What better way to spend your free time during the festive season than watching lively feel-good performances with your family? Created by enchanting productions and with a star cast at the forefront, family pantomimes are a hit with parents and younger children. So we’ve made it our Christmas mission to locate all the best and biggest pantomimes in the UK – just in time for Christmas! Read on for our Christmas Pantomime 2022 top picks …

Little girl clapping hands in theatre

Why should I take my kids to a Christmas pantomime?

Before we get into our top picks, here are some excellent reasons as to why you should consider a Christmas Pantomime day out during the festive period…

A night filled with stunning costumes, sensational songs, and your favourite stories make the recipe for a wonderful day out. Exciting panto performances are filled with life, laughter, and bursts of colour – all things that make kids and adults feel good and happy.

We all know one of the main reasons people love pantomime performances over other live performances, and that is… actors talking to the audience! Oh no it isn’t… Oh yes it is! Boo, hiss, clap, weep, laugh – it’s all part of the drama!

Imagine a child watching animated characters jump wildly around a stage, then all of sudden these fantastical characters are walking off the stage and asking them a question… You’d be star-stuck for sure!

In short, all the traditional pantomime ingredients whipped up together result in a magical and unforgettable experience for your little ones and hey, you’ll even see some TV stars and personalities perform too. It’s a festive treat and you won’t regret booking tickets too…

silhouettes in theatre performances

Christmas Pantomime 2022 in Scotland

actors bowing at the end of theatre performance

Beauty and the Beast

Sit back and prepare to be captivated by one of the most romantic pantos of all time, Beauty and the Beast. The star-studded production showcases pantomime legends Elaine C Smith and Johnny Mac, in what will be a spectacular and enchanting production for all the family.

LocationGet directions

King's Theatre, 297 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4JN

Opening Times

26th Nov 2022 to 31st Dec 2022

Pricing

Tickets start from £13

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Miss piggy and kermet the frog

The Muppet Christmas Carol

You’re in for a world of Christmas magic with Disney’s The Muppet Christmas Carol. Watch the heartwarming and hilarious festive flick to the sounds of a live orchestra! Even if you aren’t based in Scotland, the Muppets are taking a UK wide tour, featuring its musical score performed live to the film.

LocationGet directions

SEC Armadillo, Glasgow, Scotland G3 8YW

Opening Times

28th Nov 2022

Pricing

£32.45 - £75.55

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Miss piggy and kermet the frog

Elf

Based on the hit Will Ferrell movie, this family-favourite follows the enchanting story of Buddy – a misplaced human elf on his journey to find his real father. You’ll laugh your socks off and maybe even well up at the end… I wonder how much mischief one elf could get up to in New York? Have you Elf a very merry Christmas and head to the Whitehall Theatre.
LocationGet directions

Whitehall Theatre, Bellfield Street, Dundee, DD1 5JA

Opening Times

30th Nov 2022 to 3rd Dec 2022

Pricing

No prices available yet

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Christmas Pantomime 2022 in Northern Ireland

Snow Queen

The Snow Queen, A Lyric Theatre Production, Belfast

Are you ready for the musical adventure of a lifetime? Grab your pantomime tickets today and embark on the perilous journey of Gerda as she searches for her friend through mysterious frozen lands…

Created by Paul Boyd and the team who brought us the Lyric’s hit musicals Peter Pan, Alice The Musical, and Pinocchio The Greatest Wonder of the Age – comes an all-new version of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic adventure, The Snow Queen.

Not only is this a great Christmas pantomime for kids but it has valuable themes of tale of courage, adventure, and friendship.

LocationGet directions

55 Ridgeway St, Belfast BT9 5FB

Opening Times

Fri 25 Nov—Sat 31 Dec 2022

Pricing

£12 - £28

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Christmas Pantomime 2022 in the North East

blurred image of people performing on a stage

White Christmas

Fall in love with Christmas and all the important values that make it so special in the classic, White Christmas. Think singing, dancing, and tales of love and friendship. Click your heels and hum along to all your favourite songs like Blue Skies, Sisters, Count Your Blessings Instead Of Sheep, The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing, I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm and of course, White Christmas.

Entertain all the family with the spectacular production of Irving Berlin’s classic musical, White Christmas. It’s a great production to watch with your grandparents too, making memories that spread across all the generations. Everyone deserves to feel like a child again at Christmas, don’t they?

LocationGet directions

4-5 High St W, Sunderland SR1 3EX

Opening Times

28th Nov 2022 to 3rd Dec 2022

Pricing

Tickets start from £13

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Christmas Pantomime 2022 in the North West

close up of christmas tree

Home Alone In Concert

No film does slapstick comedy quite like this one… If you’ve got kids, parents, partners or friends who love dark comedy and a sprinkling of mayhem then Home Alone is the perfect film to watch.

