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This Christmas on BBC One, the National Lottery’s annual Big Night of Musicals concerts were celebrated in a one-off special programme.

Biggest Night of Musicals by the National Lottery is a special compilation of the most memorable performances from previous Big Night of Musicals.

Hosted by Jason Manford, Biggest Night of Musicals features songs from blockbuster West End shows Wicked, Les Misérables, Matilda The Musical, The Phantom of the Opera, The Bodyguard and Back to the Future The Musical.

Other shows featured on the TV special include Mary Poppins, The Greatest Showman and Billy Elliot The Musical.

Biggest Night of Musicals is now available to watch on BBC iPlayer in the UK – watch here.

This year’s Big Night of Musicals featured a galaxy of stars including Michael Ball, Marisha Wallace, Layton Williams, Luke Brady and Carrie Hope Fletcher, with shows including Cabaret, Disney’s Hercules, Titanique, and Here & Now – The Steps Musical.

Check out photos from Big Night of Musicals 2025, and also watch the show on BBC iPlayer.

Big Night of Musicals 2026

Earlier this month, it was announced that The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals is back for 2026, once again playing at the AO Arena in Manchester, on 26 January 2026.

Eleven West End and touring musicals will be featured during the night, including Cameron Mackintosh’s current revival of Miss Saigon; the new production of Jesus Christ Superstar coming to the London Palladium starring Sam Ryder; the hit West End revival of The Producers, which is now playing at the Garrick Theatre in London; blockbuster, long-running West End show Wicked; and I’m Every Woman – The Chaka Khan Musical starring Alexandra Burke.

More shows will be announced in the coming weeks.

This will be the fifth year of the annual musicals event, which spotlights how National Lottery funding has supported more than 29,000 theatre-related projects nationwide, contributing over £1.4 billion.

The concert will once again be hosted by Jason Manford, who is starring in the acclaimed musical Something Rotten! next year in Manchester, alongside Richard Fleeshman. Jason also hosted this year’s Royal Variety Performance 2025.

Book the Shows

Book tickets to the shows featured at the next Big Night of Musicals 2026. Book now >

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Main photo: Biggest Night of Musicals to play on BBC One this Christmas (Photo BBC)

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