London has some of the biggest theatre, musical, opera, and ballet scenes in the world. Nothing says "welcome to the big city" like a bright, dazzling display of sound and movement. There is a misconception that these are upper-class hobbies for those with heavy wallets. We are here to show you how to get reasonably priced tickets.
£5–£10 tickets at the National Theatre
If you happen to be between 16 and 25, you can purchase £5 and £10 tickets at the National Theatre. All you have to do is sign up to their newsletter. This is one of the most celebrated theatres in the world, where legends like Laurence Oliver, Anthony Hopkins, and Judi Dench once performed.
£10 tickets with the Royal Shakespeare Company
The RSC regularly offers discounts to under-25s. Their latest initiative is in partnership with TikTok to inspire a new generation to love the bard's works. As of writing, this includes £10 tickets for Matilda The Musical. You can sign up for free to hear about their latest ticket offers.
£25 for the best seats at the Royal Opera House
If you want a first taste of opera or ballet, you can't do better than the Royal Opera House. You can get the house's best seats for as low as £25, and join nights exclusively for members. All you have to do is create a Young ROH account and then you can browse their available offers.
Under 35s discount at the English National Opera
Not only can you get up to 75% off at the English National Opera, you can bring a friend who is also under 35. Signing up for an Under 35 Membership is completely free. You can hum along to the toreador song in Carmen, or catch La Bohème: the operatic predecessor to the hit musical Rent.
£5 performances with the Young Barbican
The Barbican deserves more attention as one of London's greatest attractions. This enormous residence and performing arts centre offers tickets as low as £5 to anyone aged 14-25 — but the Barbican also offers so much more: cinemas, talks, tours, and concerts just to name a few.
5% student discounts at Theatre Bookings
There are many ticket agents you can search for: some even offer surprise deals that are extremely generous. However, Theatre Bookings offers a flat 5% discount to all students. If you happen to be enrolled at the University of Roehampton (ask us for more info), you get even more special perks!
Concession tickets
It's always worth seeing whether you can get concession tickets at any theatre. The Young Vic is a personal favourite of ours, offering £12 tickets to anyone 25 or under. Sometimes you might even get it for less. If you are more interested in shows geared toward younger audiences, the Young Vic is highly recommended.
Day seats
Last but not least, almost every West End musical offers day seats. These are tickets that are exclusively sold on the day of the performance. For the same price as the most modest seats in the house, you can sit in the very best seats. You can catch Wicked, The Lion King or The Book of Mormon this way for just £25!
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