers a limited number of £20 Day Seats for each performance for personal callers at the Box Office from 10.30am on the day of the performance. The allocation of tickets tend to be Stalls seats.
Reference: http://www.kinkybootsthemusical.co.uk/your-visit.php   
How to Get Tickets:
  • Visit the Adelphi Theatre well before 10:30am and join (or form!) the line; TheatreSmart suggests 8:30-9:00am is a good time to arrive to safely secure a day seat.  
  • Once the box office opens at 10:30am, you can purchase up to two day seats if there is remaining availability. Remember, on days with matinees (Wednesday and Saturday) there will be twice as many tickets available at 10:30am, so if you are flexible with what time you see Kinky Boots, this will be in your favour. 
  • If you don't make it in time, there may be the option to purchase tickets directly with the Adelphi box office at a discount.

Cheap Maltida Day Tickets

Theatre: Cambridge Theatre
Location: Earlham St, London WC2H 9HU
Day Tickets Program: Available for Individuals aged 16 to 25 ONLY: 16 tickets are available for every performance for £5 and ticketed at 10am when the box office opens. There is a maximum of 1 ticket per person and proof of age ID is required.
Reference: http://uk.matildathemusical.com/tickets/special-rates-discounts/
How to Get Tickets:
  • Simply visit the Cambridge Theatre around 7:00-8:00am to join (or form!) the line; TheatreSmart suggests arriving 2-3 hours before 10am is a good time to arrive to safely secure a day seat given the limited numbers and pricing ­­.  
  • Once the box office opens at 10am, you can purchase up to two day seats if there is remaining availability. Remember, on days with matinees there will be twice as many tickets available at 10am, so if you are flexible with what time you see Maltida, this will be in your favour.
  • Warning: This offer does NOT include Adults. Families are best recommended to secure seating for Maltida are best to get day tickets for their eligible children/young adults first, and then go to the box office and ask for standard seating for the adults. Because the day seats are limited, it is highly unlikely a group booking with day seats and standard box office will sit together.
  • If you don't make it in time, there may be the option to purchase tickets directly with the Cambridge Theatre box office at a discount - theatres don't like empty seats, so you're in a strong position to look for a deal.

A perfect #MatildaPose by @kobyri - thanks for visiting us at the Cambridge Theatre. #MatildaTheMusical

A photo posted by Matilda The Musical (@matildathemusical) on

Cheap Bodyguard Day Tickets

Theatre: Dominion Theatre
Location: 268-269 Tottenham Court Rd, London W1T 7AQ
Day Tickets Program: The Bodyguard offers a limited number of day seats are available at the box office from 10:00am on the day of the performance. These are priced at £25 (Monday to Thursday performances) and £27.50 (Friday and Saturday performances).
Reference: https://www.nederlander.co.uk/whats-on/the-bodyguard
How to Get Tickets:
  • Visit the Dominion Theatre Theatre well before 10:00am and join (or form!) the line; TheatreSmart suggests 8:30-9:00am is a good time to arrive to safely secure a day seat. While this is a new production, The Bodyguard has played London before so interest for day seats is somewhat reduced.  
  • Once the box office opens at 10am, you can purchase up to two day seats if there is remaining availability. Remember, on days with matinees there will be twice as many tickets available at 10am, so if you are flexible with what time you see The Bodyguard, this will be in your favour. 
  • If you don't make it in time, there may be the option to purchase tickets directly with the box office at a discount - theatres don't like empty seats, so you're in a strong position to look for a deal.

