Family First Nights | 2026

Throughout the month of May, hundreds of young people experienced the magic of theatre for the first time alongside their families.

Family First Nights relaunched this spring to offer referred families £10 tickets to top West End shows. Thanks to the support of trusted referral organisations and 11 of London’s leading productions, 427 families (including 1,027 Young people) were given the chance to experience the joy of live theatre – many for the first time.

Audiences were welcomed into a spectacular line-up of shows: Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, Hadestown, Into The Woods, Mamma Mia!, Matilda The Musical, My Neighbour Totoro, Planet Omar, SIX, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind, The Play That Goes Wrong and Wicked.

This initiative is designed to offer families facing challenging circumstances or financial barriers, the opportunity to attend a West End show at a heavily subsidised price of £10 a ticket. For many young people, this programme marks not only their first trip to the theatre, but also their first step into Go Live community. Once enrolled, we continue to support families until their eldest child turns 18 – and after that they can join the Go Live Club, continuing to nuture the next generation of theatre lovers!

This year we worked with 116 organisations including virtual schools, fostering services, refuge centres, community hubs, disability organisations and hospitals.  Notably, 70% were either brand-new partners or returning after 2 years, deeply strengthening our ties with communities across London. As a result, we welcomed families from all 33 London boroughs and 10 Local Authorities beyond London, making this our most far-reaching year yet!

Key Demographics & Reach:

54% of participating families were from the 40% most deprived areas as per the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD deciles 1-4)

21% of families came from Arts Council Priority Places (Barking and Dagenham, Brent, Croydon, Enfield, or Newham)

41% of families listed that they had an access need or were referred by an organisation that works with young people with SEND

73% of post-show survey responders are in receipt of some form of state benefit

54% of respondents are from a global majority background

Of those who completed the survey, over half of the families had never attended a theatre show together before – this flagship programme shows how vital community partnerships are in widening access to the arts.

Family Testimonials

The impact is clear: 92% of survey respondents highlighted how Family First Nights has made them more likely to visit the theatre as a family again and 100% agreed that this programme had a positive effect on their children:

“What an amazing scheme. I’d not been able to take my whole family to the theatre before because of the cost. This scheme made it possible, thank you!”

“Family 1st is a game changer, we’ve added theatre on our family time share experience. I highly recommend ❤️👍🏾”

“My daughters loved it. They want to go again and my daughter asked how she can be in musicals like the kids in Matilda. I think she was inspired!”

“Excellent experience and glad the reduced cost allowed me to take my family to the theatre we found it so enjoyable and memorable. I would not have been able to do it without this site.”

Huge thanks to our generous funders The Garek Trust for the Performing Arts, The Gerald and Gail Ronson Family Foundation, and The Polonsky Foundation for making this programme possible.

And also to all our referral organisations, the participating shows and London Theatre Direct for making this year such a success.

Donate today to help ensure every child, regardless of background, has the chance to experience the transformative power of live theatre and open doors for the next generation.

If you’re a trust, foundation, company, organisation or private individual that would like to explore supporting our work in a specific way, please get in touch using the form below.

 Photos: @charlieflintphotography