London Theatre This Week: 13 to 19 July 2026

The big theatre news of the week arrives on Wednesday: Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting reaches the West End as a new musical, opening previews at the Theatre Royal Haymarket on 15 July 2026. Around that arrival, every one of London's long-running giants is playing at full strength, and Phantom of the Opera is deep into its fortieth-anniversary year. This is our weekly West End Insider guide for 13 to 19 July 2026, written by a team built by the founders of London Theatre Direct, with the live prices we verified on Monday morning so you can see exactly what a seat costs this week rather than guessing.

Trainspotting arrives at the Haymarket

The event of the West End week is the arrival of Trainspotting the Musical. Irvine Welsh has adapted his own 1993 novel, the raw, funny, furious portrait of a group of friends in late-1980s Edinburgh, into a new stage musical, and it takes up residence in one of London's most beautiful and historic theatres, the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Previews begin on Wednesday 15 July, press night follows on 22 July, and the run continues to 5 September.

A brand-new musical in a grand West End house is always worth catching early. Preview weeks carry a particular energy, the show still finding its final shape, the audience among the very first to see it, and Trainspotting arrives with one of the most recognisable stories in modern British fiction behind it. It is a bold, adult piece rather than a family night out, so plan accordingly, but for anyone who knows the book or the film it is the ticket to talk about this summer. For the wider picture of what is arriving and departing, our guide to opening and closing in the West End in July 2026 lays out the full calendar.

The long-runners, all playing this week

One of the reassuring things about a mid-summer West End week is that the giants are all on. Every major long-running musical is playing across 13 to 19 July, so whatever you are in the mood for, it is available. At the top of the tree, The Lion King roars on at the Lyceum from £43.75, its Serengeti sunrise still one of the great opening images in world theatre. Les Misérables holds the Sondheim Theatre, from £31.25, and Wicked continues at the Apollo Victoria, also from £31.25, with the film having sent a whole new audience back to the stage original.

For the sharper, faster shows, Hamilton plays the Victoria Palace from £25, SIX brings its Tudor-queens pop concert to the Vaudeville from £55.63, and The Book of Mormon keeps the Prince of Wales laughing from £25. If you want spectacle, Moulin Rouge! The Musical fills the Piccadilly from £30.49 with its magpie score and red-windmill glamour. And the perennial family champion, Matilda the Musical, holds the Cambridge Theatre from £25.

Not sure which to pick? Our guide to choosing a West End show matches shows to moods and groups, and if you want to know exactly how long an evening will run, our complete runtime guide lists every finish time so you can plan the last train.

Forty years of the Phantom

This summer also marks a genuine milestone: The Phantom of the Opera is in its fortieth-anniversary year at His Majesty's Theatre, where it has played since 1986. Andrew Lloyd Webber's chandelier still falls, the Music of the Night still soars, and there is something special about seeing a show in the very house it has always called home. If you have somehow never been, an anniversary year is the right time to fix that.

For newer titles making a mark, The Devil Wears Prada the Musical continues its run from £31.25 and Heathers the Musical plays from £37.92, while the reliably hilarious The Play That Goes Wrong keeps calamity coming from £31.25. Our overview of the best new West End shows this summer rounds up the fresher arrivals, and if you are already looking further ahead, the star-studded autumn on the London stage is shaping up to be a strong one.

Two ways to have an ABBA night

Curiously, London gives you two completely different ABBA experiences this week, and both are worth knowing about. Mamma Mia! remains the warm, sing-along stage musical, and at £18.75 on our Monday prices it is the single best-value big show in town. A short trip east, ABBA Voyage at the purpose-built ABBA Arena is something else entirely: a concert performed by digital avatars of the band, technically dazzling and genuinely moving, from £48. One is a night at the theatre, the other a night at a concert from the future. If you love the music, they make a brilliant pairing across a weekend.

Insider booking notes for this week

A few practical pointers for a mid-July visit. Midweek performances, Tuesday to Thursday, are almost always calmer and easier to seat well than Friday and Saturday nights, and matinees are the smart move if you are bringing children or want to be done in daylight. If you are choosing between price bands, the front of the dress circle often gives a better sightline than the very back of the stalls for the same money, especially in the larger houses. For big spectacle shows like The Lion King and Moulin Rouge!, sitting a little further back lets you take in the whole stage picture. Our venue seating guides go house by house on where the value seats really are.

On saving money, the honest answer is that the reliable saving is not a one-off provider offer but tickadoo+ member pricing, which applies across the catalogue and is most worthwhile if you are booking more than one show or attraction in the same trip. If you are new to the West End altogether, start with our first-timer's guide to West End theatre.

Frequently asked questions

What is opening in the West End this week?

Trainspotting the Musical, Irvine Welsh's adaptation of his own novel, begins previews at the Theatre Royal Haymarket on Wednesday 15 July 2026, with press night on 22 July and a run to 5 September. It is an adult show rather than a family one.

Which West End musicals are playing from 13 to 19 July 2026?

All the long-runners are on: The Lion King, Les Misérables, Wicked, Hamilton, Mamma Mia!, Matilda, SIX, The Book of Mormon, Moulin Rouge!, ABBA Voyage and The Phantom of the Opera, plus newer titles including The Devil Wears Prada, Heathers and The Play That Goes Wrong.

What is the best-value West End show this week?

On our verified Monday prices, Mamma Mia! is the best value of the major musicals at £18.75, followed by Hamilton, Matilda and The Book of Mormon, each from £25.

What is the best West End show for families this week?

The Lion King at the Lyceum, from £43.75, is the surest family choice, with Matilda from £25 a close second. Both play matinees this week, which suit younger audiences best.

Is it worth seeing Phantom of the Opera in its anniversary year?

Yes. The Phantom of the Opera is in its fortieth-anniversary run at His Majesty's Theatre, the house it has occupied since 1986, and an anniversary year is a fitting time to see it in its original home.

How can I save on West End tickets?

Rather than provider-by-provider discounts, the consistent saving comes from tickadoo+ member pricing across the catalogue, which is most worthwhile when you are booking two or more shows or attractions in the same trip.

That is the West End this week, 13 to 19 July 2026, headlined by a bold new arrival and backed by the strongest long-running line-up in the world. For the rest of the city, see our companion guides to what's on in London this week, the best free things to do and the best things to do with kids, or browse every show on the London hub.