Considering a last minute trip to the theatre but wondering how to get lower priced tickets. Here are some great tips to do so.
Try The TKTS Booth
TKTS is one of the official discount-ticket partners of the Society of London Theatre (a body of all West End theatres). All participating theatres provide real-time tickets at the TKTS counter, where you can buy last-minute tickets on the day of the show or for the following day. West End only has one TKTS counter at Leicester Square, where crowds often line up in order to reserve the top seats for popular shows. Most of the sold-out and popular shows won’t be available at the TKTS counter since they usually sell out through various other channels.
Top Tips On How To Secure The Best Last-Minute West End Tickets Through The TKTS Booth
TKTS tickets are only given in person, which means you will need to produce your valid photo ID.
Matinee tickets are usually easier to buy and are only available on the day of the show. So make sure you arrive by 9 am to make sure you are one of the first in line to choose a show you want to see.
The availability of tickets is displayed on the TKTS website, which allows you to check before you head out to purchase your ticket in person. One of the benefits of the TKTS counter is that you can choose how many tickets you would like to buy, unlike the other options for last-minute tickets such as the box office.
Check For Cancellations And Returns
It may come as a surprise, but many people won’t show up for many of the West End shows, even extremely popular ones such as The Lion King. These tickets are returned to the box-office and then sold at drastically discounted prices on the day of the show. However, when the show is already “sold-out” through standard channels, the full-rate price will usually apply. This method to try and get cheaper tickets for West End shows is an effort and time-consuming and is usually unpredictable when it comes to cost and availability.
Top-Rated Tips On How To Get The Best Last-Minute West End Tickets Through Cancellation And Return Tickets
Make sure you are at the box office by 8 am on the day of the show to ask if any of the tickets were returned for that day. If you are unable to secure what you have chosen, come back 90-minutes before the show starts and ask about last-minute cancellations. Many cancellations usually come about due to poor weather conditions, so make sure you are dressed for the occasion to wait for your turn in the line.
Bring cash and your credit card, since the box office might prefer cash over a card or vice versa and you wouldn’t want to miss out on your tickets due to this preference.
Check For Day Tickets Or Seats
Day tickets or day seats are seats that are available for that day. You cannot pre-purchase these tickets and these tickets are also usually linked with “limited views”. This could include side or front-row tickets that might restrict viewing. The theatres offer such tickets a few hours before the start of a show at discounted rates. However, these are not the best seating options in a theatre. And in most cases, you will only be able to purchase a maximum of two tickets.
Find Out About National Theatre Offers
The National Theatre offers discounted tickets under a scheme known as the “Friday Rush” where bookings open on Fridays from 1 pm for the performances for the next week. Friday Rush applies to Dorfman, Lyttleton, and Olivier theatres. While this isn’t a last-minute option, the benefit of this method is that tickets become available on Friday for even the shows that are sold out. This provides ample time to plan a short-notice outing and a way to enjoy cheaper ticket rates.
Now you’ve got a ticket, you need a hotel to stay in. There are fortunately many last minute deals for accommodation. Meaning you can enjoy the theatre and a night on the town for a lot less than you’d expect.
