If you’re a theatre fan in London, you know that getting your hands on TodayTix rush tickets can be a bit of a challenge. But don’t worry! With a little bit of planning and some smart strategies, you can score some great deals on tickets for plays and musicals in the city.
Tip: TodayTix is not the only place to find cheap London theatre tickets. In this post, I wrote about 10 hacks to score cheaper tickets for the West End shows (or National Theatre!), including £12.50 tickets for hamilton, and turning your tesco club points into theatre vouchers!
What are rush tickets on TodayTix?
Times are tough (and expensive) so seeing a huge West End production may just be beyond your budget at the moment. Rush tickets are a great way to see a show at a reasonable price – the standard price is £25. They are usually made available on the day of the performance (at 10 AM) on the TodayTix app and can be a great way to snag a last-minute deal. However, getting your hands on rush tickets can be a bit of a challenge, as they are often sold on a first-come, first-served basis. But don’t worry! With a little bit of planning and some smart strategies, you can score some great deals on tickets for plays and musicals in the city.
Which seats can I expect to get via rush tickets?
You will get to see the seat number as you score one and get to the last step before the payment. Keep Seatplan open on another device to check the view from the seat before you buy. If you don’t like the seat allocation, you can cancel and try again for a different seat (but then you also risk not winning right away). In general, it depends on the show, but a lot of Rush Tickets are in the stalls or even in the front rows. I got front row rush tickets for “Tina”, and my friends reported that “The Book of Mormon” rush tix also provide front-row seats, while “Pretty Woman” landed them seats in a second row in the stalls.
How to prepare for the rush tickets day?
- * Make sure you create an account on the app earlier and are logged in.
- * Click on “unlock rush tickets” beforehand, to be ready (you only have to do it once).
- * Set up an alarm via the app – it will send you the notification around 9.55 AM with a reminder about the tickets going live soon.
- * Check the app a couple of days before “your” date and check how quickly rush tickets sell out – if they are all gone before 10.30 AM, it means there is huge competition. If the sale is still on till 11, you should be ok and score the ticket without problems. And then of course – if the show is new, the chance to win is much smaller than when it’s been in the West End for a while.
- * Get on the app a few minutes before 10 AM. Start clicking on the button a couple of seconds before 10 AM to give yourself the best chance to score a ticket. Generally, mid-week it’s easier to win, as the demand is smaller than on the Fri-Sat dates. During the school holidays, there’s a higher demand for tickets, so the chance to win the rush can be smaller.
- * If you want to give yourself an extra chance, have TodayTix open on multiple devices (with multiple accounts) and involve a friend or partner in the process.
It says “All tickets are held up in other people’s baskets”, is there still a chance I can score one?
Don’t give up! Keep on clicking. and checking every 15 min/30 min throughout the day. The app will tell you when the tickets are sold out so don’t give up and keep on clicking until it does.
How likely is it that I score rush tickets if they’re sold out now, and how often should I check?
It depends on the show. TodayTix doesn’t provide information about it, but I’ve seen multiple comments from people who, despite rush tickets sold out in the morning, saw more rush tickets released later in the day (after 10 AM). Most likely they get released on the hour. So if you’re hunting for tickets for a particular show and they seem sold out, don’t give up – open the app multiple times later in the day to check for any additional chances.
Do I get a higher chance to score tickets with rush tickets or ticket lottery?
Generally, based on the comments I’ve seen on Facebook groups – rush tickets give you a much higher chance of scoring a ticket than the lottery. Some lotteries are notorious for being almost impossible to win (“Cabaret” and “Hamilton”, apparently), but with rush tickets, just ask your friends and you will find at least 1-2 people who have scored these daily deals in the past.
If I don’t win, is there still a chance to get a day ticket somehow?
You can still try via other channels. Some theatres have day seats available in their box office – but you would have to go and ask in person. Theatre Monkey has this fantastic list of London day seat availability on this page (it shows the general theatre policy towards day seats, not live availability). Give it a try and take a trip to the box office in the morning on the date, but this option is less reliable than rush tickets, as you never know if and which seats may be available. Check ticket availability online before you go – if it looks like the auditorium is just half booked, there’s quite a chance you may be lucky.
Tip: always get the cheapest ticket available, as in case the balcony is mostly empty, you might get re-seated and upgraded to the dress circle or the stalls!
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