London Shows playing in August 2026

Loosely inspired by the Scottish ballad Barbara Allen, Dark of the Moon is an ethereal, enchanting musical about witchcraft, small-town prejudices, and forbidden love, in which Barbara Allen, a small town girl from rural Appalachia, falls in love with John, a witch-boy, while their dynamically polarised communities fight to keep them from being together. With a thrilling score that blends country/bluegrass and rock, this bold new staging of a timeless story will sweep you away into the Appalachian mountains with a story about love that defies all odds.

British choreographer Matthew Bourne's dance production tells the story of a small-town Italian-American community whose lives are changed when a handsome, dangerous stranger walks into their diner. With a passionate, high-energy score by Terry Davies and inspired by Bizet's iconic opera, Carmen, The Car Man will sweep you off your feet and into a sizzling American epic.

Brainiac Live, the nation's favourite family science show, is returning to the West End this summer just in time for the school holidays. With a mission to get kids to see science as fun and exciting, this exhilarating show features thrilling live experiments performed onstage, including liquid nitrogen clouds, vortex smoke rings, exploding hydrogen balloons, and spinning CO₂ chairs. Perfect for the whole family, don't miss this joyful, electrifying, and downright hilarious celebration of our weird and wonderful world.

The beloved franchise that pokes affectionate fun at history comes to life on the West End stage. After two successful television shows and a film, Terry Deary’s hilarious children’s series gets its own stage production, full of sketches and musical numbers featuring famous historical icons as you’ve never seen them before.

Based on Judith Kerr's beloved picture book and adapted by David Wood, The Tiger Who Came to Tea follows a little girl named Sophie, who's confronted by a huge, tea-guzzling tiger when he invites himself over to her house for afternoon tea. Filled with humour, heart, and infectious songs, this is the perfect summer treat for the whole family, appropriate for children of all ages. Book now and don't miss this charming, delightful story about kindness and embracing the unexpected.

Adrian Lester returns as the dashing but insecure hero Cyrano in Simon Evans and Debris Stevenson's adaptation of Edmond Rostand's timeless classic, in which poet and duelist Cyrano de Bergerac, unable to confess his feelings for his love Roxane, instead helps the handsome but inarticulate Christian woo her through letters written by his own hand. Cyrano de Bergerac opened to critical acclaim in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2025 and now London audiences will have the chance to experience the romance, tragedy, and hilarity of this lyrical story of love, lies, and longing when it arrives at the Noel Coward Theatre this summer.

Disney’s Hercules is brought to life on the West End stage in an exciting new musical adaptation, inspired by the beloved animated film and rooted in ancient Greek mythology. With its larger-than-life energy, humour, and heart, this spectacular show is sure to win over gods and mortals alike.

From the creative duo behind 42 Balloons, Jack Godfrey and Ellie Coote, comes a charming new musical about the messy love story between Earth and Humanity. Packed with original pop songs, whimsical comedy, and a powerful message about climate change, Hot Mess is coming to The Other Palace this summer.

Inspired by Lionsgate's worldwide blockbuster franchise, Now You See Me, and fresh off a world tour that dazzled audiences across Australia and Singapore, Now You See Me Live is finally coming to the UK. This international stage illusion spectacular features a world-class magic ensemble from around the world, based on the film's Four Horsemen, who enthrall and amaze audiences with their jaw-dropping arsenal of illusion, magic tricks, spectacle, and storytelling.

Carrie Cracknell's Olivier-nominated revival of Tom Stoppard's Arcadia returns after a sold-out run at the Old Vic, transferring to the Duke of York's Theatre.Arcadia takes place across two timelines: in the past, a teenage prodigy investigates sex and mathematics with her tutor, while in the present, a group of scholars try to sniff out a historical scandal. Witty, clever, moving, and provocative, Arcadia explores the nature of time and the relationship between order and disorder.

Aaron Sorkin's critically acclaimed stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird returns to the West End this summer as part of a UK and Ireland tour. Based on the 1960 coming of age novel by Harper Lee, in which six year old Scout Finch narrates the story of her father Atticus and his attempts to defend a black man falsely accused of rape in a southern town, the story has continued to inspire and fascinate readers and audiences in the decades since it was first written. Richard Coyle reprises his role as Atticus Finch in this raw, unflinching retelling of a beloved story.

