The Phantom of the Opera now booking until April 2028 as it turns 40

The Phantom of the Opera is now booking until 1 April 2028, according to the official Delfont Mackintosh booking period for His Majesty’s Theatre, and the timing could hardly be better. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical turns 40 on 9 October 2026, marking 40 years in the West End, all of them spent in the same Haymarket theatre where it opened in 1986. If you have been meaning to see it, or to go back, tickets are on sale now on British Theatre: see The Phantom of the Opera tickets.

Evening performances run from Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm, with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2.30pm, and the new booking period stretches well beyond the 40th birthday into spring 2028.

40 years at His Majesty’s Theatre

Very few shows anywhere reach a 40th birthday. Cameron Mackintosh’s staging opened in 1986 at what was then Her Majesty’s Theatre, and it has stayed there ever since; the venue became His Majesty’s Theatre in May 2023, following the accession of King Charles III. Since 1986 the show has played around the world to more than 160 million people, in 23 languages.

The anniversary itself is on Friday 9 October 2026. Cameron Mackintosh has announced a special performance at His Majesty’s Theatre that evening, with alumni from across the past four decades joining the current cast for the curtain call. Tickets for that performance are currently off sale, and the official site directs fans to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Box Five Club for any updates. For everyone else, the regular schedule continues either side of the date, and booking now runs well into 2027.

For more on the casting that leads the 40th year, see our earlier report on the star-studded West End season.

Who is in the cast?

The 40th anniversary cast is led by Broadway star Jordan Donica as the Phantom, who has been playing the role since 8 September and continues until spring 2027. Beatrice Penny-Touré plays Christine Daaé until 24 July 2027.

Rhys Whitfield is back as Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny, and Sierra Boggess, who starred as Christine in the 25th Anniversary concert at the Royal Albert Hall, plays the prima donna Carlotta Giudicelli. Joseph Millson is Monsieur André, Ian Pirie is Monsieur Firmin and Joanna Riding is Madame Giry. All five of those performers are scheduled to play their final performances on Saturday 21 November 2026.

Matt Bateman plays Ubaldo Piangi and Millie Lyon plays Meg Giry, both continuing until 24 July 2027. Casting can change across a long booking period, so check the listing for the date you want before you book.

What is the show about?

Based on Gaston Leroux’s novel, the musical follows a disfigured musical genius who haunts the Paris Opera House and becomes obsessed with Christine, a young soprano whose career he shapes from the shadows. Her childhood friend Raoul stands in his way, and the rivalry builds to the most famous falling chandelier in theatre.

The music is by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Charles Hart and additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe, and it includes The Music of the Night, All I Ask of You and Think of Me alongside the thunderous title song. Hal Prince’s original staging, with choreography by Gillian Lynne, was revised for the post-Covid reopening in 2021 by Seth Sklar-Heyn and Chrissie Cartwright. Maria Björnson’s celebrated set and costume designs were restored and updated with new effects by Matt Kinley and Jill Parker, lit by Andrew Bridge.

Four decades on, it remains among the most spectacular evenings in London: a live orchestra, a gilded opera house recreated on stage, a boat gliding across a candlelit underground lake, and that chandelier. It works as an introduction to the West End for younger theatregoers and as a return trip for those who know every note.

Before you book

The show runs for about 2 hours and 30 minutes, including a 20-minute interval. It is recommended for ages 8 and over, and children under 4 are not admitted. Everyone needs their own ticket, whatever their age.

Evening performances are Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm, with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2.30pm. With the 40th birthday in October and the Christmas season close behind, autumn and December dates tend to be popular, so it is worth booking early if you have a particular performance in mind. Later dates through spring and summer 2027 are also on sale now, and you can compare performances on the Phantom of the Opera show page.

Getting to His Majesty’s Theatre

His Majesty’s Theatre is on the Haymarket in St James’s, London SW1Y 4QL, a short walk from Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square. Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Charing Cross Underground stations are all a few minutes’ walk away, and Charing Cross is the nearest mainline station. Plenty of buses run along the Haymarket, including the 6, 9, 13, 15 and 88.

The theatre is among the grandest in the West End, and arriving a little early gives you time to take in the building before the overture.

Whether this will be your debut at the opera house or your tenth trip down to the lake, the 40th year is a fine moment to go. Book The Phantom of the Opera tickets from the dates on sale now, and find more about the venue on our His Majesty’s Theatre page.