Get tickets to shows at the UK's best outdoor theatres

Discover the best places to enjoy an evening of theatre in the great outdoors across the United Kingdom, including Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in London.

The United Kingdom is home to thousands of theatres. Every summer, outdoor theatres open their doors once more, welcoming audiences to open-air productions of their favourite musicals and plays. Here are some of the outdoor theatres to explore — as well as the great shows on offer.

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

From May to September, theatregoers can look forward to exciting productions at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. It's been a permanent feature in London’s Regent’s Park since 1932, and welcomes up to 1,240 audience members per performance.

The 2023 season at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre looks very exciting, indeed. We've got Once On This Island and La Cage Aux Folles bookending the season, with family-friendly versions of The Tempest, Robin Hood and Dinosaur World Live in the summer months. Discover more about shows at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre this year. But, whatever show you're seeing, remember to bring both wet weather gear and sun cream — the weather is the one element out of everyone's control.

Turbine Theatre

London's new venue, the Turbine Theatre, is located next to the iconic Battersea Power Station. Outdoor theatre takes place on a nearby Thames-side jetty, where audience members booked pallet seating or deckchairs. This socially distanced offering ranged from musical theatre and concerts to Shakespeare and family-friendly shows.

Previous shows include a concert staging of rock musical Hair, a Jersey Boys tribute with The Best of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, musical theatre stars in the "Roles We'll Never Play" concert, and rock/pop piece The Final Countdown.

Shakespeare's Globe

If you want to experience 16th-century theatre, then you need to visit Shakespeare's Globe. The 1997 remodelling honours the original Bankside playhouse. The Globe is also open for guided tours, and they're a wonderful way to learn more about Shakespearean history, as well as London theatre and the Bard himself - plus you get to stand on one of the world's most famous stages.

Garden Theatre at The Eagle

This newly refurbished, socially distanced outdoor theatre space at the Eagle Pub in Vauxhall hosted Fanny & Stella in 2020, a musical by Glenn Chandler (creator of Taggart) and Charles Miller. This new semi-covered al fresco spot seats a socially distanced audience of 50, and is an apt location for this fascinating slice of queer history.

Minack Theatre

This breathtaking venue in Cornwall is dramatic all on its own. Minack means a rocky place ("menyek" in Cornish), and the theatre is perched on the cliffs above a steep gully, with seating on grass or concrete terrace overlooking the Atlantic Ocean - just a few miles from Land's End.