A study has found the best value trip to London families can enjoy this Easter, including a night in a hotel and theatre ticket price. The study, conducted by theatre ticket site SeatPlan, gathered data on what shows were available during March 2024 and calculated the average cheapest ticket price for shows on weekdays and weekends.
Additionally, the study looked at the top restaurants around the postcodes of each theatre to identify the number of highly rated restaurants under £25 each. Data was also gathered for prices of hotels within five kilometres of each theatre. These factors were scaled to determine the most affordable theatres to visit for a day out in London.
The study revealed that the London Coliseum is the most affordable theatre to visit in London; the cheapest tickets available had an average ticket price of £29 per ticket. The theatre is currently showing ‘The Barber of Seville.’ London Coliseum scored 81 out of a possible 100 points in the data, due to the affordability of the tickets and the number of cheap tickets available.
The Apollo Theatre is the second cheapest theatre to enjoy in London and is currently showing ‘Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle’. The cheapest tickets for the theatre have an average price of just £20. The Apollo Theatre had an overall score of 80/100 due to the amount of highly-rated restaurants close to the theatre and the number of affordable tickets available for the shows.
The third cheapest theatre to visit in London was the Theatre Royal Drury Lane; the most affordable available tickets are currently £39 for the Disney musical adaptation of the film ‘Frozen’.
The Royal Albert Hall was the fourth most affordable theatre to visit in London. The theatre is currently playing ‘Cirque du Soleil: Alegria’ and scored a total of 72/100 points in the study. This was due to the number of cheaper tickets available for the shows at the Royal Albert Hall.
The fifth most affordable theatre to visit was revealed to be the Aldwych Theatre, which is currently showing ‘Tina – The Tina Turner Musical’. Overall, the Aldwych Theatre had a score of 69 out of 100 and the average cheapest ticket price is currently £24.75.
| Rank | Theatre | Total index score (/100) | Current show playing |
| 1 | London Coliseum | 81 | The Barber of Seville |
| 2 | Apollo Theatre | 80 | Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle |
| 3 | Theatre Royal Drury Lane | 74 | Frozen The Musical |
| 4 | Royal Albert Hall | 72 | ‘Cirque du Soleil: Alegria’ |
| 5 | Aldwych Theatre | 69 | Tina- The Tina Turner Musical |
| 6 | Lyceum Theatre | 67 | Disney’s The Lion King |
| 7 | Criterion Theatre | 67 | The Merchant of Venice 1936 |
| 8 | Garrick Theatre | 66 | For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets to Heavy |
| 9 | Apollo Victoria Theatre | 64 | Wicked |
| 10 | Gielgud Theatre | 63 | Opening Night |
A spokesperson from SeatPlan commented on findings: “There are many affordable shows to see in London, whether it is with friends, family or just a solo trip. However, once you have picked a show to see, book your tickets promptly to guarantee cheaper tickets.”
“These findings have highlighted that it isn’t just the smaller shows that are affordable. West End hits such as ‘Wicked’ and ‘The Lion King’ can also be extremely affordable if tickets are bought quickly. However, if you are just looking for the most affordable shows in London, this list can be a useful guide to help theatre enthusiasts plan their London trips.”
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