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Where to find London's theatre ticket lotteries

They’re not easy to win, but ticket lotteries could get you in to some of the city’s most popular shows

Following The Lion King's announcement that they will be launching a ticket lottery for the first time since opening 17 years ago, here are some of the best ticket lotteries available in the capital.


The Book of Mormon

The Prince of Wales is currently home to The Book of Mormon
The Prince of Wales is currently home to The Book of Mormon
© David McKelvey

For every performance, The Book of Mormon hold 21 tickets to be sold through an on-the-day lottery at £20 each. Entries are accepted at the box office two and a half hours before each performance, and winning entrants can bag a pair of tickets to that evening's performance. If you can't make it to the theatre in person, an online lottery for an additional pair of tickets is available through Twitter every week. More details are available here.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

The front of the Palace Theatre, where Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will run.
The front of the Palace Theatre, where Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will run.
© Peter Gibbons

Haven't managed to get your hands on the most elusive tickets in town? Friday Forty may be the answer you've been looking for. At 1pm every Friday, 40 tickets for every performance the following week are released online for as little as £40. If you think you'll be able to magic yourself a pair of tickets, you can enter through their website.

Aladdin

From 10am every day, you can grab an entry form from the Prince Edward Theatre for the chance to win two £25 tickets. Entries are accepted two and a half hours before that days performance, with the draw being made 30 minutes later.

National Theatre's Friday Rush

The National Theatre
The National Theatre
© James Stringer

The National run a lottery every Friday for each show across all three of their theatres. The online lottery is run at 1pm, and allocates £20 tickets to all performances, including any sell-outs.

The Lion King

The Lion King tour boosted attendances
The Lion King

The Lion King is the most recent production to join the lottery revolution, offering patrons who arrive at the theatre two and a half hours before each performance the chance to win two tickets for £25 each. The Summer Ticket Lottery is the first time since the production opened at the Lyceum Theatre 17 years ago.

Donmar Warehouse's Front Row

Donmar Warehouse
Donmar Warehouse
© Johan Persson

Every Monday at 10am, the Donmar Warehouse release tickets for front row seats online for just £10. Customers can book a pair of tickets via their website, and any tickets left uncollected are then made available from the box office one hour before each performance.

Matilda

Cambridge Theatre
Cambridge Theatre

To make it easier for younger generations to see theatre, the Cambridge Theatre hold back 16 tickets at the box office every day exclusively for 16 to 25 year olds. Provided you have photo ID to prove your age, tickets are available from the box office every day from 10am.

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