West End LIVE 2026: The Full Free Lineup and How to Book the Shows You Love

The best-value weekend in the West End calendar is back, and it does not cost a penny. West End LIVE returns to Trafalgar Square on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June 2026, two days of free performances from more than fifty of London's biggest musicals and shows, and the 2026 lineup has just been confirmed. No ticket, no booking, no catch: you turn up, you find a spot, and you watch the casts of Hamilton, Wicked, Les Misérables, The Lion King and dozens more perform live for free. tickadoo is built by the founders of London Theatre Direct, so consider this your insider's planner: what is on each day, how to make the most of a free festival, and exactly how to book the shows that steal your heart so you can see the whole thing.

The cast of Six perform at West End LIVE in Trafalgar Square. Photo: Danny Kaan

What is West End LIVE?

West End LIVE is the free annual festival where the West End spills out of its theatres and onto a giant stage in Trafalgar Square for one weekend every June. Across two days, the casts of London's musicals and plays perform a number or two each, back to back, in front of tens of thousands of people, all of it free to watch. It is part taster menu, part street party, and the single best way to sample a dozen shows in an afternoon before deciding which ones are worth a full night out. The performances are also streamed on Official London Theatre's YouTube and social channels if you cannot make it in person.

Saturday 20 June: the lineup

Saturday runs from 11am to 5pm and is the bigger of the two days, stacked with the heaviest hitters in town. Confirmed to perform: Disney's Hercules, High Society, Avenue Q, Wicked, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, The Devil Wears Prada, Paddington The Musical, Cabaret, Sinatra The Musical, Hadestown, Hamilton, Oliver!, Les Misérables, The Phantom Of The Opera, The Producers, The Book Of Mormon, Operation Mincemeat, Beetlejuice, Mamma Mia!, English National Opera, Disney's High School Musical, Into The Woods, Six, The Choir Of Man, Magic Mike Live, Kimberly Akimbo, The Last Ship, Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical and more.

Sunday 21 June: the lineup

Sunday runs from 12pm to 4pm, a little shorter and skewed towards family favourites and feel-good crowd-pleasers. Confirmed to perform: Disney's The Lion King, Titanique, Matilda The Musical, My Neighbour Totoro, Hot Mess, Love Never Dies In Concert, Waitress, Inala, Kinky Boots, Six, The Karate Kid - The Musical, The Harder They Come, Dirty Dancing, Bliss The Musical, Magic Mike Live, Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, Little Shop Of Horrors, Heathers: The Musical, Jane Eyre, Ride The Cyclone, Jersey Boys and two surprise shows yet to be named.

Saw it, loved it, now book it: the live prices

This is where a free festival pays for itself. West End LIVE gives you ten minutes of a show; the full experience is the reason to go back. Many of the headliners on the Trafalgar Square stage are on sale right now through tickadoo, so you can turn a Saturday taster into a booked night out before you have left the square. Here are live prices for the biggest names in the lineup, verified on 13 June 2026.

• Mamma Mia!, from £18.75. The feel-good benchmark and the most accessible big musical in town.
• Hamilton, from £25. Lin-Manuel Miranda's era-defining hip-hop history, still one of the hottest tickets in London.
• Matilda The Musical, from £25. The RSC's beloved Roald Dahl smash, a Sunday family highlight.
• The Book of Mormon, from £25. Still the sharpest comedy on the West End.
• The Devil Wears Prada, from £25. Elton John's glossy fashion-world musical.
• Moulin Rouge! The Musical, from £26.46. A maximalist spectacle and a multiple award winner.
• The Phantom of the Opera, from £30. The Andrew Lloyd Webber classic that helped define the modern West End.
• Wicked, from £31.25. The untold story of the witches of Oz, riding a fresh wave of attention.
• Les Misérables, from £31.25. The world's longest-running musical, and a guaranteed West End LIVE goosebump moment.
• Hadestown, from £31.25. The Tony and Olivier winning folk-jazz retelling of the Orpheus myth.
• Disney's Hercules, from £36.88. Disney's newest London musical, going the distance.
• Sinatra: The Musical, from £37.50. The brand new bio-musical, in previews this summer with the Sinatra family producing.
• Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, from £42.69. The transformed-auditorium staging that turns a play into an event.
• The Lion King, from £43.75. Disney's spectacular, the definitive family-friendly West End event.
• Six, from £55.63. The pop-concert smash whose cast you can see open the show in our photo above.

Members of tickadoo+ save across West End bookings, which is worth a look if West End LIVE leaves you wanting to book two or three.

How to make the most of West End LIVE

A free festival this popular rewards a little planning. A few notes from people who go every year:

• Arrive early for the big names. Trafalgar Square fills up fast, especially on Saturday. Get there before the shows you most want to see rather than after, because the prime spots near the stage go first.
• Check the running order on the day. The full set times are published by Official London Theatre close to the weekend; plan your must-sees around them and treat everything in between as a bonus.
• Bring the essentials. Water, sun cover and comfortable shoes for a long day on your feet. There is a lot of standing.
• Use the accessible viewing areas. Accessible viewing platforms with BSL interpretation are available, with advance registration via Official London Theatre.
• Have a booking shortlist ready. The whole point of a taster is to discover your next night out. Keep this page open, and the moment a show wins you over, you can check dates and prices on the spot.

Frequently asked questions

When and where is West End LIVE 2026?

West End LIVE 2026 takes place in Trafalgar Square, London, on Saturday 20 June (11am to 5pm) and Sunday 21 June (12pm to 4pm).

Is West End LIVE free, and do I need tickets?

Yes, it is completely free and no ticket is required for general admission. You simply turn up. It does get extremely busy, so arriving early for the shows you most want to see is the key to a good spot.

Which shows are performing at West End LIVE 2026?

More than 50 shows perform across the weekend, including Hamilton, Wicked, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Six, Mamma Mia!, Cabaret, Hadestown, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Matilda, The Book of Mormon and Sinatra: The Musical, among many others.

What is the difference between the Saturday and Sunday lineups?

Saturday (11am to 5pm) is the longer day with many of the biggest musicals, while Sunday (12pm to 4pm) leans towards family favourites and feel-good shows, plus a couple of unannounced surprise performances.

Can I watch West End LIVE if I can't get to Trafalgar Square?

Yes. Performances are streamed on Official London Theatre's YouTube channel and social media, so you can watch the highlights from anywhere.

How do I book tickets for the shows I see at West End LIVE?

Most of the headline shows are on sale year-round. You can book many of them through tickadoo, with London prices currently from £18.75 for Mamma Mia!, £25 for Hamilton and £31.25 for Les Misérables and Wicked, all verified on 13 June 2026.

Make a weekend of it

West End LIVE is the perfect excuse to turn a free afternoon into a proper theatre weekend. Pair it with an evening show, and our guide to the perfect West End night out in 2026 covers where to eat and when to arrive. For everything else on this week, see our what's on in London this week roundup, and you can browse and book every London show on the tickadoo London hub.