Cheap Book of Mormon Day Tickets

​​Theatre: Prince of Wales Theatre
Location: Coventry St, London W1D 6AS
Day Tickets Program: The Books of Mormon offers a lottery/draw for a chance of winning the right to purchase a £20 seat front row. There are 20+ seats per performance available; on Wednesday and Saturday there are two draws.  
How to Get Tickets:
  • Simply visit the Prince of Wales theatre, enter the lottery and wait around for the lottery draw!
  • Draws are made at 12:30pm (for matinees) and 5:30pm (for evening productions); the theatre only issues entry forms in-person and it's best to show up 10-15 minutes before the draw to make sure you don't rush completing the entry form. 
  • Each winner will be able to purchase one or two tickets, and it’s essential you mark your preference on the form to make the entry valid.
  • Winners are promptly drawn, and to date there around around 20-25 seats offered for the front section of the stalls (this may vary day-to-day). Once the first row is filled, the draw may continue to include other seats (notice of this will not be given). The quicker you’re drawn, the better the seats.
  • If you don't win, there may be the option to purchase tickets directly with the box office at a discount. The Book of Mormon is very popular but sometimes a discount can be arranged, otherwise head over to TKTS metres away in Leicester Square. 

Cheap Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Day Tickets

Theatre: Gielgud Theatre
Location: Shaftesbury Ave, London W1D 6AR
Day Tickets Program: The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time offers 20+ day seats for £15 each for each performance. 
How to Get Tickets:
  • Simply visit the the Gielgud Theatre well before 10:00am and join (or form!) the line; TheatreSmart suggests 8:30-9:00am is a good time to arrive to safely secure a day seat for any performance day. Saturday is extra busy, so for certainty 8:00-8:30am would be safer.
  • Once the box office opens at 10am, you can purchase up to two day seats if there is remaining availability. On days with matinees (Thursday and Saturday) there will be twice as many tickets available at 10am, so if you are flexible with what time you see The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time, this will be in your favour. 
  • If you don't make it in time, there may be the option to purchase tickets directly with the box office at a discount – The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time has been playing for a long time and thus you're in a strong position to ask for a deal.

Cheap Lion King Day Tickets

Theatre: Lyceum
Location: 21 Wellington St, London WC2E 7RQ
Day Tickets Program: The Lion King offers a limited number of day seats for £25 each for each performance. These are usually in the Stalls section.
How to Get Tickets:
  • Warning: This is a very popular show; increasing the chance of securing a day seat with depend solely on what time you join the line.
  • Simply visit the Lyceum Theatre well before 10:00am and join the line; TheatreSmart suggests 8:30am is a good time to arrive to safely secure a day seat during the week, and 8:00am for Saturday. 
  • Once the box office opens at 10am, you can purchase up to two day seats if there is remaining availability. Remember, on days with matinees there will be twice as many tickets available at 10am, so if you are flexible with what time you see The Lion King, this will be in your favour. 
  • If you don't make it in time, there may be the option to purchase tickets directly with the Lion King – while this is a very popular show, if you are determined, simply outline your budget and see what they can offer.

Cheap Mousetrap Day Tickets

Theatre: St Martin’s Theatre
Location: West St, London WC2H 9NZ
Day Tickets Program: The Mousetrap is London’s longest running play, and while day tickets aren’t really needed, their program offers a limited number of day seats at 10.30am for performances that day, only available in person from the box office. The seats available are in the front row of the Stalls and ticket sales are strictly limited to two tickets per person.
 
How to Get Tickets:
  • Get down to the St Martin’s Theatre at 10:30am and join (or form!) the line; TheatreSmart suggests that arriving around 10:30am will be fine as average daily interest in day tickets for this performance is low.
  • Once the box office opens at 10:30am, you can purchase up to two day seats at around £25-30. Remember, on days with matinees there will be twice as many tickets available at 10:30am, so if you are flexible with what time you see The Mousetreap, this will be in your favour. 
  • If there are no more day tickets, the theatre is likely to have other discounted tickets - you're in a strong position to look for a deal. TheatreSmart has had no issues in securing discounted tickets to the Mousetrap, summer or winter, and visitors should have no issue either. 

Cheap Phantom of the Opera Day Tickets

Theatre: Her Majesty’s Theatre
Location: ​Haymarket, London SW1Y 4QL
Reference: http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/tickets/box-office
Day Tickets Program: The Phantom of the Opera, perhaps London’s most famous (and popular!) musical, offers day seats, once a week. Thursday Matinee Day Seats are available for £25 from Her Majesty’s Theatre box office at 10am. However, this offer is highly competitive and the theatre advises that “on busy Thursday matinee performances, there will be a reduced amount of day seats and tickets will only be sold 1 per person”.
 
