Shining lights, the atmosphere comparable to Broadway and the buzz of a metropolitan city. The West End is famous for its many theatres, showing plays, and world prominent musicals. Seeing a show is a must when living in London, but a night in the West End can quickly become a strain on your wallet. Especially for students, trying to get your weekly or even monthly theatre fix is not easy with ticket prices up to £120. Unless, you know where to look for cheaper tickets or great deals. I have tried out many things, here are some of the things that work quite well.
Cheap websites
There are several websites that offer amazing deals with discounts up to 70%. Some of the websites offer great packages like a pre-theatre dinner for two. However, you have to be patient to find the best and cheapest tickets. My favourite is Lovetheatre.com, they offer huge discounts for tickets from Monday to Thursday.
Box office
The TKTS box is in the heart of Leicester Square and close by several theatres. However, be prepared to wait in line for quite a while. This is one of the most popular options to get cheaper tickets, especially with tourists.
Today Tix app
If you suddenly feel like going to a show, this app is amazing and great if you have a busy lifestyle. It can be used on the go, it doesn’t matter where you are, whether you are on the bus or walking to work. Just use the app to buy tickets to all the performances in and off the West End. They also offer discounts for many shows. Only downfall is, you can’t book tickets more than about a week in the future.
Depending on the show, you can also play the ticket lottery for several shows to win £15-£20 tickets for front row seats. Just enter the draw and the app will inform you if you have won. Don’t worry if you don’t win the first time, you can enter again the following day until you get chosen.
Day seats
This is probably the best option but also the harshest. If you don’t mind getting up in the middle of the night and travelling down to central London, just to wait for another five hours, then this is the way to do it. You can get two tickets per person and the tickets are usually for front row seats. Most theatres offer day tickets but check online before spending hours waiting in the cold.
Lottery
If you’re not set on seeing a show or you just want to try your luck, then the ticket lottery is the way to go. The Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales theatre is known for its daily Lottery. The winners are able to win the best seats in the house for £20 each. Just swing by the enthusiastic staff before 5.30 to enter your details.
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