A family trip to the panto doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Several of London’s best-loved pantomimes have seats from £10, and with family tickets, early-run prices and a Pay What You Can night, you can pay far less than the headline prices. Here’s every big London panto for Christmas 2026, compared by its cheapest official ticket, plus the deals worth knowing.
London pantos 2026 compared by price
| Panto | Theatre | Dates | Cheapest ticket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinderella | Lyric Hammersmith | 14 Nov to 3 Jan | £10, plus £2 per booking |
| Jack and the Beanstalk | Hackney Empire | 21 Nov to 31 Dec | £10, plus £1.50 per ticket online |
| Robin Hood | Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch | 18 Nov to 2 Jan | £14.70, fee included |
| Jack and the Beanstalk | Richmond Theatre | 5 Dec to 3 Jan | £15, fees included |
| Peter Pan | New Wimbledon Theatre | 5 Dec to 3 Jan | £15, fees included |
| Cinderella | London Palladium | 5 Dec to 10 Jan | £25, no fees |
| Robin Hood and the Merry Mandem | Stratford East | 21 Nov to 2 Jan | £26, or pay what you can on 26 Nov |
| Dick Whittington and His Cat | King’s Head Theatre | 22 Nov to 3 Jan | 4 tickets for £100 with code FAMILY, until 13 Nov |
| Jack and the Beanstalk | Greenwich Theatre | 27 Nov to 10 Jan | Child tickets £22.50 (guide price) |
The cheapest seats are usually on weekday performances and early in the run, and they go first. Prices can rise nearer Christmas.
Map view
London pantomimes 2026
Every big London panto for Christmas 2026, from the West End to Hornchurch, Richmond and Wimbledon.
- Pantomimes
9 locations available on the map.
Cinderella at the Lyric Hammersmith: from £10
The Lyric’s panto is known for putting its own twist on the classics, and this year’s Cinderella is written by Joel Horwood. It runs from 14 November to 3 January, which makes it one of the first to open.
- Prices: £10 to £50, plus a £2 fee per booking.
- Family ticket: £80 on standard performances or £90 on premium ones, for two adults and two children or one adult and three children. Valid in price bands B and C.
- Under 16s: £10 at preview performances, then £20 or £30 for the main run. Young Lyric members can get two £5 tickets.
- Groups of 8 or more: £5 off each ticket in bands B and C.
- Babies: under 18 months don’t need a ticket.
There are relaxed performances too. Nearest station: Hammersmith. Cinderella at the Lyric
Jack and the Beanstalk at Hackney Empire: from £10
Hackney Empire’s panto is one of London’s most traditional, and this year it brings back Olivier Award winner Clive Rowe as the Dame, directing as well as starring. It runs from 21 November to 31 December.
Prices depend on the performance, so the date you pick matters most:
- Super saver and saver performances, mostly in the first two weeks: £10 to £36.
- Standard performances: £15 to £42.
- Premium performances around Christmas: £20 to £48.
- Add £1.50 per ticket if you book online or by phone.
Concessions get £2 off every performance. NHS and key workers can get £12 tickets on Wednesday 2 December, Friday 4 December and Friday 11 December at 7pm, booked by phone on 020 8985 2424. Groups of 10 or more get £3 off. Nearest station: Hackney Central. Jack and the Beanstalk at Hackney Empire
Robin Hood and the Merry Mandem at Stratford East
Stratford East’s panto runs from 21 November to 2 January. Tickets start at £26, but the one to watch is the Pay What You Can performance on Thursday 26 November at 7pm, where you choose your own price. Nearest station: Stratford. Robin Hood at Stratford East
Dick Whittington and His Cat at the King’s Head Theatre
The King’s Head in Islington puts on a small, cheeky family panto from 22 November to 3 January. Until midnight on 13 November, the code FAMILY gets you four standard tickets for £100 in bands A to C. Children under 3 go free on a grown-up’s lap. N1 workers and residents and under-35 members can get £10 preview tickets. There’s a separate adults-only version, so make sure you book the family show. Nearest station: Angel. Dick Whittington at the King’s Head
Jack and the Beanstalk at Greenwich Theatre
Greenwich Theatre’s panto is a local favourite, running from 27 November to 10 January. Visit Greenwich lists guide prices of £22.50 for children, £37.50 for concessions and £43.50 for adults. December dates are popular, so book early. Nearest station: Greenwich or Cutty Sark (DLR). Jack and the Beanstalk at Greenwich Theatre
