Should West End Live be a ticketed event?
81% of people who answered my Instagram Poll said ‘Yes!’ – West End Live should be a ticketed event.
Hailed as ‘Glastonbury for theatre lovers’, West End LIVE is Europe’s largest free musical theatre festival and showcases outstanding performances from top West End musicals, live and free in Trafalgar Square.
An impressive line-up of over 50 top West End shows perform at the event, over two days. Performances for 2025 came from Back To The Future, Cabaret, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Disney’s Hercules, Disney’s The Lion King, Evita, Fiddler On The Roof, Hamilton, Les Misérables, Mamma Mia!, Matilda The Musical and Wicked.
Why does it matter if West End Live is a ticketed event or not because it’s free to attend?
West End Live takes place in June each year, which can be one of the hottest months of the year in the UK. Tens of thousands of theatre-lovers line the streets of London, from the early hours of the morning, queuing to see the live performances from over 50 theatre shows.
West End Live has increased in popularity in recent years (especially now theatre tickets are so expensive) and so people are more inclined to line up for hours to try to see the live performances in Trafalgar Square. But heat and dehydration easily affect people and once the arena is full, they operate a ‘one-in-one-out’ policy where as one person leaves, a new person from the queue can enter. So no matter how long you stand in line for, you aren’t guaranteed entry to the festival which people are saying is not fair.
By ticketing the event next year, West End Live can guarantee entry to people which will avoid a lot of stress and worry. Many people (myself included) won’t go to the event anymore because of the anxiety around whether or not you will get it and how long you will have to wait for.
West End Live are very good at posting each live performance from the festival on the Official London Theatre YouTube channel, shortly after the performance and so this year I enjoyed watching it from the comfort of my own home. Take a look at the videos from West End Live Day 1 and Day 2.
But for those who want to attend in person, 81% say that it should be ticketed so that they don’t have a wasted journey.
What do you think? Let me know on Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter or Bluesky.
