A quarter of the tickets at the National Theatre cost 30 pounds or less, and every Friday at 1pm it releases ten pound seats for the following week. The National’s own policy is that across the year, 25 per cent of tickets on the South Bank are priced at 30 pounds or under. It is on the theatre’s own page rather than in a deal.
Most pages ranking for the National Theatre are selling you a seat. This one is about the cheap ones, and what the full price actually is.
What National Theatre tickets cost
Prices are set per production. For Cloud 9, which plays in the Lyttelton Theatre from 2 November 2026 to 13 January 2027, Monday to Thursday tickets run 25, 36, 51, 72 and 93 pounds, and Friday and Saturday tickets run 25, 41, 62, 82 and 105 pounds. The cheapest seat is 25 pounds on every night, and the top seat is 12 pounds dearer at the weekend.
The cheap seats are in high demand, may be limited to two per customer, and may offer a restricted view of the stage. Reduced prices are also on offer for many shows during previews, which for Cloud 9 are 2 to 6 November. The details are on each show’s page.
The ten pound Friday Rush
Every Friday at 1pm the National releases ten pound Friday Rush tickets for each of the following week’s performances, at all three of its theatres and at selected West End transfers. It is the cheapest way in and it needs you to be at a screen at one o’clock.
Standby tickets
Any unsold tickets go on sale in person at the Box Office 60 minutes before each performance, subject to availability and never on a sold out show.
General Standby takes up to 20 pounds off selected tickets. Reduced Standby is 30, 25 or 20 pounds, but only for students, Stage Pass, SOLT and theatre union members, and the unemployed, with valid ID shown and one ticket per ID.
Discounts by age
Over 60s save 20 pounds on midweek matinees. The reduction is 20 pounds off the 72 and 51 pound tickets for Cloud 9 and Mr Loverman, for example, and 20 pounds off 85 and 65 for The Story and Suddenly Last Summer. It is limited to two per customer per performance.
Under 18s get 20 pounds off any ticket priced 40 pounds or more, on Monday to Friday evenings and all matinees. Aged 16 to 25, you can unlock tickets at 10 pounds or under for any show in the Olivier, Lyttelton and Dorfman theatres: 5 pounds if you are 16 to 18 and 10 pounds if you are 19 to 25. You can book a maximum of two per production, one for you and one for someone else in that age range.
The building, and what is free
The National Theatre is at Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PX, close to Waterloo, Embankment and Southwark stations. The building opens from 10am until 11pm, Monday to Saturday, and you do not need a ticket to walk around it. It has free exhibitions at the South Bank and online, a bookshop, and backstage tours of how the stage is run.
Southbank restaurants inside the National Theatre
All three of the National’s places to eat are open to everyone, not just people seeing a show. The National says so about two of them in as many words.
Lasdun is the Modern British restaurant, from the pair behind The Marksman in Hackney. It serves a full a la carte menu plus pre-theatre and bar dining, Monday to Saturday, with bar seats and snacks before the show, in the interval and after. Reservations are recommended, and walk-ins are welcome.
Forza Wine is the terrace bar, run by the South London rooftop venue of the same name, with cocktails, Italian-ish sharing plates and river views, Monday to Saturday from 12 noon to midnight. Walk-ins are welcome, reservations recommended.
The Understudy is a riverside craft beer bar with street food from KERB traders, open from midday Monday to Sunday. It takes reservations for groups of four or more and holds space for walk-ins. The Atrium Cafe serves Grind coffee, pastries and light lunches from 10am to 7.30pm, Monday to Saturday. In summer there is also an open air market on the river frontage.
Check before you book
Productions change. At the time of checking, the programme included The Story, Electra and Persona, Some Woman, Cloud 9, The Jungle Book, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Samira, Suddenly Last Summer, Mr Loverman and Pride, and a West Side Story revival is announced for the Olivier next winter. Cloud 9 carries a content warning for explicit sexual content, strong language and themes of violence, racism and homophobia, so read the notes on a show before you book it for someone else.
Latecomers may not be admitted. For a list of what else is on in the West End, our West End shows page compares what every show costs, and the pre theatre dinners cover the meal before the curtain.
National Theatre
- Address
- Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PX
- Nearest
- Waterloo, Embankment or Southwark
- Hours
- Building open 10am to 11pm, Monday to Saturday
- Booking
- Online. Standby in person 60 minutes before. Friday Rush released at 1pm every Friday for the following week
- Price
- 25 per cent of tickets at 30 pounds or under across the year. Friday Rush 10 pounds. 16 to 25s 5 or 10 pounds. Cloud 9 from 25 to 93 pounds Monday to Thursday and 25 to 105 on Friday and Saturday
- Standing
- Three theatres on the South Bank: the Olivier, the Lyttelton and the Dorfman
How to get in
Latecomers may not be admitted. Some cheap seats have a restricted view.
Where to go next
The best West End shows covers the cheapest seat in every theatre, and pre theatre dinner covers the meal before the curtain.
The best restaurants in London covers the evening afterwards, and the best views covers the walk along the river.
Questions we get asked
How much are National Theatre tickets?
Prices vary by production and night. For Cloud 9 they run 25 to 93 pounds Monday to Thursday and 25 to 105 on Friday and Saturday. Across the year, 25 per cent of tickets on the South Bank are priced at 30 pounds or under.
How do you get cheap National Theatre tickets?
Four ways. Friday Rush releases ten pound tickets at 1pm every Friday for the next week. Tickets at 30 pounds or under are 25 per cent of the year's sales. Standby tickets are sold in person 60 minutes before the show. And 16 to 25s can unlock 5 and 10 pound tickets for any show in the Olivier, Lyttelton and Dorfman.
What is National Theatre Friday Rush?
Every Friday at 1pm the National Theatre releases ten pound tickets for each of the following week's performances at its three theatres and at selected West End transfers.
What are the National Theatre opening hours?
The building opens from 10am until 11pm, Monday to Saturday. You can walk around and use the foyers, exhibitions, bookshop and restaurants without a ticket.
Are there discounts for over 60s at the National Theatre?
Yes. Over 60s save 20 pounds on midweek matinees, limited to two per customer per performance. Under 18s get 20 pounds off tickets of 40 pounds or more on weekday evenings and all matinees.
Written by Robert J Wills, no. 187 in the guide.
Last checked 3 October 2026 against the venues' own published information. Nobody pays to appear here and we take no bookings.
