Everybody. Stay. Calm. This is not a drill. The month of September is finally upon us…and you know what that means? Yes, it’s the one-of-a-kind annual musical extravaganza that is West End LIVE!
It’s the weekend that sees every theatregoer and theatre aficionado get more excited than usual about the prospect of an early Saturday morning. Over the course of Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 September 2021 there’ll be thousands of theatre fans (us amongst them!) flocking to Trafalgar Square to witness the very best of London’s incredible musical talent in a spectacular two-day celebration.
… oh, and did we mention it’s all FREE? Check out the lineup and FAQ’s here.
As every savvy West End LIVE lover knows, there are a few things you’ll want to bear in mind when boogying away in festival frenzy mode, so to help you get the best out of your weekend, we’ve rounded up a few of our top tips for the perfect festival weekend.
Pack the essentials
Sun cream? Check! Water? Check! Camera? Check! And the right shoes to move around in and bust some envy-inducing shapes? Ab-so-lute-ly.
When heading off to West End LIVE, make sure you pack all the essentials for a full day out (or two!) and save yourself from having to pop out of the Square and potentially face re-entry queues upon your return.
This year, don’t forget your Covid certification! Anyone over the age of 18 needs to demonstrate either their vaccination status, a negative lateral flow result or evidence of natural immunity via a past positive PCR test.
This can be achieved quickly and easily by downloading the NHS App and either showing that on the day or downloading and show an offline version or present a printed a copy of your status instead.
It’s FREE! But…
… don’t go purse/wallet-less just yet; make a weekend of it and treat yourself to refreshments while you’re there. After all, nobody can bellow Defying Gravity on a dry throat!
Pay us a visit
When there’re so many incredible shows to see, you’ll need to make sure you take a break every so often and hit the shade – and that’s where the tents come in.
Make sure to visit the Official London Theatre Tent to pick up your tote bags, t-shirts, and more – we’ll see you there!
Plan ahead
With more incredible acts than you can shake a musical director’s baton at, it makes sense to take a look at the full schedule for the weekend and plan your day(s) ahead of your trip.
It’s always an incredibly popular event, so don’t risk missing your favourite acts: arrive in plenty of time, limit the size of your bags, and remain patient when queuing – it’ll make it all the sweeter!
Enjoy something new
West End LIVE is the perfect opportunity to delve into something entirely new and unexpected. You’ll get the chance to see all your favourite London musicals, of course, but you can also catch upcoming Theatreland hits, touring shows, special star performances, cabaret, and plenty of surprises along the way.
Don’t limit yourself to what you already know: embrace the variety of the line-up and enjoy something new! Who knows – it could well provide you with valuable “theatrical hipster” knowledge of which tickets to snap up ahead of the curve.
Follow it up with a theatre visit
It’s pretty much impossible to come out of West End LIVE without feeling incredibly inspired, and eager for more.
Luckily for you, this year, you won’t even have to leave Trafalgar Square to pick up your theatre tickets: you can get great on-the-day deals from TKTS and a huge range of tickets from OfficialLondonTheatre.com on your phone!
But if you want a friendly face and some expert advice, you can visit the Official London Theatre Tent for all the theatre info you need or head over to the and TKTS Booth in Leicester Square Gardens to get your tickets, the perfect way to continue the theatrical celebration after the event.
Blame it on the boogie
Get singing, dancing, partying, and celebrating – it’s what West End LIVE’s all about!
Follow the signs
Just like the last few years, West End LIVE is a BSL interpreted event – so it’s bonus points if you spot an interpreter dancing grooving along! More accessibility info is available on the event website.
Sharing is caring
We’ll be there over the weekend with exclusive backstage content on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube channels. Can’t be there? Follow along through us. And if you are there, make sure to use the hashtag #WestEndLIVE.
We’ll see you VERY soon!
Photo Credits: Pamela Raith