How to Watch Musicals and Theatre for Free – at Home and in London
If you can’t make it to London for every West End show or your must-see list is rapidly growing beyond your bank account, why not try free theatre in the capital? London is home to some of the biggest arts organisations in the world, which means there’s no shortage of incredible events that you don’t have to pay to attend. You can fit in some opera on your lunch break, discover street performances by the river, or support the next generation of emerging talent while they’re studying! You can also enjoy top West End productions from the comfort of your own home: there are several streaming platforms which have a range of recorded theatre productions on demand all year round.
Free Theatre in London
London’s busy cultural scene, and its status as a world-class centre for the arts, means there are lots of opportunities to enjoy theatre for free throughout the year.
London Theatre Festivals
From central London or further afield in some of the capital’s most artsy boroughs, you can watch free outdoor theatre without spending a thing. These include National Theatre’s River Stage, which brings live music, dance, theatre and family events to the South Bank’s riverside; and Greenwich and Docklands International Festival in late summer.
One of the biggest free events for theatre fans is West End Live. This weekend-long musical theatre festival takes over Trafalgar Square, with performances from some of the West End’s biggest current and upcoming shows. Past years have featured performances from SIX, Hadestown, Mean Girls and Mamma Mia! Keep in mind that this is a very popular event, so arriving early is a good idea if you want to be at the barrier.
Free Opera in London
If you’re new to opera and want to try before you commit to a full production, the Royal Opera House’s Live at Lunch series is one to watch. Every Friday at 1pm, a completely free 45-minute-long performance from members of the Royal Opera and Ballet is open to the public. This event is first-come, first-served so make sure you arrive in plenty of time.
Opera is very accessible if you’re under 21, with lots of free or heavily reduced tickets available for the London Coliseum’s English National Opera season. Sign up for their Under 21s membership scheme and book one free ticket per production, subject to availability.
Drama School Performances
Watch some of the stars of tomorrow perform at London’s most prestigious drama schools – without paying! Several of the top performing arts colleges, such as RADA and Guildhall, open their final performances to the public every year with a small fee or none at all. Full listings are on their websites.
Professional Recordings of Stage Productions
Professional recordings bring the magic of live theatre to you at home, letting you experience West End and Broadway shows without leaving your sofa. These recordings often feature the original cast and give audiences a different perspective on productions.
- Hamilton – Disney+
- Lin-Manuel Miranda’s revolutionary musical about the life of Alexander Hamilton.
- Come From Away – Apple TV+
- A heartwarming true story of the kindness in a community during the events of 9/11.
- Newsies: The Broadway Musical – Disney+
- The Tony Award-winning musical about the 1899 newsboys’ strike.
- Les Miserables: The Staged Concert – Amazon Prime Video
- A concert version of the iconic, award-winning musical featuring a star-studded cast.
- Miss Saigon: 25th Anniversary Performance – Amazon Prime Video
- A beautiful recording of the musical’s anniversary performance.
- Billy Elliot the Musical – Amazon Prime Video
- A staged professional recording of the hit West End production.
- Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway – Amazon Prime Video
- The final performance of Jonathon Larson’s smash-hit musical on Broadway.
Musical Movie Adaptations
Movie adaptations of musicals are a blend of musical theatre and cinematic extravaganza. Perfect for a sing-along or a cosy movie night, the adaptations let you enjoy the drama, music and spectacle wherever you are! All you need to grab is the popcorn.
- In The Heights – Amazon Prime Video
- Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash-hit musical about a tight-knit community in Washington Heights.
- West Side Story (2021) – Disney+
- Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the classic musical about love and rivalry.
- Les Miserables – Amazon Prime Video
- The film adaptation starring Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Eddie Redmayne.
- Chicago – Amazon Prime Video
- The Oscar-winning adaptation of the hit criminal musical.
- Dear Evan Hansen – Amazon Prime Video
- An adaptation of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical.
- Cats (2019) – Amazon Prime Video
- Love or hate the musical, the movie adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s smash hit is star-studded.
- Hairspray (2007) – Amazon Prime Video
- An upbeat movie adaptation of the Broadway hit starring Zac Efron.
- Matilda the Musical (2024) – Netflix
- Starring Emma Thompson as Miss Trunchbull. Watch back-to-back with the original (non-musical) film adaptation!
- Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (2021) – Amazon Prime Video
- Baby, it’s a hit! This adaptation of the West End musical is pure feel-good fun.
Streaming Services
If you’re not sure what you want to watch, we recommend browsing the below streaming services.
The loved franchise offers more than just Hamilton and Newsies, with it being home to many movie musicals such as The Greatest Showman.
A dedicated streaming platform for musicals and plays that has recordings of much-loved productions such as Kinky Boos and Into the Woods.
With rent and buy options, there is a wealth of stage recordings and movie adaptations on this streaming platform.
With exclusives and a wide rent or buy library that is regularly updated, you won’t be left without a great choice.
A subscription service that has a variety of archive and cinema-quality recordings of National Theatre productions, such as Angels in America, Hamlet, All About Eve and many more.
A subscription service for Shakespeare’s Globe plays, including some of the most iconic and star-studded productions.
Packed with an updated schedule of theatre productions from Anything Goes starring Sutton Foster to Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker!
Dubbed “Netflix for the arts” (Financial Times), this subscription service has a mixture of free and paid-for content from companies including Wise Children, the Royal Opera House and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
With options to subscribe or rent individual productions, this service has recordings of big musicals like Kinky Boots and Funny Girl.
Grab snacks, friends, and maybe a notepad so you can write down shows you really want to book tickets for: this annual show airs on ITV just before Christmas and features performances from top West End plays and musicals, including sneak peeks of those opening in the new year.
Top Tip: Some banks and insurance companies sometimes offer streaming services for free when joining – so, you may be able to nab a free month of musicals and movies!