How to Get Tickets:
  • Visit the Her Majesty’s Theatre well before 10:00am and join (or form!) the line; TheatreSmart suggests 7:30am - 8am is a good time to arrive to safely secure a day seat. Winter (November-March) tends to be quieter, but Sumer (May – September) is heaving so an even earlier start to that listed below is recommended. 
  • Once the box office opens at 10am, you can purchase either ONE or TWO day seats if there is remaining availability.
  • As Her Majesty’s Theatre will not advise the booking limitations beforehand, if there are two of you wanting to see The Phantom of the Opera, it’s recommended that you both lineup to avoid disappointed. The Phantom is not worth the gamble!
  • Tickets are likely to be Stalls seats, with the best tickets usually being offered to those at the front of the line.
  • If you don't make it in time, there may be the option to purchase tickets directly with the box office at a discount. While the Phantom is popular, there is always a chance of restricted view seats being available which are considerably more affordable.  

What is the next line...? "Curl of lip. Swirl of gown. Ace of hearts. __________" #PhantomLondon #Theatre #London #Musical #Lyrics #PopQuiz

A photo posted by Phantom of the Opera London (@phantomlondon) on

Cheap Wicked Day Tickets

Theatre: Apollo Theatre Victoria
Location: 17 Wilton Rd, London SW1V 1LG
Day Tickets Program: Wicked offers a limited number of seats, released daily, for that day's performance(s) at 10:00am, in person at the Box Office. Tickets are in the Stalls and priced at £29.50, with two available per person.  
Reference: http://www.wickedthemusical.co.uk/concessions.php
How to Get Tickets:
  • This is an intense line! Take your place amongst determined mothers, frosty children and the odd sharp-elbowed granny for perhaps the most atmospheric day seats line in London!
  • Simply queue at the Wilton Road entrance and wait for 10am.
  • Just to be sure no one misses out, if you are a family of five, you’ll need three people in the line as there is a maximum of two tickets per person in the line.
  • If you don't make it in time, there may be the option to purchase tickets directly with the box office at a discount – Wicked is very popular, but don’t waste the opportunity to negotiate.

"Happy is what happens when all your dreams come true!" #WickedUK #HappinessHappensDay

A photo posted by WickedUK (@wickeduk) on

2. Weekly Seat Releases

£10 Donmar Front Row

Buzzy Covent Garden

A photo posted by Donmar Warehouse (@donmar.warehouse) on

Price: £10 (no booking fee), limited to two tickets per order. 
URL: frontrow.donmarwarehouse.com
​When: Every Monday, at 10am for performances two weeks later. i.e Book on Monday the 1st for shows 15th to 22nd. Register on their mailing list (LINK) and their friendly team will send you a reminder. 
What: Front row seats in the Stalls and Circle.
How Many? 100+ per performance. 
​Why We Recommend the £10 Donmar Front Row: 
  • You can't get closer to the stage - these seats are great value at £10 and the seats are unavailable to purchase outside of the Front Row promotion. 
  • The Donmar delivers consistent, quality shows; recent productions have included sell-outs such as Elegy (Nick Payne), The Vote and City of Angels. 
Tips:
  • Go for Automatic Selection when you purchase your tickets - competition is fierce and then the platform will give you available seats, not a seat someone else is in the process of buying. 

£10 Mondays at the Royal Court

The house is now open. We've got the keys #OpenCourt 18 July - 6 August

A photo posted by Royal Court Theatre (@royalcourttheatre) on

​Price: £10 (no booking fee), limited to two tickets per order. ​
URL: www.royalcourttheatre.com/your-visit/tickets/10-mondays
​When: Every Monday, at 9am, for the SAME DAY performances for both Upstairs and Downstairs (two theatres, two productions).
What: ALL Upstairs Royal Court seats are £10; the Downstairs Royal Court releases a big number. These seats include Stalls and the Circle - in summary, the entire theatre.
How Many? 100+ per theatre, per performance. 
​Why We Recommend £10 Mondays at the Royal Court: 
  • The  Royal Court delivers cutting edge theatre, no exception. One of the World's finest theatres when it comes to risk taking in production. 
  • Great and exciting writers are featured as standard.
  • The Upstairs theatre offers more challenging theatre, where as the Downstairs offers bigger shows that have wider appeal. 
Tips:
  • The Upstairs theatre is general admission, so arrive 20-30 minutes early if you want to be first in the door.
  • Recent productions have included sell-outs such as Hangmen and Escaped Alone. 

