The Lion King extends London run to March 2026 – Christmas tickets now available

Disney’s The Lion King has extended its West End run at the Lyceum Theatre in London to March 2026, with tickets now available for the 2025 Christmas season and beyond.

The extension ensures that the beloved musical remains a centrepiece of the West End through another festive season – a time when family audiences flock to theatre. Tickets are now on sale for performances across Christmas 2025, New Year, and the 2026 February half-term. The Lion King is now booking to 29 March 2026.

The Lion King – Christmas and New Year Performance Schedule at the Lyceum Theatre, London

Planning to see The Lion King in London this festive season? Here’s the full Christmas and New Year performance schedule for 2025–2026 at the Lyceum Theatre:

23 December 2025 – 2:30pm & 7:30pm
25 December 2025 – No performance
30 December 2025 – 2:30pm & 7:30pm
31 December 2025 – 2:30pm only
1 January 2026 – 7:30pm only
2 January 2026 – 2:30pm & 7:30pm

Regular performance times remain in place outside of these dates.

From next week, the London production of The Lion King welcomes new cast, including Stephenson Ardern-Sodje (Passing Strange, Hamilton) in the role of Simba. Ardern-Sodje returns to the part, having previously starred as Simba in the show’s UK and Ireland tour. He will perform at the Lyceum Theatre until 28 September 2025, after which Hope Maine takes over the role from 30 September 2025 to 25 January 2026. Maine is best known for his work in Disney’s Hercules and previous appearances in The Lion King.

Since premiering in London in 1999, The Lion King has welcomed over 20 million theatregoers to the Lyceum Theatre. With music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and visionary direction from Julie Taymor, the production continues to draw audiences of all ages with its dazzling puppetry, unforgettable score, and powerful storytelling.

More than 110 million people have experienced the show worldwide, since it premiered on Broadway in 1997 and opened in London in 1999, winning over 70 major awards including six Tony Awards.

? Recent Milestones for The Lion King in London

The latest extension follows a series of remarkable milestones for The Lion King in London, reinforcing its status as one of the West End’s most successful productions:

On 8 March 2025, following the evening performance, The Lion King officially overtook Blood Brothers to become the sixth longest-running show in West End history — a landmark moment in the show’s ongoing legacy. → (See full list of longest-running West End shows.)
On 25 February 2025, the production celebrated its 10,000th performance, a rare achievement in West End theatre.
In February 2025, the show also welcomed its 20 millionth guest, joining the ranks of the most attended productions in UK theatre history.
On Saturday 19 October 2024, The Lion King marked its 25th anniversary in the West End with a gala performance at the Lyceum Theatre
In April 2024, the show surpassed CATS to become the fifth longest running musical ever
Globally, Disney’s The Lion King has made history as the most successful show of all time, surpassing even The Phantom of the Opera.
In August 2014, the musical overtook Phantom’s $6 billion record, going on to gross over $6.2 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing box office blockbuster in history — across all entertainment media