Outer London pantos: Hornchurch, Richmond and Wimbledon
Robin Hood at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch runs from 18 November to 2 January, with tickets from £14.70 to £36.70, including a 70p fee. Children aged 36 months and under can sit on a lap for free, and under-14s must come with a paying adult. Nearest station: Hornchurch. Robin Hood at Queen’s Theatre
Jack and the Beanstalk at Richmond Theatre stars Bonnie Langford, Dr Ranj and Basil Brush, from 5 December to 3 January. The cheapest seats are about £15 including fees on some performances. Nearest station: Richmond. Jack and the Beanstalk at Richmond
Peter Pan at New Wimbledon Theatre flies into Neverland from 5 December to 3 January. The cheapest seats are £15 including fees in the first weeks. Nearest station: Wimbledon. Peter Pan at New Wimbledon
Cinderella at the London Palladium: from £25
The West End’s big one. Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders reunite as the Ugly Sisters, with Julian Clary as the Fairy Godfather, from 5 December to 10 January. Tickets start at £25 with no booking fees when you buy from the official LW Theatres box office. It’s the priciest panto here, but the cheap seats make it possible on a budget. Nearest station: Oxford Circus.
Book Cinderella at the London Palladium →
Relaxed and accessible performances
- Hackney Empire: relaxed, dementia-friendly and BSL-interpreted performance on Saturday 5 December at 1.30pm. BSL also at 6pm that day and on Thursday 17 December at 1.30pm and 7pm. Audio-described on Sunday 6 December at 1pm.
- Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch: relaxed (SEN friendly) on Thursday 17 December at 5.30pm, dementia-friendly at 1pm the same day. BSL on 28 November at 6.30pm, 9 December at 6.30pm and 28 December at 2pm. Audio description on 28 November at 2pm, and captioned on 15 December at 6.30pm.
- Stratford East: BSL on Friday 11 December at 6.30pm, captioned on Friday 18 December at 6.30pm, audio-described with a touch tour on Saturday 19 December at noon, and relaxed on Saturday 2 January at noon.
- Lyric Hammersmith: relaxed performances are listed on the show page.
How to pay less for a panto
- Book early in the run. Hackney’s £10 saver prices are mostly before 4 December, and the Lyric’s £10 under-16 tickets are for previews only. Prices rise for the Christmas week.
- Use family tickets. £80 for four at the Lyric, or four for £100 at the King’s Head if you book by 13 November.
- Try Pay What You Can. Stratford East’s 26 November performance lets you set the price.
- Pick a weekday matinee in the school holidays rather than a Saturday.
- Book direct with the theatre. Official box offices have the cheapest face-value seats. Resale sites often charge more.
- Don’t pay for a baby’s seat. Babies on a lap go free at most pantos, but the age limit differs: under 18 months at the Lyric, under 3 at the King’s Head, and 36 months and under at Hornchurch.
- Check concessions. Hackney gives £2 off every performance, and £12 tickets to NHS and key workers on three nights.
Common questions
What is the cheapest panto in London in 2026?
The Lyric Hammersmith’s Cinderella and Hackney Empire’s Jack and the Beanstalk both have tickets from £10, plus a small booking fee. Stratford East has a Pay What You Can performance on 26 November.
When do London pantos start?
The Lyric Hammersmith opens first, on 14 November. Hornchurch opens on 18 November, Hackney Empire and Stratford East on 21 November, and the Palladium, Richmond and Wimbledon on 5 December.
Do babies need a ticket for the panto?
Usually not, if they sit on your lap, but the age limit depends on the theatre: under 18 months at the Lyric, under 3 at the King’s Head, and 36 months and under at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch. Check when you book.
How much are London Palladium panto tickets?
For Cinderella in 2026, tickets start at £25 with no booking fees from the official LW Theatres box office.
For more festive things to do for less, see our cheap and free Santa’s grottos, free carol services guide, the London Christmas lights guide and every Christmas ice rink compared.
Prices and dates are from each theatre’s official website or box office, checked on 29 October 2026. Greenwich Theatre’s prices are guide prices from Visit Greenwich. Prices change with demand, so check the box office before you book.