Florian Zeller’s razor-sharp and darkly witty marital comedy about truth, lies, and everything in between comes to the Apollo Theatre, returning to London after a decade with a dizzyingly twisted story filled with adultery and deception. Stephen Mangan, Ardal O’Hanlon, Sarah Hadland and Janie Dee star in this dazzling revival of the Olivier-nominated play, directed by Lindsay Posner, which promises to leave audiences at the edge of their seats.

A personal and powerful collaboration between composer Philip Glass and performer-director Phelim McDermott (Improbable), Tao of Glass explores life, loss, and the question of where true inspiration comes from. Part concert and part performance, it features ten meditations on life, death, and Taoist wisdom, set to ten brand new pieces of music from Glass. It's presented by McDermott, alongside an ensemble of musicians and puppeteers bringing this beautiful story to life.

Don't miss a rare opportunity to catch one of Shakespeare's least performed comedies, in which a group of men who have sworn off women are tempted by the arrival of a group of women in Navarre, leading to a battle of wits and desires, and a story filled with wordplay and poetry. Indiana Lown-Collins brings this rarely staged play to life through energetic flamenco dance, inviting you to join a celebration of fiery romantic tension and joyous revelry this summer.

Critically acclaimed Australian director Simon Stone returns to the Bridge Theatre to bring to life Aeschylus's epic Greek tragedy, The Oresteia, which follows the young Orestes in the bloody fallout of the Trojan War. This bold new adaptation, which reunites Stone with the creative team behind The Lady from the Sea, offers a unique modern spin on the classic play, in which a contemporary family wakes up trapped in a Greek myth.

Heading to the West End this autumn for the first time since 2004, following a sold-out three-month run at the Menier Chocolate Factory, The Producers is tipped to be the biggest show this year! Experience sharp wit, unforgettable songs, and standout performances, all of which have earned the production critical acclaim.

From the creators of the beloved West End hit The Play That Goes Wrong comes The Comedy About Spies—an action-packed comedy thriller set in 1960s London. Prepare for a whirlwind of misunderstandings, miscommunication, and mistaken identity in this hilarious new production.

The life and musical journey of musical legend Chaka Khan comes to life in this vibrant, joyful, and moving musical that traces her rise to stardom in all its challenges and triumphs, filled with some of her best-beloved and unforgettable songs.

The Book of Mormon is a wildly entertaining, award-winning show that is as hilarious as it is heartfelt. Audiences worldwide have been captivated by this production which pushes boundaries whilst delivering laughs and unforgettable performances.

Black Panther star Letitia Wright will star in the UK premiere of Tracey Scott-Wilson's The Story, a smart and slick newsroom drama about an ambitious young reporter's investigation of a murder of a white teacher in a black neighbourhood. Clint Dyer (Othello, Death of England) directs this thrilling mystery play about the elusive nature of the truth, which offers a raw look at the relationship between race and media.

Step into the Globe's highly anticipated 2026 summer season with a classic Shakespearean comedy, in which young lovers Rosalind and Orlando navigate romance while hiding out in the Forest of Arden. Featuring mistaken identity, disguises, and live music, Sean Holmes and Charlie Josephine team up to bring this light-hearted and euphoric story of love, lust, and revelry to life in the gorgeous open-air Globe Theatre.

If you loved the Netflix series, Stranger Things: The First Shadow takes audiences back to Hawkins in a breathtaking stage prequel that uncovers dark secrets and untold origins. Be brought closer to the supernatural events that shaped Hawkins long before Eleven and her friends, see you in the errie world of the Upside Down!

If you enjoy some spontaneous entertainment, grab a ticket for Showstoppers! The Improvised Musical. The multi award-wining show takes suggestions from the audience and turns them into a unique treat for theatregoers.

Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap is the ultimate classic whodunit that has kept audiences on the edge of their seats for decades with its suspenseful plot and surprising twists. Experience the thrill of live mystery and see why this record-breaking play remains a timeless masterpiece of London's theatre scene.

