Shakespeare's Globe: Theatre, Tours, and the £5 Groundling Ticket
A £5 groundling ticket to a Globe performance is the best value cultural experience in London. You stand in the yard directly around the stage in the open-air theatre, watching Shakespeare performed exactly as the original Globe audience would have watched it — weather and all. No London theatre experience is more authentic.
Highlights
- Stand in the yard as a groundling for £5 — the cheapest theatre ticket in London
- Watch Shakespeare performed in a faithful reconstruction of the original 1599 theatre
- Tour the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, open October to April
- Visit the year-round exhibition exploring the history of the Globe, the Rose and the Curtain
The groundling experience
Groundling tickets cost £5 and are available for most productions in the main season. You stand in the yard — the circular space surrounding three sides of the thrust stage — with no seat and no reserved spot. Arrive early to get a position at the front of the stage rail; latecomers stand at the back.
Standing for 2–3 hours is the main constraint. The yard floor is concrete (not sand or earth, as in the original); hire a cushion for the stage rail (around £1) to make leaning more comfortable. Performances continue regardless of weather — the roof covers only the seated galleries, not the yard. A light rain jacket is sensible even in summer.
Groundling tickets can be purchased at the Box Office on the day or in advance online at shakespearesglobe.com. They sell out for popular productions, particularly on summer weekends.
Seated performances
The Globe has three levels of seated galleries around the yard. Seats are wooden (without cushioning — the Globe tries to maintain some historical accuracy) and range from £25 for restricted view in the upper gallery to £62 for front gallery centre positions. Gallery B (middle level) offers a good combination of sightlines and price. The acoustics across all seated positions are excellent.
The Globe Exhibition and theatre tours
The Shakespeare's Globe Exhibition runs daily year-round (including when the theatre is between seasons). The exhibition explores the history of the original theatres — the Globe, the Rose, and the Curtain — using archaeology, historical documents, and reconstructed costumes. The guided tour includes the theatre itself (performance space). Adult tickets: approximately £21. No booking required for the exhibition; tours run on the hour.
The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
The indoor theatre in the same building is a recreation of the indoor candlelit playhouses of Jacobean London — intimate (340 seats), lit entirely by candles, and staging plays from the period from October to April when the main stage is closed. The atmosphere is extraordinary. Tickets: £20–52. Book ahead; it sells out.
Getting there and around
Shakespeare's Globe is on the South Bank Thames path — walking distance from Tate Modern (2 minutes), the Millennium Bridge (3 minutes), and Borough Market (12 minutes). The South Bank route from Waterloo or London Bridge is the most pleasant approach: exit the station, reach the river, and walk the Thames path. Blackfriars tube (10 min walk via the bridge) or Southwark tube (10 min walk via Union Street) are the closest stations.
Shakespeare's Globe: Frequently Asked Questions
Seeing a play as a groundling (standing in the yard directly around the stage) costs £5 — the cheapest Shakespeare performance price in London. Seated tickets range from £25–62 depending on position and production. The Shakespeare's Globe Exhibition and theatre tour costs approximately £21 for adults and runs daily. The indoor Sam Wanamaker Playhouse (candlelit performances, winter season) is a separate venue in the same building; tickets cost £20–52.
Groundlings are audience members who watch performances standing in the yard — the area directly around the stage, open to the sky. Groundling tickets cost £5 and are the cheapest way to see a Globe production. The experience is authentic to Shakespeare's original theatre (groundlings in the 16th century also stood in the yard) and genuinely enjoyable, though you're on your feet for 2–3 hours. Cushions can be rented for comfort.
The open-air Globe Theatre runs its main season May through October. Performances are usually afternoon (2pm) and evening (7pm) on the main stage. The indoor Sam Wanamaker Playhouse runs winter productions October through April. The theatre is closed or in limited operation between seasons. Check shakespearesglobe.com for the current schedule.
No — the original Globe Theatre was built in 1599 and burned down in 1613 when a cannon used as a theatrical special effect set fire to the thatched roof. A second Globe was built on the same site in 1614 and demolished in 1644. The current Globe (officially called Shakespeare's Globe) opened in 1997, approximately 230 metres from the original site. It's a faithful reconstruction using the same materials and techniques where possible — oak timber frame, lime plaster, and hand-made bricks — designed following extensive historical research.
Shakespeare's Globe is on the South Bank at 21 New Globe Walk, SE1 — directly on the Thames path between Tate Modern (2 minutes east) and the Millennium Bridge. The closest tube is Blackfriars (District and Circle lines, 10 minutes' walk) or Southwark (Jubilee line, 10 minutes). London Bridge (Northern and Jubilee lines) is also 15 minutes' walk east along the South Bank.