London Shows to Watch This Valentine's Day

Hadestown at the Lyric Theatre

The cast of HADESTOWN. Photo by Mark Brenner.

​​Hadestown takes the classic Greek myth of Orpheus and Euridyce and adds a modern spin to it, transporting audiences to a dystopian world where the seasons are out of balance and the underworld is one giant factory floor ruled by Hades. With heartrending original songs, a talented cast of wonderfully memorable characters, and an epic story, this is the perfect musical for all the romantics out there.

Hadestown Tickets

Moulin Rouge! The Musical at Piccadilly Theatre

Karis Anderson and Alistair Brammer in MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL. Image courtesy of production.

Step into the colourful, vibrant world of Bohemian Paris, and follow the forbidden love story of idealistic poet Christian and the beautiful Satine, star of the glitzy Moulin Rouge club. Filled with songs you’ll know and love, brimming with all the glamour and passion of Bohemian Paris, this timeless classic is another favourite of those with a romantic streak in them.

Moulin Rouge! Tickets

Sweetmeats at the Bush Theatre

Shobu Kapoor and Rehan Sheikh in SWEETMEATS. Image courtesy of production.

Romance doesn’t have an age limit. Sweetmeats is a tender, intimate love story - the kind that doesn't often get told, between two South Asian elders told by society that they've aged out of love. If you’re itching for something outside the usual West End shows, check out this new original play by Karim Khan and fall in love with a charming, heartwarming story about second chances and finding love where you least expect it.

Sweetmeats Tickets

The Phantom of the Opera at His Majesty's Theatre

The cast of The Phantom of the Opera. Image courtesy of the production.

If you’d prefer something epic and dramatic, opt for a long-running staple of the West End with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s timeless story of passion and obsession. In a haunted Paris opera house, a disfigured musical genius becomes infatuated with a talented soprano, who finds herself drawn to his seductive, dark allure. Get ready for a tragic, sweeping story with an awe-inspiring score filled with unforgettable songs such as ‘The Music of the Night’ and ‘All I Ask of You’.

The Phantom of the Opera Tickets

High Noon at the Harold Pinter Theatre

Denise Gough and Billy Crudup in HIGH NOON. Photo by Johan Persson.,

In the mood for something a little more action-packed? If you and your date have a fondness for Westerns, check out this highly anticipated stage adaptation of the thrilling 1952 classic starring Billy Crudup and Denise Gough. It’s got all the ingredients of an epic story: pistols at dawn, a frontier town on the brink of disaster, and a hair-raising showdown between the heroic town marshall and the vengeful outlaw - as well as a powerful love story between hero and heroine Will and Amy, who are torn apart by the violence that comes to their town.

High Noon Tickets

Beautiful Little Fool at the Southwark Playhouse Borough

David Hunter and Hannah Corneau in BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FOOL. Photo by Pamela Raith.

As far as famous literary couples in history go, there’s no pair more unforgettable than the great American author F Scott Fitzgerald and his wife and muse Zelda. Witness the untold story of this beautiful, tempestuous and brilliant couple, told through the eyes of their daughter, and of a marriage fraught with tension and infidelity. If you love the aesthetics of the Roaring Twenties with all its glitz and glamour, and if you’re fans of The Great Gatsby and Fitzgerald’s other works, you’ll adore this electrifying new musical.

Beautiful Little Fool Tickets

Cosi Fan Tutte at the London Coliseum

The cast of COSI FAN TUTTE. Image courtesy of production.

If you and your date are fans of opera, then there’s no better opera for a romantic evening that Mozart’s mischievous comedy of manners and mistaken identities, transported in this charming new staging to the fairgrounds of 1950s Coney Island, where a pair of sisters and their fiances play a game of trickery against each other. Get ready for sensational circus acts, colourful sets, and a score of breath-taking arias that’ll get stuck in your head whether you’re seasoned opera lovers or just dipping your toes in the genre.

Cosi Fan Tutte Tickets

The Tempest at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

Tim_Crouch in THE TEMPEST. Photo by Marc Brenner.

Nobody does romance like Shakespeare, and The Tempest will immerse you into an eerie, magical island ruled by the banished duke turned magician Prospero. Filled with thrilling spell-work, tricksy magical beings, and a story of first love between Prospero’s daughter Miranda and the young prince Ferdinand, lovers of Shakespeare will be enchanted by this unique, theatrical approach to this tale of power and freedom. The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse is also a cosy, romantic spot for a date - small and intimate, and lit entirely by candlelight.

The Tempest Tickets

Shadowlands at the Aldwych Theatre

Hugh Bonneville in SHADOWLANDS. Image courtesy of production.

In the mood for a tear-jerker? Look no further than this heart-breaking, moving revival of William Nicholson’s critically acclaimed play. Step into Oxford in the 1950s, where C.S. Lewis, the author of beloved children’s series The Chronicles of Narnia, meets and falls in love with American poet Joy Davidman, and then struggles to reconcile his heart and faith with her tragic death. Based on Lewis’s own writings, this powerful story of grief, loss, and faith will leave you in tears, in the best possible way.

Shadowlands Tickets

Into the Woods at the Bridge Theatre

Gracie McGonigal in INTO THE WOODS. Photo by Johan Persson.

If you and your date have a soft spot for fairy tales, try this dazzling revival of Stephen Sondheim’s beloved musical at the beautiful Bridge Theatre, returning for the first time in ten years. Offering a unique twist on the familiar and cherished Brothers Grimm fairytales, this spellbinding musical takes you into the heart of the woods, where characters like Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rapunzel, and more go on a quest beyond happily-ever-after to find the things that really matter. With a fantastic score, memorable storytelling, and plenty of heart, this is the perfect cozy musical for a date night.

Into the Woods Tickets

This Valentine’s Day, feed your inner romantic with one of these moving, thrilling, funny, or heartbreaking stories, and experience the magic of theatre with the special someone in your life. And if you want to make it a long-running date tradition, there’s plenty more shows to enjoy in London this year. Check out our lists of new plays and new musicals to watch in 2026.