York panto 2026: Snow White from 4 December with seats from £15, Peter Pan from 5 December, and a £20 Rowntree panto. Dates, times, prices and access shows.

York has two full-scale pantomimes this year and they open a day apart. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is at York Theatre Royal from Friday 4 December, and The Further Adventures of Peter Pan: The Return of Captain Hook is at the Grand Opera House from Saturday 5 December. Both close on Sunday 3 January 2027. Both are on sale now. If you want something smaller and cheaper, the Joseph Rowntree Theatre on Haxby Road has a community panto, Sleeping Beauty, from 5 to 12 December, and a second one in January.

Everything below was first read off the theatres’ own booking systems on 4 September and rechecked on 2 October 2026, including the performance lists, the access dates and the prices the Grand Opera House is currently attaching to each show.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, York Theatre Royal

Fri 4 December 2026 to Sun 3 January 2027, Main House, St Leonard’s Place. The theatre lists 51 performances, written by Paul Hendy and directed by Juliet Forster, made with Evolution Productions, the team behind last year’s Sleeping Beauty.

The cast is Richard David-Caine of Horrible Histories and Swashbuckle, Robin Simpson back again as the dame, Dame Dolly, Tommy Carmichael as Muddles, Dean Whatton as Sarge, Jenny Gayner as the Wicked Queen, Christian Mortimer as the Prince, and Marcavia McCarthy in the title role (York Theatre Royal).

Times. Evenings are at 7pm, with 5.30pm shows on many Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Matinees are 2.30pm on Saturdays, 11am and 3pm on Sundays, and 10.30am on several weekday mornings.

The dark days catch people out. There is no performance on Monday 7, Monday 14 or Friday 18 December, none on Christmas Day and none on New Year’s Day. Christmas Eve has two, at 11am and 3pm, and Boxing Day has 2.30pm and 7pm.

Access performances, all confirmed by the theatre:

Type Date Time
Relaxed Thu 10 December 5.30pm
Dementia friendly Wed 16 December 5.30pm
BSL interpreted Mon 21 December 5.30pm, interpreter Steven Conlon
Audio described Tue 29 December 1pm, touch tour at noon
Captioned Wed 30 December 2.30pm

Prices. The show page still prints no prices, but the theatre’s own booking system does, and we read every one of the 51 performances on 2 October. The cheapest seat is £15 at every performance (the back price band and the restricted view seats). The top price moves with demand:

Performances Top adult price Top under-16 price
Weekday shows, 8 to 17 December, and opening night £39 £36
Weekends of 5 to 6, 12 to 13 and 19 to 20 December, and 2 to 3 January £54 to £60 £49 to £52
21 to 31 December, including the Boxing Day weekend £55 to £62 £49 to £52

The single dearest seat in the run is £62, Christmas Eve at 3pm. On opening night the four price bands are £39, £35, £25 and £15. These are the theatre’s ticket prices before any booking fee, and they can move as the run sells.

The theatre also says family tickets are available for every performance, with savings of up to £61, and that discounts exist for schools and groups. For access performances it asks you to book through the box office (boxoffice@yorktheatreroyal.co.uk, 01904 623568) to get the best rate and the right seats. Booking opened to members on 17 November last year and to everyone at 1pm on 22 November, so the good dates have had ten months of selling.

The Further Adventures of Peter Pan, Grand Opera House

Sat 5 December 2026 to Sun 3 January 2027, Cumberland Street, YO1 9SW. Tom Lister, of Emmerdale and 42nd Street, plays Captain Hook. Jimmy Bryant, who was Buttons in last year’s Cinderella, returns as Smee, Holly Atterton is Tinker Bell and Joe Sleight plays Peter Pan and Kirsty Sparks, of Top Hat and Starlight Express, is Ethel the Mermaid, with more casting still to be announced (ATG Tickets).

Age guidance is 3 and over. Children over 18 months need their own ticket, and babes in arms under 18 months are admitted with a free voucher that still has to be added to the booking. The show has an interval.

The relaxed performance is Wednesday 30 December, listed separately from the main run.

Prices. ATG’s own listing data on 4 September put the lowest seat at £19.24 for the four opening-weekend shows on 5 and 6 December, and £18.20 for 8, 9 and 10 December. Every one of those performances was showing as available. Prices vary by date across the run, so check the calendar rather than assuming the opening weekend rate holds through Christmas week. Group bookings of ten or more go through ATG on 020 7206 1174.

Which York panto to book

The two shows are not interchangeable, and the differences are bigger than the titles suggest.

Snow White, Theatre Royal Peter Pan, Grand Opera House
Runs Fri 4 Dec to Sun 3 Jan Sat 5 Dec to Sun 3 Jan
Performances 51 listed Varies by date
Age guidance Family panto, no minimum stated 3 and over
Under-18-month babies Ask the box office Free voucher, still has to be added to the booking
Cheapest seat £15 at every performance; top price £39 on weekdays to £62 on Christmas Eve From £19.24 opening weekend, £18.20 on 8 to 10 Dec, fee included
Family tickets Every performance, savings up to £61 Group rates from ten people
Access performances Five: relaxed, dementia friendly, BSL, audio described, captioned One relaxed performance, Wed 30 December
Book through Box office direct, 01904 623568 ATG Tickets, groups 020 7206 1174

Go to the Theatre Royal if access matters. Five different access performances against one is not a close call, and the theatre asks access bookers to come through the box office so the seats match the need.

