Going to see one of the best musicals in London is truly a unique experience, especially if you are planning a  trip to London. Some of the most famous musicals in London such as The Lion King, Wicked, Les Miserables and Mamma Mia have been running in London’s best theatres in the West End for years. If you are planning a trip to London, going to see one of the best musicals in London will certainly add an unforgettable experience to your trip.

In order to make sure you get to see one of the best musicals in London, we highly recommend that you buy your tickets in advance, as tickets are normally completely sold out several weeks in advance for the best shows. Buying your tickets online is easy, and you can choose to collect your tickets at the theatre just before the show, which makes the whole process much more easier.

popular musicals in London, from classics like the phantom of the opera and les miserables to newer musicals like Aladdin and Kinky Boots.

Top 16 Musicals in London 2018

1. The Lion King

The multi award-winning musical The Lion King in London’s West End was the first musical we ever saw when we first moved to London, and it’s still one of our favourites. The classical Disney film has been brought to life on stage and it is absolutely magical. Stunning special effects and wonderful costumes, you will sing along to all the songs and realise that you still remember all the words! Wonderful costumes and magical special effects. If you are planning on taking children to a musical in London I would definitely recommend the Lion King.

Theatre Information: Disney’s Lion King takes place at the Lyceum Theatre in London’s West End. This theatre is very close to Covent Garden and The Strand. It’s one of London´s biggest theatres, with a total capacity for 2105 people, and the seats are mainly distributed in two tiers: Stalls and Grand Circle. The total duration of The Lion King Musical in London is 2 hours and 30 minutes (including the interval).

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2. Kinky Boots

The musical Kinky Boots is one of our favourite musicals in London, a magical musical inspired by a true story, which will take you from a family-run shoe factory that is struggling to the famous catwalks in Milan. The young Charlie Price has reluctantly inherited his father’s shoe factory and is in a constant struggle to try to reach his father’s expectations. With the future of the shoe factory hanging by a thread, help arrives in an unlikely but spectacular form of Lola, a fabulous artist who needs new stilleto-healed boots.

Theatre Information: The musical Kinky Boots in London takes place at the Adelfi Theatre (See map) and is approximately 2 hours and 30 minute long (including the interval). The Adelfi theatre in London is located on The Strand in London´s popular West End, between Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden, very close to Charing Cross tube and rail station.

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3. Wicked

The Musical Wicked in London takes us through the magical and unexpected story of the witches of Oz, also known as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good of Oz. You will discover the untold story of the friendship of two girls who meet at sorcery school. A fascinating story about witches and magic, with mouth-opening costumes and brilliant songs, making it unsurprisingly one of the best musicals in London. It´s one of the best musicals in London for kids.

Theatre Information: The musical Wicked in London takes place at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, which is located next to London Victoria Underground and Rail Station. The theatre has a seating capacity of 2300 people, and the seats are distributed in two tiers. There are also many restaurants and hotels around the area.

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4. The Phantom of the Opera

The award-wining musical The Phantom of the Opera in London is one of London’s most famous theatrical productions and definitely one of the most classical musicals  in London. This musical tells the story of a mysterious ghost that has fallen in love with a beautiful chorus singer and haunts the Paris Opera, with eye-popping special effects and lavish costumes.

Theatre Information: The Phantom of the Opera musical in London takes place at the Her Majesty’s Theatre, located next to Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square in London’s West End. The nearest tube station is Leicester Square.

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5. Chicago

The dazzling multi-award-winning tale of nightclub singer Roxie Hart, her cell-block rival Velma Kelly and the smooth-talking lawyer Billy Flynn has thrilled audiences across the world since 1996, so it is not surprising that it is one of the best musicals in London. An outstanding adaptation of a true-life story of murder and intrigue, Chicago the musical has been delighting audiences worldwide for decades. With music written by the same people who created the all-time classic tune New York, New York and the music for Cabaret, it’s the height of on-stage sophistication.

Theatre Information: Chicago the musical is performed at the Phoenix Theatre, with a running time of 2 hours and 30 minutes including the interval.

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6. Matilda The Musical

Matilda the Musical is based on Roald Dahl’s famous novel, which tells the story of Matilda, a very intelligent 5 year old girl whose parents are completely uninterested in her.  In the West End Musical you’ll be able to see all the well-known characters that appear in the novel, such as Miss Honey and the malevolent director of the school Agatha Trunchbull. Matilda the Musical is definitely one of our favourite options if you’re planning on taking the kids to see a one of the best musicals in London and spend a fun afternoon together.

Theatre Information: Matilda the musical in London is at the Cambridge Theatre in Covent Garden. The nearest tube station is Covent Garden.

