How to find cheap London theatre tickets for a weekend trip

I’m often asked the question: “How are you able to find cheap theatre tickets?”, and as I grew up in London I wanted to offer some of my top tips and advice on how I’m able to find these great deals.

Sometimes to find these cheap tickets you don’t even have to book in advance – you can book on the day instead.

After visiting many theatre shows and musicals over the years I’ve picked up a few tricks or two.

This is a blog post guide on how to easily find cheap London theatre tickets for a weekend trip.

How to find cheap London theatre tickets

The key to finding London theatre tickets for a cheap price is to be open and flexible with the shows you want to see.

If there is a particular show you absolutely have to visit, then, by all means, book in advance and enjoy it. Just be prepared to spend a good amount of money for the tickets, depending on how popular the show is that you wish to see.

I once wanted to take a friend to see Lion King, and the tickets cost of over £200 for the set. I’ve learned from my mistakes after that heavy hit and I’m happy to pass my advice on how to find cheap theatre tickets.

To find the best price, I like to use websites such as Encore Tickets to help me search around for cheap theatre tickets.

If you want to see a great show but don’t mind which one, you have a good chance of finding tickets for an incredible price.

This is a bit of wild card method for selecting your show, but you can get the best price on the day compared to other alternatives.

Matinees tend to be cheaper than the evening shows, so keep your eyes open for good deals.

It’s also a good idea to check tickets for a show that is about to end its long run or a brand-new show that is trying to enter the market.

For those new shows to hit the West End, I like to read critic reviews from Time Out London who cover almost all of the new launches so you can read about what to expect.

Traditionally theatres are closed on Sundays, but there is a selection of shows available that day as well. The Sunday shows tend to be more children friendly themed, so if you are travelling with children, check out the Sunday shows.

In the past, in order to find the cheapest tickets on the day, you would have to make a trip up to Leicester Square and visit one of the ticket offices, but now you can book tickets with the convenience of booking online. How awesome is that!

It’s nice and easy and saves you time and money to enjoy other attractions around London, so why not make a weekend out of it and book directly with Encore tickets.

Booking with Encore Tickets

The booking process with Encore Tickets is rather easy, head to the website, see what deals you can find then search around for the best date, time and seats that suit your preference.

Once you’ve made your booking you will be sent an email with your ticket reservation.

All you have to do now is arrive at the venue to show your email reservation at the ticket collection office and then you’re all set. Best to arrive a little early before the show so you can pick your tickets up on time.

Sit back, relax, enjoy the show and your theatre ticket saving.

Why not check out the London West End musical Wicked

After using the Encore Tickets website myself, I found that Wicked was available for £22.00 which is a fantastic price for a London West End musical.

I was able to book on the day and collect the tickets before the show started.

As neither I or my girlfriend had seen Wicked before, this was a great option for us. The show is located in the historical Apollo Victoria Theatre, and the venue looks beautiful.

We had a blast. Wicked was so good that we wanted to go see it again. It was full of powerful musical numbers, and the quality of the actors’ performance was of a high standard. The set was world class and created an illusion of a magical world on the stage.

This is what makes London so great for the theatre. West End offers many fantastic performances every week – you will never get bored in London.

For those prices, you get outstanding value for a top-quality performance.

The Apollo Victoria Theatre is within walking distance of Victoria station. It was easy to find the theatre and we could have dinner in the area before the show, which was a good option for us.

Be sure to make the most out of London whilst enjoying your weekend trip.

Affordable hotel options in London

Why not turn your visit into a weekend trip in London?

Then you can enjoy a theatre show in the evening and stay overnight in the city.

You can even do two or three shows over a weekend with many matinee performances to choose from.

I took my girlfriend from Finland to London and wanted to show her a West End performance to enjoy a weekend together in the city.

After searching online, I found an affordable hotel for two close to Earl’s Court tube station at Ambassadors Hotel.

With the London Underground connection and an Oyster card (You can even use touch pay now on the London Underground), it’s easy to get there.

The room was basic but had all the facilities we needed, and our stay included breakfast as well.

The affordable hotel and cheap theatre tickets allowed us to save money that we could then put towards other experiences around London.

Other things to see and do around London

A popular thing to do in London is to enjoy a high tea in a top quality tea room.

We had high tea at Harrods department store which is a short tube ride away from Ambassadors Hotel. It makes for a nice extra treat when you’re spending a weekend in London.

The theatre venues are normally close to many dining options.

Why not package it up together and make an evening of it in London?

Most of the West End shows, for instance, are around Leicester Square which is full of great dining and shopping options to choose from. (For more shopping, check out the close by Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Street.)

Additionally, many of the world’s best museums can be found in London and many of them are open to the general public for free.

You can make a nice weekend visit to London and enjoy the wonderful cultural attractions that the city has to offer.

Thank you for reading my blog post about the West End

Thank you for reading my blog post about how to find cheap theatre tickets in London and I hope you found it useful.

If you do have any further questions, feel free to send me an email and I’ll be more than happy to help.

Have a great trip to London and enjoy the West End theatre shows.