Go to the Theatre Royal on a weekday for the cheapest good seat. Its weekday top price is £39 and the back band is £15 at every show, against a lowest seat of £18.20 at the Grand Opera House. Avoid Christmas week if price matters: the same top seat costs up to £62.

Go to the Grand Opera House if your child is three or over and you want a Sunday evening. Peter Pan has a 5.30pm show on Sunday 6 December, where Snow White’s Sundays finish with a 3pm matinee.

Check the dark days before you book leave. Snow White has none on Monday 7, Monday 14 or Friday 18 December, none on Christmas Day and none on New Year’s Day. That last one catches families who assume a 3 January close means a New Year’s Day show.

Frequently asked questions

What is the York pantomime in 2026?

Two professional ones. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at York Theatre Royal from 4 December, and The Further Adventures of Peter Pan: The Return of Captain Hook at the Grand Opera House from 5 December. Both close on Sunday 3 January 2027. The Joseph Rowntree Theatre adds a community panto, Sleeping Beauty, from 5 to 12 December.

When does the York panto start and finish?

Snow White opens Friday 4 December 2026 and Peter Pan Saturday 5 December. Both finish on Sunday 3 January 2027.

How much are tickets?

At York Theatre Royal the cheapest seat is £15 at every Snow White performance; the top price is £39 on weekdays, £54 to £60 at weekends and up to £62 on Christmas Eve, checked on the theatre’s booking system on 2 October. The Grand Opera House shows seats from £19.24 for the opening weekend and £18.20 for 8, 9 and 10 December, fee included. Sleeping Beauty at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre is £20 to £24.

Is there a cheaper panto in York?

Yes. The Joseph Rowntree Theatre’s community pantos cost less: Sleeping Beauty (5 to 12 December) is £20 to £24, with £16 tickets for groups of ten on Tuesday to Thursday evenings, and Princess Rapunzel: The Heir with the Hair (22 and 23 January 2027) is £13 to £16.

Is there a relaxed or BSL performance?

Yes, at both. York Theatre Royal has five access performances: relaxed on Thursday 10 December, dementia friendly on Wednesday 16 December, BSL interpreted on Monday 21 December, audio described on Tuesday 29 December with a touch tour at noon, and captioned on Wednesday 30 December. The Grand Opera House has one relaxed performance, on Wednesday 30 December.

Is there a panto on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day?

At the Theatre Royal, yes: Christmas Eve has shows at 11am and 3pm, and Boxing Day at 2.30pm and 7pm. There is nothing on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day.

Which panto suits a toddler?

Neither, if they are under three. York Theatre Royal runs The Enormous Christmas Pudding from 16 to 31 December for ages 2 to 6, which is the short, quiet option.

Do I need a ticket for a baby?

At the Grand Opera House, children over 18 months need their own ticket, and babes in arms under 18 months need a free voucher added to the booking. Ask the Theatre Royal box office about Snow White.

York’s community pantos: Joseph Rowntree Theatre

The Joseph Rowntree Theatre on Haxby Road, YO31 8TA (box office 01904 501935) stages community pantos, made by local amateur companies, at well under the city-centre top prices (Joseph Rowntree Theatre panto listings).

Sleeping Beauty, Rowntree Players, Saturday 5 to Saturday 12 December 2026. A new script, with no show on Monday 7 December. Ten performances:

Date Times
Sat 5 December 2pm, 7.30pm
Sun 6 December 2pm (audio described), 6pm
Tue 8 to Fri 11 December 7.30pm
Sat 12 December 2pm (captioned and BSL interpreted), 7.30pm

Tickets are £20 to £24, and groups of ten or more pay £16 each on the Tuesday to Thursday evenings. The two Saturday matinees were already showing limited availability on 2 October.

Princess Rapunzel: The Heir with the Hair, The Deadpan Players, Friday 22 and Saturday 23 January 2027. Three performances, 7.30pm on Friday and 2pm and 7.30pm on Saturday, at £13 to £16. It is the one to book if the December shows have passed you by.

The third option, for children too small for either

York Theatre Royal also runs The Enormous Christmas Pudding from Wednesday 16 December to Thursday 31 December, recommended for ages 2 to 6 in the theatre’s own listing. It is a short, low-key alternative if a full panto with a smoke machine is a stretch.

Getting there and getting home

Both theatres are in the city centre, a few minutes apart on foot. The Grand Opera House sits on Cumberland Street off Clifford Street; York Theatre Royal is on St Leonard’s Place beside the Museum Gardens. The Grand Opera House box office opens 90 minutes before each performance.

Neither has a car park. Our parking page covers the council car parks and the evening rates, and the Christmas market page is worth reading if you are booking a matinee, because the market runs 12 November to 21 December and the city centre is a different place on those days.