Les Misérables Tickets

What Les Misérables is, and where it plays now

Les Misérables is a sung-through musical (one in which nearly every line is sung) based on Victor Hugo's 1862 novel. It follows Jean Valjean, a convict released in 1815 after 19 years in prison for stealing bread, who breaks parole to start a new life and is hunted for decades by the police inspector Javert. The story ends on the Paris barricades of a student uprising.

As of October 1, 2026, the musical is not playing on Broadway. Its only English-language sit-down production is in London's West End at the Sondheim Theatre, where bookings have been extended to October 2027. In North America, the touring production that launched in October 2022 was scheduled to close in Boston on June 28, 2026, and the Broadway League's list of current tours no longer includes it. The concert version, The Arena Spectacular, ended its world tour at Radio City Music Hall on August 9, 2026. The live event list on this page shows any U.S. dates currently on sale.

From a Paris concept album to the West End and Broadway

Alain Boublil conceived the musical in the late 1970s, with music by Claude-Michel Schönberg. A French concept album came out in 1980, followed by a stage run at the Palais des Sports in Paris. Producer Cameron Mackintosh then commissioned an English version, directed by Trevor Nunn and John Caird of the Royal Shakespeare Company, with lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer. It opened at the Barbican in London on October 8, 1985, to mixed reviews but packed houses.

The London production has never closed for good. It moved to the Palace Theatre in December 1985 and to the smaller Queen's Theatre, now the Sondheim Theatre, in 2004. It is the longest-running musical in West End history and played its 16,000th London performance in February 2026.

On Broadway the record is just as long:

• 1987 to 2003: the original production opened at the Broadway Theatre on March 12, 1987, moved to the Imperial Theatre in 1990 and closed after 6,680 performances. It won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.
• 2006 to 2008: a revival at the Broadhurst Theatre ran 463 performances.
• 2014 to 2016: a new staging, based on the 25th anniversary tour, ran 1,026 performances at the Imperial Theatre.

A film adaptation followed in 2012.

Touring history in the United States

Les Misérables has toured North America almost continuously since 1987. Three national companies of the original production ran from the late 1980s into the 2000s, and the third (the "Marius Company") became one of the longest-running American touring productions. A 25th anniversary tour played from 2010 to 2013, another tour began in Providence in 2017, and the most recent North American tour opened at the State Theatre in Cleveland on October 7, 2022.

That tour uses the staging developed for the 2009 to 2010 UK tour, with scenery inspired by Victor Hugo's own paintings and projected imagery rather than the original production's design. If a new tour is announced, expect the same broad approach. Check the official Les Misérables site before you assume a production is coming to your city.

Running time, age guidance and content

The London production lists a running time of 2 hours 50 minutes, including a 15-minute interval (intermission). It is a long evening, and nearly all of it is sung.

The London production recommends ages 7 and up and does not admit children under 3. Parents should know what the show contains:

• Gunfire, smoke and flashing light effects, especially in the barricade scenes
• The deaths of several principal characters, including a child
• Poverty and prostitution, central to Fantine's story
• Bawdy comedy from the innkeepers, the Thénardiers

For most families, it works best from about age 10, especially for children who already know the story or the score.

Where to sit for Les Misérables

Les Misérables is driven by its score and its big ensemble pictures more than by close-up acting. That changes the usual math in a large theater: the full stage view and good sound matter more than being in the first rows.

Center orchestra, mid-house: the ideal seat

From roughly row 8 to the middle of the orchestra, you get both the faces in solos such as "I Dreamed a Dream" and the full width of the barricade. This is where demand concentrates.

Front mezzanine: often the best value

The barricade sequences, the stage lighting and the projected scenery read especially well from slightly above. The front rows of the mezzanine (the first balcony) are a strong choice and often a better buy than the rear orchestra.

Seats to weigh carefully

• The first few rows: close to the performers, but you look up at a tall, deep set and lose part of the stage picture.
• Rear orchestra under the overhang: the mezzanine above can cut off the top of the set and some of the projections.
• Far side seats on any level, which angle away from the center of the barricade.

Demand patterns when the show is in town

When Les Misérables comes through a U.S. city, it tends to sell like a returning classic. Expect these patterns:

• Limited engagements of a few weeks compress demand, so popular dates go early.
• Friday and Saturday evenings and weekend matinees move first.
• Holiday weeks and school breaks draw families and lift demand.
• Tuesday through Thursday evenings early in a run usually offer the most choice.

Because no North American production is announced as of October 2026, any new tour or Broadway return would likely open to strong first-week interest. GoodSeats orders come with free shipping.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Les Misérables (musical)
• Wikipedia – Imperial Theatre
• Les Misérables – Official site
• Les Misérables London – FAQs
• Les Misérables – The Arena Spectacular
• The Broadway League – Current shows
• The Broadway League – Current tours