How to buy cheap London theatre tickets?

16 top tips to get discount theatre tickets

1. Buy tickets as far as possible in advance for shows you know are going to be popular. Make a note to check when the tickets first go on sale so you can get in there first and grab a bargain. Sometimes you can buy advance tickets four months or more ahead of the opening date.
2. Choose seats further away from the stage. Being close to the stage doesn't always give you the best view anyway – it depends on the theatre. In some the front row views are obscured by the stage itself, making tickets in places like the balcony a much better deal. Seats in the tiers, often with great views from above, are almost always cheaper than the stalls.
3. Take your chance on the day. Many shows release a small batch of cheap day seats on the morning of each performance. Some still sell them at the box office, but many now sell them online as "rush" tickets, often from 10am. Check the show's website to see how and when its day seats are released, and expect a limit of two tickets per person.
4. See a preview before opening night. Many theatres sell cut price tickets for shows before the opening night, when the performance is still a work in progress, almost ready to go but not quite 100%. Fascinating if you like to see the nuts and bolts behind the finished masterpieces and often just as good as the real post-opening night deal.
5. Go with a group of friends and book seats at a bulk discount. Bulk bookings can get you as much as 50% off, and the more of you there are in your group, the more likely you are to grab an excellent bargain. Group rates usually don't apply to peak performances such as weekends.
6. Meal and hotel deals are great. It might turn out that your hotel and show tickets together cost less than the tickets on their own. The same goes with post and pre-theatre meal deals.
7. Buy from the box office of the theatre itself, or the website, for some of the very cheapest deals. One thing to bear in mind – look out for tout sites. They can look very much like actual theatre websites but they're full of ads for other theatres, a sure sign.
8. The TKTS booth in Leicester Square has been around since 1980. Run by the Society of London Theatre, it's the official London theatre ticket booth, selling half price, discounted and full price tickets. You can buy on-the-day tickets there, or online from 12.01am, as well as advance tickets for later dates. You'll find it in the Clocktower Building on the south side of Leicester Square.
9. Enter a ticket lottery. Some West End shows run daily lotteries online. It's free to enter before the deadline on the day, and winners can buy a limited number of tickets at a low fixed price.
10. Avoid Friday and Saturday nights, when most people like to see shows. Weekday tickets are usually much cheaper.
11. Follow the theatre or the show itself on social media, where some special offers and discounts originate.
12. Returned tickets are sometimes available shortly before a show starts, when ticket holders hand back seats they can't use. People start queuing at the box office an hour or two before curtain up, and returns are sold at full price on a first-come, first-served basis, so they're a way into a sold-out show rather than a bargain. Some theatres will take your details instead of making you stand in line. But prepare for disappointment – there are no guarantees.
13. Discount websites like ours are always great for finding substantial discounts on West End theatre tickets. Check our special offers page.
14. If you live close by or have an easy journey into the West End, it may be worth signing up as a 'friend' of the theatre. Membership usually comes with discounts and special offers.
15. Monday ticket schemes can be excellent value. The Royal Court, for example, sells all its Monday tickets for £15, released online from 9am on the day.
16. Patience is a virtue! You never know. If all else fails, with a bit of luck the show you want to see will run and run, giving you the opportunity to catch it some time in the future even if you can't track down a cut price ticket right now.