Comedy legend Cole Escola’s dark, off-beat, and utterly outrageous historical comedy comes to the UK. This gleefully anachronistic take on American history follows Mary Todd Lincoln, wife to Abraham Lincoln: a woman who's feisty, thorny, drunken, and utterly unforgettable. Don’t miss this short and snappy 80-minute play packed with gags and mayhem, in a wild story about a First Lady as you’ve never seen her before.

Now in the 10th longest-running West End stage production in British history, Wicked is the multi-award winning musical based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. Dubbed Best Musical of the Decade by Entertainment Weekly, Wicked continues to be one of the West End's most popular family musicals.

The beloved musical comedy featuring puppets and human actors is returning to the West End after two decades. The winner of multiple Tony Awards, with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and a book by Jeff Whitty, Avenue Q has been delighting audiences with its unique concept, catchy songs, and loveable characters since it first premiered in 2006, and now London audiences get to experience this quirky, charming story once again.

What do you get when Céline Dion’s music clashes with the 11-time Oscar-winning movie Titanic? Meet TITANÍQUE, a jukebox musical transforming one of the greatest love stories of all time into a hysterically funny, utterly outrageous slay-fest.

After having a triumphant run at the Barbican Theatre, My Neighbour Totoro transfers to the West End. Delivering a plethora of vibrant visuals, jaw-dropping puppetry and delightful characters, this production takes audiences on a magical journey into the wonders of childhood imagination and the beauty of friendship.

SIX reinvents history with a fresh twist, giving the six wives of Henry VIII the spotlight to finally share their own stories. With catchy, empowering songs and electrifying choreography - this show is executed in a fierce pop concert that has captivated audiences worldwide.

Conor McPherson adapts The Hunger Games, the thrilling saga about tyranny and revolution, based on the best-selling series by Suzanne Collins. Panem comes to life in the purpose-built, state-of-the-art Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre.

Les Misérables has retained its crown as the longest-running musical in the West End for nearly 40 years. Over 130 million people worldwide have been captivated by this timeless tale of love, sacrifice, and redemption. This is a must-see on your plans when you visit London.

The award-winning and record-breaking Hamilton is delighting audiences at the Victoria Palace Theatre. Now in its eighth year, this is a hugely popular musical based on America's founding father Alexander Hamilton's life with a book, music, and lyrics written by musical theatre icon Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Lionel Burt's timeless musical Oliver! is making a triumphant return to the West End this Winter. Bringing Dickens’ classic tale and its unforgettable songs back to life, audiences can look forward to a fresh revival of this timeless story from Cameron Mackintosh and Matthew Bourne. It'll leave you asking for more!

Sinatra tickets on sale today. This brand new musical about the life and musical legacy of the legendary Frank Sinatra is coming to the Aldwych Theatre in summer 2026, written by Joe DiPietro and directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall. This powerful, inspiring account of Sinatra's struggles, love affairs, and rise to glory features over 20 of his most beloved hits, including "That's Life", "One For My Baby", "The Best Is Yet To Come", and "Come Fly With Me".

Step into London’s historic County Hall for Witness for the Prosecution, where Agatha Christie’s gripping courtroom drama unfolds in an unforgettable, immersive setting. This acclaimed production brings you up close to the suspense as shocking twists keep you guessing right until the final verdict.

Rediscover the Wizarding World 19 years after the epic Battle of Hogwarts with the multi-award-winning production, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Jampacked with spectacular spells, embark on a mind-blowing race through time with one of London's most popular plays!

This sizzling, sexy dance production inspired by the hit Magic Mike film franchise starring Channing Tatum is the perfect show for a girls' night. Step into mythical Club Domina, a purpose-built venue in London's Hippodrome Casino, where you'll experience a group of talented, attractive artists perform a thrilling variety of 360-degree dance and acrobatic feats combined with one-of-a-kind acts.

Matilda The Musical takes audiences of all ages on an unforgettable journey filled with laughter, heart, and the inspiring tale of a courageous little girl with extraordinary powers. The show has won over 100 international awards since it opened in London in 2011.

The Play That Goes Wrong is an unmissable comedy, delivering laugh-out-loud moments as a fictional theatre company attempt to perform a murder mystery production collapses. Known for its brilliantly timed physical humour and unexpected mishaps, The Play That Goes Wrong is the longest-running comedy in the West End for a reason!