Top price tickets to shows in London’s West End are expensive, end of story. For example, a premium seat for the ever-popular War Horse at the New London theater will set you back £84 (about $130) a pop.
There are, thankfully, several ways of getting cheaper tickets. Here we rundown five ways you can save money on West End theater tickets.
Half price last minute tickets
At 10 a.m. 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.
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 tickets for the day of the show, but you can snag a cheap single for a few quid and save as much as £50 ($78) on theater tickets in the process. Deals vary wildly – check the website to see what shows are available on any given day.
Tickets at the door
Most West End theaters hold a small number of tickets to sell at 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 lining up, 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 get in line as early as 8 a.m.
Book way in advance online
Lastminute.com has some fantastic dinner-and-show and hotel-room-and-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.
Chance your luck with returns an hour before show time
A number of the major theaters offer unwanted tickets at a massive discount around an hour before show time. When it comes to cheap theater tickets, this is as high-risk, high-reward as it gets!
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
(Main image: Eva Rinaldi Celebrity and Live Music Photographer)
