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Well, it’s the right weather for it. The West End’s annual free outdoor musical theatre festival West End Live returns right on time for the sunniest weekend of the year.
Whether you’ve been planning your whole weekend around it for months now or you’ve only just heard of it and think it sounds like a fun idea, here we’ve everything you need to know.
What happens at West End Live?
It’s basically an outdoor musical theatre concert. Performers from most musicals currently running in the West End – and a few coming to town soon – perform a song or two live, generally in costume, sometimes with full choreography bells and whistles.
Where is West End Live?
It’s in good old Trafalgar Square, in its usual events area.
When is West End Live 2025?
This weekend: it runs Saturday June 21 11am to 5pm and Sunday June 22 noon to 5pm.
Do I need a ticket?
Nope, West End Live is free. HOWEVER it is enormously popular, particularly the first couple of hours on the Saturday when most of the really big hitters squeeze in their performance before their 2.30pm matinee. There is no truly great way of guaranteeing a slot here other than getting in early, though obviously Trafalgar Square is an open space and you should be able to hear the songs if you’re in the general vicinity. If you want a more chilled out experience come down Sunday or later Saturday afternoon.
Will anyone famous be performing?
We tend not to know as the shows don’t say in advance what songs they’ll be doing and therefore who will be performing. However, it has been confirmed that Rachel Zegler will be representing Evita, though we don’t know what song(s) she’ll be doing (if it’s too busy to get in then remember you can see her do ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’ live on Argyll Street just a few hours later).
Is there any shade?
No! And on Saturday the temperatures are due to go as high as 32 degrees (Sunday should be a comparatively mild 26 degrees). Wear sun cream. Hydrate. Don’t be a hero. Musical theatre needs you healthy.
Complete West End Live 2025 lineup and set times
Saturday June 21
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11am – Disney’s Hercules
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11.05am – Moulin Rouge! The Musical
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11.15am – Operation Mincemeat
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11.25am – Wicked
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11.35am – Hadestown
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11.45am – The Devil Wears Prada
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Noon – Just For One Day
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12.10pm – Evita
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12.15pm – Cabaret
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12.20pm – MJ The Musical
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12.30pm – Matilda The Musical
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12.35pm – Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
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12.45pm – Hamilton
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12.50pm – The Phantom of the Opera
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1.05pm – Les Misérables
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1.20pm – Back to the Future The Musical
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1.30pm – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
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1.40pm – The Book of Mormon
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1.45pm – Clueless
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1.50pm – The Great Gatsby
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2pm – Mamma Mia!
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2.10pm – Brigadoon
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2.20pm – Starlight Express
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2.30pm – Six
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2.40pm – The Producers
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2.50pm – Sabrage
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3pm – Magic Mike Live
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3.05pm – Burlesque The Musical
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3.20pm – Sing Street
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3.30pm – Westway Presents: Marisha Wallace
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3.40pm – Coven
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3.50pm – Roles We’ll Never Play
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4.10pm – National Youth Music Theatre
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4.20pm – Divina De Campo
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4.25pm – Oscar at the Crown
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4.45pm – Finale and Farewell
Sunday June 22
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Noon – Disney’s The Lion King
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12.05pm – The Producers
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12.15pm – The Great Gatsby
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12.25pm – Fiddler on the Roof
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12.30pm – My Neighbour Totoro
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12.35pm – Pop Off Michelangelo!
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12.50pm – Oliver!
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1pm – Titanique
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1.05pm – Calamity Jane
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1.10pm – The Choir of Man
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1.20pm – Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby
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1.25pm – Lovestuck
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1.35pm – Six
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1.45pm – The Diana Mixtape
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1.50pm – Janie Dee’s Beautiful World Cabaret
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2pm – Bat Out of Hell
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2.15pm – The Addams Family
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2.20pm – Magic Mike Live
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2.30pm – Sabrage
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2.35pm – Burlesque The Musical
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2.45pm – The Frogs
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2.55pm – Ride the Cyclone
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3pm – Showstopper! The Improvised Musical
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3.15pm – 101 Dalmatians
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3.20pm – This is My Family
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3.30pm – G4
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3.45pm – Westway Presents: 20 Years of West End Live Concert
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4.55pm – Finale and Farewell
West End Live is in Trafalgar Square, Sat Jun 21 and Sun Jun 22.