£20 National Theatre Friday Rush

Life begins for this building today. It's 40 years since we moved to our home on the South Bank.

A photo posted by National Theatre (@nationaltheatre) on

​Price: £20 (no booking fee), limited to two tickets per order. ​
URL: www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/fridayrush
​When: Every Friday, at 1pm, for performances the following starting from Monday. This promotion covers ALL the theatres - the Olivier, the Lyttelton and the Dorfman. 
What: For a fixed price of £20, saving at least £30 on Stalls and around £15 in the Circle, per ticket. The seats are all over the theatres (Stalls and Circle), so it's a bit of a lottery as to what you get. 
How Many? 20-50 tickets per performance, per theatre. 
​Why We Recommend the £20 National Theatre Friday Rush: 
  • The National Theatre gives you the chance to buy tickets for sold-out shows. 
  • The seating is excellent in the Olivier and Lyttelton theatres, meaning whatever tickets you get are likely to offer great visuals and sound. 
  • The choice is excellent - often the Olivier and Lyttelton have two simultaneous productions so you are able to pick tickets for up to FIVE shows!
  • This is the National Theatre - productions are of a very high standard generally. 
Tips:
  • Go for Automatic Selection when you purchase your tickets - competition is fierce and then the platform will give you available seats, not a seat someone else is in the process of buying. 

£15 Monday Tickets for Jamie Lloyd Productions

​Price: £15 (+ 10% transaction fee), limited to two tickets per order. ​​
URL: thejamielloydcompany.com
​When: First Monday of the month, at 10am. for performances every Monday for the following FOUR weeks.  
What: This promotion applies to ALL Jamie Lloyd Productions - recent locations have included the Duke of York (Dr Faust) and the Trafalgar Studios (The Maids). 
How Many? The ENTIRE theatre, so at least 200+ per theatre, per performance. 
​Why We Recommend £15 Monday Tickets for Jamie Lloyd Productions: 
  • Jamie Lloyd Productions has high quality productions, with big names. Usually this means expensive tickets, but this promotion delivers exceptional value for money. 
Tips:
  • Join the online queue 30+ minutes before 10am, to get the best chance. 

£10 Previews at the Old Vic

Our building this evening. #Orlando #LoveWins

A photo posted by The Old Vic (@oldvictheatre) on

​Price: £10 (+ 10% Booking Fee), limited to 4 tickets per order. ​​
URL: www.oldvictheatre.com
​When: Monday, at midday, five weeks before the FIRST preview performance. Register on their mailing list and they will send you a reminder.  
What: The first FIVE previews of every production, every section of the theatre has an allocation of £10 seats. 
How Many? 100+ per performance. 
​Why We Recommend £10 Previews at the Old Vic
  • The Old Vic is the "unofficial" National Theatre of London, with a beautiful building and a lot of history. In essence, the quintessential theatre with an excellent production record. 
Tips:
  • Join as a user (free) and join the queue 30+ minutes before midday so you optimize your chances of securing a ticket.

3. Preview Seats

 £10 previews for Young vic​

4.Walk Up Seats

Best of the Rest - Other Seat Deals and Special Programs, Available Every Week!

​
Arcola multipass
Hamsptead 
Multiuy -\southark [;auhpuse
£12 Saturday Matinees at the Bush Theatre
Multibuy - Southark playhouse
Gatecrasher at the gate - £10 (half price) seats for Saturday matinees. ​
£5 Globe Tickets
5 Pence Royal Court tickets