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Theatres in London had a record-matching run for attendance last year, with early signs that an influx of tourists boycotting the US will add to the crowds flocking to the West End for hit shows.
Nearly 5mn more people attended a West End show than a Broadway production in 2024, according to the Society of London Theatre (Solt), which represents more than 200 theatre producers, owners and managers.
The gap was consistent with the previous year, following a period of disrupted theatregoing during the Covid pandemic when lockdowns prevented people from attending shows.
Attendance at London theatres remained at post-pandemic highs of 17.1mn in 2024, the same as 2023, and about 11 per cent above pre-pandemic levels. Solt said the figures showed the West End remained the world’s premier theatre destination.
Claire Walker, Solt and UK theatre co-chief executive, said there was anecdotal evidence of a surge in interest from Canadian theatregoers who would have typically gone to Broadway for their shows.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to forcibly annex Canada and hit the country with raised trade tariffs.
London’s theatres have shown no sign of losing their post-pandemic bounce back, Walker added, with a number of hit shows from Oedipus and The Importance of Being Earnest to A Streetcar Named Desire.
She pointed to shows such as Punch, Evita and Fiddler on the Roof as standout productions in 2025.
Meanwhile, producers in Broadway complain that the higher cost of production and the slower return of visitors has hampered the recovery since the pandemic. The UK also benefits from a system of generous tax incentives that has encouraged more shows to open in London.
Solt said that theatres had outpaced other UK visitor attractions, growing faster — and attracting 2.5mn more attendees — than the Premier League.
For every £1 spent on a theatre ticket, the group said that an additional £1.27 flows into local businesses, including hotels, restaurants and shops. Nationally, theatre generates £4.44bn in turnover for the broader economy, it said, and more than 230,000 jobs.
However, Walker warned that rising production costs were likely to hit the scale of some performances, with venues facing hefty wage bills owing to the increase in employer contributions to national insurance as well as high energy payments.
While the best seats fetch hundreds of pounds for hit London shows, Solt said the average ticket price remained 5 per cent lower in real terms than in 2019.
“With many West End productions operating at full capacity, financial sustainability becomes more precarious each year.”
Walker added that there was urgent need for capital investment in ageing UK venues, estimating that about £500mn was needed over the next few years just in maintenance.
“The numbers speak for themselves — despite a decade of rapidly expanding entertainment options, theatre remains as popular and vital as ever,” said Walker.
