Our Night at The National Lottery's Big Night of Musicals 2026 ✨🎶

Lawrence and I were lucky enough to attend Big Night of Musicals again this year, and it’s honestly one of our favourite theatre nights of the year. One of the things that makes it so special is how the tickets work — each year, around 12,000 free tickets are released as a thank you to National Lottery players. You can book up to four tickets, pay a small £2 booking fee per ticket, and just need to show proof of a National Lottery product on the night.

We’ve been incredibly lucky and have managed to get tickets to every Big Night of Musicals since it started, which still feels a bit mad when I think about it. One year we actually missed out on both of the main ticket releases, but on the day of the show we checked again and managed to grab returned tickets — and they ended up being floor seats! So it’s always worth checking closer to the event, and even on the day itself, because you just never know what might pop up.

AO Arena Manchester Entrance

This year felt very grown-up for us — no kids, no school runs, just me and Lawrence heading into Manchester for a proper date night at the AO Arena.

We got the tram into Victoria Station, which is literally right next to the arena, and even though it was absolutely packed with people, everything was surprisingly smooth. You walk straight through body scanners, get your tickets scanned, and suddenly you’re inside this huge buzzing space full of excited theatre fans.

We were sat in Block 214, Row R, right at the back of the upper tier, so we were very high up… but actually the view was much better than I expected. Because we were near the side of the stage, we could see everything really clearly and didn’t even need to rely on the big screens.

Before heading to our seats, we tried to get some water near the main entrance — massive mistake. The queues were enormous. We ended up walking round to the concession stands near our block where it was much quieter… although we did pay £8 for two bottles of water, which still feels outrageous 😂 but when you’re not allowed to take anything in, you don’t really have a choice.

The View From My Seat in Block 214 Row R Seat 18

The Atmosphere

Before the show even started, the atmosphere was amazing. There was a DJ, then comedian Johnny Cowling warming up the crowd with singalongs like Sweet Caroline and We Will Rock You, and lots of cheering and clapping.

There were also some really lovely moments celebrating local theatre heroes, which I always think is such a nice part of this event — it’s not just about big stars, it’s about real people and communities too.

Then Jason Manford came on as host to chat to the audience and set the tone for the night, the orchestra tuned up, and you could feel the excitement building around the arena.

Lawrence and I having a great time at the Big Night Of Musicals

The performances

The show opened with The Lion King, and honestly nothing could have prepared me for how good it was. Puppets and performers came walking through the audience, with towering giraffes, gazelles and even a huge rhino on stage, and I just sat there grinning like a child.. It was easily my favourite performance of the whole night — I’m such a sucker for puppets and big theatrical spectacle.

The Lion King performing at The National Lottery's The Big Night Of Musicals

There were so many brilliant moments, but a few real standouts for me were:

• Sam Ryder singing Gethsemane – his voice was unreal. Actual goosebumps.

• Ava Brennan in Oliver! – so emotional and beautiful.

• The Annie performance with the kids from Oldham – genuinely heartwarming.

• The Choir of Man – which turned into the biggest singalong of the night.

  
  

One of my favourite performances of the night was the Disney medley, which was introduced by Alan Menken via a pre-recorded video message. It included Mae Ann Jorolan singing Colours of the Wind, Lucy Jones performing Part of Your World (which gave me instant chills), and Trevor Dion Nicholas singing Tale As Old As Time.

What made it even more special was that they were joined by young performers from the Royal Northern College of Music, The National Youth Music Theatre, and The Lowry Centre for Advanced Training. Seeing professional West End stars sharing the stage with local students was such a lovely reminder of what this event is really about.

Lucy Jones, Mae Ann Jorolan and Trevor Dion Nicholas performing a Disney Medley

The full line-up

Here’s the full list of shows and performers who appeared at Big Night of Musicals 2026:

• The Lion King – West End cast

• Oliver! – Ava Brennan as Nancy

• Miss Saigon – UK tour cast

• Annie – La Voix as Miss Hannigan, with Wild Things Performing Arts

• Sunny Afternoon – UK tour cast

• The Producers – West End cast

• Disney medley – Mae Ann Jorolan, Lucy Jones & Trevor Dion Nicholas

• Paddington The Musical – Victoria Hamilton-Barritt

• Jesus Christ Superstar – Sam Ryder

• The Choir of Man – with Infant Hercules Choir & Jason Manford

• Wicked – Emma Kingston & Zizi Strallen

• I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical – Alexandra Burke

  
  

Final thoughts

Overall, it was such a special night — funny, emotional, uplifting, and a real celebration of musical theatre. From the huge opening number to the big singalong moments, it felt like one of those evenings that reminds you exactly why live theatre is so magical.

It’s the kind of event you’ll always remember.

If you missed it in person, Big Night of Musicals airs on BBC One on 21st March and will be available on BBC iPlayer after broadcast.

And honestly? I’d go every year if I could. 💜 Big Night of Musicals is exactly what it promises to be — a big, joyful reminder of why I fell in love with theatre in the first place.

If you’d like to see more of the night, including little clips from the performances and our full experience at the arena, you can watch my vlog below 💜

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HooU60Qqd0k