Watch an intelligent child, Kevin Mccallister, look after himself and his home after his parents forget him and go on holiday… The plot thickens as two slimy thieves prey on Kevin’s home while his family are away. If there’s one message to take away from this film, it’s never underestimate a child… Get ready to cry with laughter and find yourselves on the edge of your seats – especially in the ‘nail on stairs’ scene… CRINGE!!!

This beloved holiday favourite features renowned composer John Williams in a charming and delightful score performed live to picture by a live symphony orchestra.

LocationGet directions

Opera House, Quay St, Manchester, M3 3HP

Opening Times

27th Nov 2022

Pricing

Tickets start from £32.25

Find out more

Christmas Pantomime 2022 in Wales

kid dressed as mouse peeking around a corner

Cinderella at the Coliseum Theatre

You’ll have a ball this half term when Colstars present the fairest pantomime of them all! Sit back and watch All-singing, all-dancing, laugh-out-loud silliness unfold before your very eyes. Expect all the traditional joys with a big dollop of panto mayhem. Cinderella promises to be the perfect fit!
LocationGet directions

Mount Pleasant St, Trecynon, Aberdare CF44 8NG

Opening Times

Awaiting dates...

Pricing

Balcony - £10.00

Stalls - £9.00

Concessions - £9.00/£8.00

Find out more

Christmas Pantomime 2022 in the West Midlands

People performing in theatre

Fairytale of New York

They don’t call Birmingham ‘the most Irish place in Britain’ for no reason… Celebrate a very merry Irish Christmas tale at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham. The show will have people of all ages singing, laughing and dancing in the aisles, featuring an international cast of singers, musicians and dancers!

Whether you have Irish roots or not, everyone is welcome to celebrate this glorious new production. Book ticket now!

LocationGet directions

Alexandra Theatre, Suffolk Queensway, Birmingham, West Midlands B5 4DS

Opening Times

27th Nov 2022

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Christmas Pantomime 2022 in the East Midlands

mother and child gasping in audience chairs at theatre

Robin Hood at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

The fun doesn’t just begin as the grand curtain falls… Kids can get stuck into fun dress up activities, eat ice creams and enjoy programme goodie bags! Adults can grab a drink beforehand too.

This excellent production tells the story of Robin of Loxley and his ambitious plight to steal from the rich and give back to the poor. And with no-nonsense Maid Marion, the loud-mouthed Little Joan, and puny pauper and young Rob by his side anything is possible…

LocationGet directions

Westgate St, Bury St Edmunds, Bury Saint Edmunds IP33 1QR

Opening Times

Friday 25th November — Saturday 14th January

Pricing

Prices start from £10.50

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Christmas Pantomime 2022 in South East

kids dressing up at theatre

Little Red Robin Hood, Battersea

Anyone for a panto mash up of your favourite fables? Battersea Arts Centre invites you to watch Panto the comedy trio ‘Sleeping Trees’ as they return with another joyfully bizarre seasonal soiree. The evil Sheriff of Nottingham has taken Robin Hood captive – but could Little Red Riding Hood be the one to save him? With twists at every turn, could this spin on two childhood classics become your new favourite panto?
LocationGet directions

Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN

Opening Times

6th December 2022 - 8th January 2023

Pricing

£19.50

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Christmas Pantomime 2022 in South West

Minack theatre

A Christmas Carol at the Minack Theatre, Porthcurno

BAHHH HUMBUG! Head to the famous open air Minack Theatre for an entertaining one man show, A Christmas Carol. Located above the sea, you’ll hear the calming crashes of the waves, serving as a backdrop for the spectacular performance.

Wrap up warm and huddle together as the ghosts of Christmas Past inhibit the stage… Enjoy all the silliness and wickedness of a pantomime, outdoors in Porthcurno.

The play is suitable for accompanied children aged 9+ and lasts 75 minutes. You can’t beat the authentic feel and stunning scenery of the Minack Theatre, it adds to the whole theatrical adventure.

LocationGet directions

The Minack Theatre,,
Penzance,
Cornwall,
TR19 6JU,
England

Opening Times

21 Dec 2022 - 22 Dec 2022

Pricing

Kids: £5

Adults (16+): £10

Carers go for free

Find out more
drag queen dressed in bright clothes and a big pink wig

Have you found a spectacular family pantomime to take the kids too? Watch the handsome prince of thieves, Robin Hood, overthrow the rich. Enjoy laugh out loud comedy performances like Elf or sit back and unwind to a cinema showing with a live orchestra in the background. From panto favourites like Cinderella to mash ups like Little Red Robin Hood, there’s something special for everyone to enjoy during peak pantomime season. you’ll get into the festive mood in no time!

If you’re up for discovering a wealth of creative or theatrical experiences then make sure to check out our ticketing page for London Theatre! Yep, we do tickets now too! Watch all the best family shows from The Lion king, & Juliet, Mamma Mia, or take your teens to see Moulin Rouge!