A West End show is one of London’s great date nights: a couple of hours in the dark, a shared story, and plenty to talk about over dinner afterwards. The trick is matching the show to the mood you are after. Here are our favourites for a night out together, grouped by the kind of evening you fancy, plus a few tips for making a proper night of it.

For sweeping romance

If you want your heartstrings well and truly pulled, start with the big, emotional love stories.

Moulin Rouge is about as date-night as theatre gets: a dazzling, immersive spectacle wrapped around a doomed love affair, with pop anthems you already know and a set that turns the auditorium into the Montmartre nightclub itself. It is glamorous, romantic and gloriously over the top.

For something timeless, The Phantom of the Opera remains the great sweeping romance of the West End: soaring Andrew Lloyd Webber melodies, that famous chandelier, and a love triangle that has kept audiences swooning for decades.

And if you like your romance more intimate and unexpected, Hadestown retells the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice as a smoky folk-and-jazz love story. It is one of the most beautiful and critically adored shows in town, and its ending will give you plenty to discuss afterwards.

For a glamorous, grown-up night

Sometimes date night calls for a little sophistication.

Sinatra The Musical is pure glamour: over twenty of Ol’ Blue Eyes’ greatest songs performed with a live orchestra, all cocktails-and-black-tie mood. It is the closest the West End gets to a night at a supper club.

Cabaret transforms its theatre into the Kit Kat Club, drawing you into 1930s Berlin from the moment you arrive. Sultry, immersive and grown-up, it is one of the most atmospheric evenings in London, and the pre-show is part of the experience.

For something wordless but electric, The Car Man is Matthew Bourne’s sensual, dance-driven reworking of Carmen, told entirely through movement. It is passionate, cinematic and full of chemistry, and a striking choice if you want something a little different.

For feel-good fun

Not every date has to be intense. If you would rather laugh and leave grinning, these are joyful nights out.

Mamma Mia! is the ultimate feel-good musical: sunshine, ABBA and a story that is impossible to resist. You will both be on your feet by the finale, grinning all the way to dinner.

ABBA Voyage is a night out like no other: ABBA’s digital avatars perform a full live concert in the purpose-built ABBA Arena, and the effect is so dazzling you will forget they are not really there. It is joyful, spectacular and impossible not to dance to, and a brilliant shared experience for a couple who love a bit of nostalgia. It is the one show here that sits just outside the West End, over in east London, but the short trip is well worth it.

Making a night of it

A few small things turn a show into a proper date night.

  • Time it around dinner. Evening performances usually start around 7:30pm, so book a table before or after. A weekend matinee, starting mid-afternoon, leaves the whole evening free for dinner and drinks.
  • Choose your seats together. The Dress Circle often gives the best view of the whole stage, and a pair of seats in the middle of a row means no shuffling past people. See our guide to West End theatre seats for where to sit.
  • Keep the cost down. Midweek performances and previews tend to be the best value, and our cheap tickets page gathers the best-priced shows if you are planning a spontaneous night.
  • Arrive early. Give yourselves time for a drink before curtain-up rather than dashing in at the last minute.

Whatever mood you are both in, there is a West End show to match it. Browse what is on to plan your date night, or sign up to our newsletter for the latest show news and ticket deals.