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7. Mamma Mia

The musical Mamma Mia in London is a smash-hit musical based on the music of pop-sensation ABBA. It tells a story of love, friendship and identity set on a beautiful Greek Island through the timeless songs of ABBA. A funny comedy whose success has entertained the London public more than 15 consecutive years.

Theatre Information: The musical Mamma Mia in London is at the Novello Theatre in London’s West End, near Covent Garden and Somerset House.

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8. Thriller – Live

Thriller – Live is a musical that celebrates the musical career of one of the most important icons of all time, Michael Jackson. If you are a fan of Michael Jackson, then this West End show is unmissable, with music and videos which are brought to life on stage over 2 hours of hit songs. Enjoy the songs that made Michael Jackson worthy of the nickname “King of Pop”, with choreographies that make this musical a spectacle not to be missed.

Theatre Information: The musical Thriller Live in London is at the Lyric Theatre, located next to Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square in London’s West End. The nearest tube station is Piccadilly Circus.

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9. Les miserables

Les Miserables is one of London’s most classical musical, as it has been running in London’s West End uninterrupted for more than 30 years. It is an adaptation of the novel by Victor Hugo, one of the best known novels of the nineteenth century, set during the french revolution.

Theatre Information: The musical of Les miserables in London is at the Queen’s Theatre in London’s West End, next to Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square. The nearest tube station is Piccadilly Circus.

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10. Aladdin

This family musical is based on the Disney’s animated film. With astonishing special effects and extravagant costumes, Aladdin The Musical is one of London’s most family friendly musicals available, featuring popular songs from the classic Academy Awards-winning Disney film Aladdin, including Friend Like Me, A Whole New World and Arabian Nights.

Theatre Information: The musical Aladdin in London is at the Prince Edward Theatre which is located in London’s Soho, next to Leicester Square. The nearest tube station is Leicester Square.

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11. Motown

Motown The Musical follows the legendary career of Berry Gordy and the creation of Motown Records, his musical empire. Motown the Musical tells the thrilling tale of a man who fought against the odds and broke barriers to define the sound of a generation, complete with the ups and downs of personal relationships, professional struggles and the music that made history. The memorable Motown songs are sung to perfection in this musical, with amazing choreography to match.

Theatre Information: The musical Motown is at the Shaftesbury Theatre (See map), which is opposite Tottenham Court Road’s Tube Station.

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12. Dreamgirls

Dreamgirls The Musical is based on the amazing tale of Diana Ross and The Supremes. This is an iconic musical tracing the lives and loves of the band and the people they encounter, remarkably convincing and studded with beautiful soul music. trío musical de Chicago “The Dreams”, las cuales tendrán que descubrir que la vida de un artista puede ser más complicada de lo que parece.

Theatre Information: The musical Dreamgirls in London is performed at the Savoy Theatre (See map), which is located next to the Savoy hotel on The Strand.

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13. 42nd Street

42nd STREET is undoubtedly one of the best-loved stories in show business, revealing the rags to riches life of a young chorus line dancer Peggy who makes the Broadway big time. 42nd STREET is the song and dance, American dream fable of Broadway. Young Peggy Sawyer is fresh off the bus from small-town America and just another face in the chorus line on Broadway’s newest show. But when the leading lady gets injured, Peggy might just have the shot at stardom she’s always dreamed of…

Theatre Information: The musical 42nd Street is performed at the Royal Drury Lane Theatre (See map) which is located next to Covent Garden. The performance running time is of 2 hours 25 minutes including the interval.

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14. The Book of Mormon

The musical The Book of Mormon is an award winning musical written by the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone as well as the co-creador of the musical “Avenue Q”, Robert Lopez. Since it’s huge success in Broadway, this musical was one of London’s most popular musicals when it first started, and it was impossible to get tickets for months. It is not recommended for persons under 18.

Theatre Information: The musical The Book of Mormon is performed at the Prince of Wales Theatre (See map) which is located next to Piccadilly Circus.

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15. School of Rock

Based on the hit film, this hilarious new musical follows Dewey Finn, a failed, wannabe rock star who decides to earn a few extra bucks by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. There he turns a class of straight-A students into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band. While teaching these pint-sized prodigies what it means to truly rock, Dewey falls for the school’s beautiful, but uptight headmistress, helping her rediscover the wild child within.

Theatre Information: The musical School of Rock is performed at the New London Theatre (See map) a few minutes walk from Covent Garden.

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16. Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Tina is a fabulous musical that reveals the untold story of a woman who defied the bounds of her age, gender and race,  in which you’ll have the opportunity to discover how Tina Turner transformed into the global Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll from humble beginnings in Nutbush, Tennessee. Her much loved songs feature in this fantastic musical, and it’s a must see for any of her fans.

Theatre Information: Tina The Musical is performed at the Aldwych Theatre (see map) located on The Strand. The running time of this performance is 3 hours, including the interval.

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