How to Get Cheap Shakespeare Tickets

2026-06-02

Shakespeare's Globe: £5 Rush and £10 Standing

Every Friday at 11am, the Globe releases a limited number of £5 standing tickets for shows in the following week. These go live at shakespearesglobe.com/5-pound-rush. They sell out fast, so set a phone alarm for 11am.

Standard yard tickets cost £10 and are available through the main box office any time. The yard is the open standing area directly in front of the stage. Both options mean standing for the full show, typically two hours or more, so wear comfortable shoes.

Book: shakespearesglobe.com or 020 7401 9919.

RSC: £10 Young Person Tickets and Friday Rush

Anyone aged 14 to 25 and full-time students can get RSC tickets for £10. For shows in Stratford-upon-Avon this applies from age 14; for RSC productions in London it covers ages 16 to 25 and students. You need a free RSC account first at rsc.org.uk.

Rush tickets go live online every Friday between midday and midnight at £25 each, or £10 for restricted-view seats. Maximum two per person per week.

Under-18s pay half price on Monday to Friday evenings and all matinees, if at least one adult in the group pays full price.
Over-65s get 20% off on Monday and Tuesday evenings and midweek matinees on selected performances.
Standby tickets cost £25 from the box office on the day of any performance. They are available to students, unemployed people, key workers, and local residents. Bring ID.

A £3.50 transaction fee applies to all online and phone bookings from March 2026.

Book: rsc.org.uk or 01789 331111.

National Theatre: Entry Pass, Friday Rush and Day Seats

Sign up for the NT's Entry Pass at nationaltheatre.org.uk/entry-pass if you're aged 16 to 25. Tickets cost £5 for 16 and 17 year olds, and £10 for 18 to 25 year olds. Bring photo ID when you attend.

Friday Rush tickets are £10 each, released online every Friday at 1pm for shows the following week.

Day seats are sold in person at the Southbank box office from 9:30am Monday to Saturday, and from noon on Sundays. They cost £15 each, with a maximum of two per person. Queues for popular shows often start well before opening time.

Standby tickets are available in person from 60 minutes before each performance, at £20, £25, or £30. Open to students, unemployed people, and members of SOLT (the Society of London Theatre) and theatre unions. Bring valid ID.

Under-18s get £20 off any ticket priced at £40 or above at Monday to Friday evening and matinee performances.

Book: nationaltheatre.org.uk. Day seats and standby are in-person only at the Southbank box office.

ATG+: Discounts Across 50 UK Theatres

Ambassador Theatre Group runs around 50 UK venues, covering most major touring houses. ATG+ membership costs £50 a year on direct debit, or £60 as a one-off payment.

Members get priority booking, discounts of up to 50% on regional touring productions, and no booking fees. Some venues also put out a small batch of day tickets at the box office each morning at 10am, priced from £5 to £30, with a two-ticket limit.

Details: atgtickets.com/membership.

Booking Tips

Globe Rush tickets go live at 11am on Fridays. RSC Rush opens at midday the same day; NT Friday Rush goes up at 1pm. If you can decide on a Friday morning, that's when to act.

For day seats and standby, go in person. NT day seat queues at the Southbank often start before 9am for popular shows; RSC standby just means showing up at the box office on the day.

Buy direct from the venue's website or box office whenever possible. Secondary ticketing sites often charge above face value and many offer no refund if a show is cancelled.

Outdoor Shakespeare in Summer

From June to August, several companies take Shakespeare outdoors across London and the UK.

East London Shakespeare Festival performs at parks across east London and Kent each summer. Their 2026 production is A Midsummer Night's Dream, running June to August, with some shows on a pay-what-you-can basis. Full schedule at elsf.uk.

Running from 3 June to 12 July 2026, Shakespeare in the Squares is performing Love's Labour's Lost in London garden squares. These are ticketed outdoor shows across multiple venues. Prices and listings at shakespeareinthesquares.co.uk.

Fuller's pubs host outdoor Shakespeare in their gardens across the UK each summer. Their 2026 production is Romeo and Juliet, with 64 shows at 39 pubs from Bristol to Greenwich. Find your nearest venue at fullers.co.uk/event-finder/shakespeare-in-the-garden.

Sources

Shakespeare's Globe, £5 Rush: shakespearesglobe.com/5-pound-rush (verified June 2026)
RSC ticket prices and discounts: rsc.org.uk/ticket-prices-discounts-offers (verified June 2026)
National Theatre Entry Pass: nationaltheatre.org.uk/entry-pass (verified June 2026)
National Theatre ways to save: nationaltheatre.org.uk/your-visit/ways-to-save (verified June 2026)
ATG+ membership: atgtickets.com/membership (verified June 2026)
East London Shakespeare Festival: elsf.uk (verified June 2026)
Shakespeare in the Squares: shakespeareinthesquares.co.uk (verified June 2026)