West End Shows to See Before They Close This Summer
- My Box Office
- May 22
- 3 min read
Every summer, a handful of London's best shows quietly announce their final curtain — and then they're gone. Some close after a strictly limited run. Others have been going for months and are finally winding down. Either way, once they're done, they're done.
Here are the shows you need to book before summer 2026 is over — and the ones where time is genuinely running out.
Closing in June
Sherlock Holmes — World Premiere
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, Chester Road, NW1 4NU Closes: 6 June 2026
The world premiere of a brand-new Sherlock Holmes mystery, staged outdoors at Regent's Park in the early summer sunshine. Written by Joel Horwood and starring Joshua James, this is a show that simply won't exist anywhere else after it closes — it's a new work, not a revival, which means once this run ends, it's gone.
The open-air setting makes it a complete evening out. Tickets from £19.
Strictly Limited Summer Runs
Glengarry Glen Ross
The Old Vic, The Cut, SE1 8NB Runs: 4 June – limited run
David Mamet's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece returns to the West End at one of London's greatest theatres. Glengarry Glen Ross — a savage, electric drama about desperate salesmen willing to do anything to stay in the game — is widely regarded as one of the best American plays ever written. The Old Vic production is booking for a limited summer run only.
The sales pitch, the desperation, the extraordinary language — this is a play that rewards you for seeing it live in a great theatre. Don't wait until the last week.
The Truth
West End, limited run Booking now
A sharply comic play about the collision of love and lies, translated into English by Tony Award-winner Christopher Hampton and described as "wickedly funny." This came to London for a strictly limited engagement only — which means no extensions, no transfers. When it's gone, it's gone.
Summer Runs With a Confirmed End Date
CATS — New Outdoor Production
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Runs: 25 July – 19 September 2026
Andrew Lloyd Webber's legendary musical — one of the most famous shows in the history of theatre — returns to London in a spectacular new production reimagined for the open-air stage by choreographer Drew McOnie. Seven weeks only. After September, it heads straight on a UK tour, so this is your London moment.
CATS is the kind of show that sells itself, but a brand-new production in an iconic outdoor setting is something genuinely special. Book early — this will sell out.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Wyndham's Theatre, Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0DA Booking until: 12 September 2026
Aaron Sorkin's acclaimed stage adaptation of Harper Lee's novel returns to the West End this summer. The production has been critically lauded across its various runs for bringing real emotional urgency to one of the most important American stories ever told. Booking until mid-September — after which there's no guarantee of a return.
Tao of Glass
Limited season, booking until 12 September 2026
A deeply personal piece from Phelim McDermott, one of the most inventive theatre directors working today, blending storytelling, puppetry, and the music of Philip Glass into something unlike anything else in London right now. This kind of work doesn't get revived — see it while you can.
The One to Book Now Before Demand Peaks
Being Mr Wickham
Garrick Theatre, Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0HH Opens: 31 May 2026
Adrian Lukis — the original Mr Wickham from the beloved 1995 BBC Pride & Prejudice — returns to the role in a one-man show that imagines what became of Austen's most charming rogue later in life. It's a niche premise, but it has attracted devoted audiences wherever it's played, and the Garrick Theatre engagement is a limited West End run.
For any Austen fan, this is genuinely a once-in-a-lifetime kind of show.
Closing dates can change — always double-check with the venue or booking site before you travel. Shows occasionally extend or close early depending on demand.
