London Coliseum
St Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 4ES
London Coliseum Tickets
The Elixir of Love
London Coliseum
Tickets from £35.00Gaetano Donizetti's gorgeous smile-inducing music is brought to life in The Elixir of Love, an operatic production bursting with charm. Set during World War Two, this fresh staging reimagines the beloved romance, first performed in Milan in 1832, for a new generation of opera lovers.
- Booking until: Thursday, 5 December 2024
- Running time: 2hr 30min. Incl. 1 interval.
- Playing at: London Coliseum
- Booking until: Thursday, 5 December 2024
The Nutcracker - English National Ballet
London Coliseum
4.5 81 reviews 4.5 81 reviews Tickets from £36.00English National Ballet's production of The Nutcracker has been enchanting audiences in London since 1950, and this year is no exception. Featuring over 100 dancers and musicians, watch as the classic fairytale bursts to life in the grand setting of the London Coliseum.
- Opens: Thursday, 12 December 2024
Booking until: Sunday, 12 January 2025 - Running time: 2hr. Incl. 20min interval.
- Playing at: London Coliseum
- Booking until: Sunday, 12 January 2025
Mary Skeaping's Giselle
London Coliseum
Tickets from £21.00Giselle is a haunting story of innocence and betrayal – a timeless tale about the redemptive power of love. Following five-star reviews in 2024, Mary Skeaping’s enthralling production returns to the London Coliseum for one week only.
- Opens: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Booking until: Saturday, 18 January 2025 - Running time: 2hr 15min. Incl. 1 interval.
- Playing at: London Coliseum
- Booking until: Saturday, 18 January 2025
Mary, Queen of Scots
London Coliseum
Tickets from £12.00Making its ENO premiere, this critically acclaimed modern opera set 500 years ago tells the story that still resonates today. With hostile forces on every side, Mary I of Scotland attempts to secure a happy future for herself and her country.
Caught between her drunken husband, her scheming half-brother, and her untrustworthy lover, Mary I of Scotland must find a way to protect her country and her Catholic faith.
- Opens: Saturday, 15 February 2025
Booking until: Tuesday, 18 February 2025 - Running time: 2hr 35min. Incl. 1 interval.
- Playing at: London Coliseum
- Booking until: Tuesday, 18 February 2025
The Pirates of Penzance
London Coliseum
Tickets from £12.00Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance heads back to theatreland thanks to the English National Opera. The show's lively characters and memorable songs offer an enchanting and entertaining theatrical experience that's perfect for all ages.
- Booking until: Friday, 21 February 2025
- Running time: 2hr 15min. Incl 1 interval.
- Playing at: London Coliseum
- Booking until: Friday, 21 February 2025
The Marriage Of Figaro
London Coliseum
5 2 reviews 5 2 reviews Tickets from £12.00The first revival of Joe Hill-Gibbins’ production of Mozart’s comic opera, The Marriage of Figaro, returns to the ENO following its acclaimed 2020 premiere, expertly conducted by Ainārs Rubiķis. Expect a bold, memorable, and highly entertaining show that perfectly complements Mozart's stunning overtures and arias.
- Opens: Wednesday, 5 February 2025
Booking until: Saturday, 22 February 2025 - Running time: 3hr 20min. Incl 1 interval.
- Playing at: London Coliseum
- Booking until: Saturday, 22 February 2025
The Little Prince
London Coliseum
Tickets from £49.00Following sold-out performances in Paris, Sydney, Dubai, and a season on Broadway, The Little Prince, marking the 80th anniversary of its publication in French, is one of the best-selling and most translated books ever written, comes to London for its UK premiere, from 12 - 16 March, in a new stage production filled with theatrical spectacle, dance, aerial acrobatics, and ground-breaking video mapping technology that bring the classic adventure story loved by generations to life.
- Opens: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Booking until: Sunday, 16 March 2025 - Running time: 2hr 5min. Incl. interval.
- Playing at: London Coliseum
- Booking until: Sunday, 16 March 2025
The Great Gatsby
London Coliseum
4.5 77 reviews 4.5 77 reviews Tickets from £24.00Direct from a smash-hit on Broadway, The Great Gatsby: A New Musical heads to London in 2025. Experience F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ageless tale of love, wealth and ambition in this fresh and unforgettable production.
