Last Minute Theatre Tickets

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London’s West End offers some of the most exciting theatre productions and guess what? You don’t need to book months in advance to enjoy them because there are plenty of same-day theatre tickets London has to offer! 

Below, we have gathered the best tips and tricks to secure last-minute West End theatre tickets, including Day Seats, Returns, Rush tickets and Lotteries so that you can enjoy some of London’s top shows at any time. 

Why Book Last-Minute Theatre Tickets?

Save Time: If you’re organising an impromptu work social, trying to impress someone you met on the apps, or just want to treat yourself on a solo night out, same-day West End tickets combine the excitement of world-class entertainment with the flexibility of last-minute plans.

Save Money: Booking late can lead to fantastic deals, with discounted seats and Rush schemes unlocking premium tickets for a fraction of the price. Last-minute tickets for West End shows are a fantastic way to see top shows without blowing your budget. 

Enjoy Choice: If you’re heading out on a date or with your mates, embrace the element of surprise. With plays, comedy and musicals in London all available last-minute, part of the fun is choosing what to see together. It’s also a great way to stretch out of your comfort zone and maybe book something you wouldn’t normally consider.

How to Get Last-Minute Theatre Tickets in London

Rush Tickets

TodayTix is the home to many productions’ Rush theatre tickets, which are a fantastic option for last-minute plans. Every day, a handful of tickets are released for same-day performances on their app. If you secure tickets, they’ll be at a discounted price and may even be premium seats in the theatre! Some of our favourite West End shows that offer Rush tickets are:

  • Wicked
  • MJ the Musical
  • Hadestown
  • Mean Girls
  • Stranger Things: The First Shadow

And many more. For more information, head to the TodayTix website. 

Theatre Lottery Tickets

Lotteries give fans the chance to win tickets for high-demand shows at a significantly reduced price. Unlike Rush tickets, you need to enter the lottery in advance, so keep an eye on when to enter for the dates you’re interested in. Or, try your luck even if you don’t have any plans! Some of our favourite shows that offer Lottery tickets include:

  • Hamilton
  • Matilda the Musical
  • Operation Mincemeat
  • Cabaret
  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

For more information, we recommend heading to the production’s official website, where they’ll give you the low-down on how to enter. 

Same-Day and On-the-Day Tickets

If you’re flexible with your plans, same-day tickets are available at the TKTS booth in Leicester Square, where they list all the discounted tickets available for that day. If you’re not in London already, you can check their online listings. 

We also recommend checking SeatPlan’s Last-Minute ticket deals. They work with most of the West End ticketing providers to ensure you’re scoring the best price for shows within the next 7 days, including discounts that aren’t listed at the box office. 

Day Seats

Day Seats are one of the most popular ways of getting great seats to a show. Each morning, the box office releases a limited number of tickets for performances on the same day. These are usually available from 10am either online or in person at the box office, and keen theatregoers have been known to begin queueing from as early as 7am! Day Seat tickets are often in the front row of the theatre and traditionally range from £15-25. 

Since 2020, many theatres have moved their Day Seats online rather than at the physical box office, and you can usually book them through TodayTix’s Rush pages or the official venue website. 

Returns

Returns are tickets that previous buyers have returned to the box office, and they’re a fantastic way of finding last-minute availability for sold-out shows. Returns can be a gamble because there is no guarantee about which seats will be available and how much they’ll cost, so keep this in mind if you choose to travel to London to try and get these tickets.

We recommend heading to the theatre box office on the day of the performance you’d like to attend to learn more about returns.

Our Top Tips

Attend off-peak shows

Weekdays and matinee performances typically have more availability and are cheaper, meaning there is more of a chance of securing last-minute tickets.

We also recommend booking a preview performance if tickets are available. Previews are any performance before press night (when the show officially opens and critics publish their reviews) so are often cheaper than the rest of the run.

Rush and Lotteries

Try your luck and nab some of the cheap last-minute theatre tickets London has to offer – don’t bank on this being your only way to get on-the-day theatre tickets, as only a small handful are released for each production. 

Do your research

Find the best prices and availability online and compare for the show you’d like to see. Sometimes a last-minute deal can be too good to be true, so we recommend always purchasing from places like TKTS, TodayTix and SeatPlan to ensure your tickets are legit. 

Have fun and go with the flow

Last-minute theatre tickets can be a great opportunity to get cheaper prices for a show you really want to see, but it’s also a chance to be spontaneous. We recommend being open-minded about the shows that are available, and maybe taking a chance on a play or musical you might not usually watch. You never know, you might discover a new favourite!