- Opens: Friday, 11 April 2025
Booking until: Sunday, 7 September 2025 - Running time: 2hr 30min. Incl. interval.
- Playing at: London Coliseum
- Booking until: Sunday, 7 September 2025
London Coliseum Facilities
- Air conditioned
- Bar
- Infrared hearing loop
- Toilets
- Wheelchair/scooter access
London Coliseum Access Tickets
Disabled theatregoers and their carers can get discount tickets. Please phone the London Coliseum access line on 020 7845 9300.
London Coliseum Location
Travel Information
Nearest Tube station
- Leicester Square
- Covent Garden
Nearest Rail Station
- Charing Cross
Tube lines
- Northern
- Piccadilly
Day buses
- 24, 29, 176 / 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 87, 91, 139
Night buses
- 24, 176, N5, N20, N29, N41, N279 / 6, 23, 139, N9, N15, N11, N13, N21, N26, N44, N47, N87, N89, N91, N155, N343, N551
London Coliseum history
From the outside
The London Coliseum Theatre is a landmark on St Martin’s Lane with its enormous tower and grand exterior. The home of the English National Opera company, it has unusually shallow balconies so you enjoy amazing unimpeded stage views. The theatre’s impressive life-size sculptures of charioteers make the interior a splendid feast for the eyes.
London Coliseum Theatre architecture and history
The London Coliseum was designed by Frank Matcham for Sir Oswald Stoll. Built in 1904 specifically as a venue for variety shows, a ‘people’s theatre’, it had a very broad appeal at the time. A record breaking size, it had more than 2,300 seats and amazingly luxurious facilities. It features London’s widest proscenium arch, a massive 55 feet wide and 34 feet high. The stage is enormous too, at 80 feet wide. One of the earliest West End theatres to feature clean, relatively safe electric lighting, its impressive revolving stage was only rarely used despite costing a massive £70,000.
It was famous for its revolutionary modern features, which included electric lifts, a beautiful roof garden and a unique Information Bureau, where doctors and important people could take calls. Sadly the huge initial investment didn’t pay off and the venue shut its doors only two years later.
In 1907 it reopened to enjoy a successful run of variety shows until the 1930s, at which point film revolutionised entertainment and it changed its name to the Coliseum Theatre. The venue hosted a number of popular musicals, ballets and pantomimes, including a bunch of stateside hits from the USA: Annie Get Your Gun, Kiss Me Kate and Guys and Dolls hit the big time in the ‘40s and 1950s.
By the 1960s variety had become less popular and the theatre converted into a super-cinema, an enormous big screen venue that saw success for most of the ‘60s. Then, in 1968, the Sadler’s Wells Opera Company, now the English National Opera, relocated there and the venue was once again refurbished, adding a new orchestra pit in 1992.
In the early 2000s it was completely refitted again, in readiness for the Royal Variety Performance, held at the Coliseum in 2004 and again in ’06. Supported by National Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage, The National Lottery Vernon & Hazel Ellis and many more generous patrons, the end result is quite simply magnificent.
Past shows at the London Coliseum Theatre
Past shows at the London Coliseum include the fast moving tale of torture and murder Tosca, and Strictly Gershwin, a dazzling celebration of George Gershwin’s Hollywood smashes. Simon Boccanegra, a torrid tale of feuding and grief and widely lauded as one of Verdi's finest masterpieces, played there as did Shen Yun, a New York based Performing Arts group who performed ancient Chinese culture-inspired dance.
London Coliseum Theatre access
There are two wheelchair spaces in the Stalls, two in the Dress Circle and four in the Stalls Boxes. There are four transfer seats in the Dress Circle and six in the Balcony. There are two lifts which give access to most of the auditorium and all the venue’s bars and restaurants. Plus an enhanced sound system for the hard of hearing and regular sign language-interpreted performances.
London Coliseum Theatre tickets
We’re a favourite destination for a wide variety of seat types and prices, with excellent availability on the full range of Coliseum Theatre tickets.