How busy is Shakespeare's Globe?
Opened in 1997 a short distance from the original site, the Globe welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors a year for tours and plays. Tours are capped in size, so the challenge is availability: tours fill on summer days and school-holiday weeks, and groundling tickets for popular productions sell out soon after booking opens. The yard holds about 700 standing spectators.
Crowds by time of day
Season by month
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Go when it’s quiet: see live crowds and the hourly forecast.
Tickets
Groundling tips
£5 yard tickets sell out quickly for popular productions: book as soon as the season goes on sale. You'll stand for up to three hours with no roof over the yard; umbrellas aren't allowed, so bring a raincoat.
How to plan your visit
- Book a morning tour online and check whether your day is a matinee day.
- Arrive 15 minutes early at the Globe on Bankside.
- Explore the exhibition on Elizabethan theatre and costume.
- Sit in the galleries during the tour and hear how the theatre was rebuilt.
- Come back for a play with a groundling ticket.
- Walk along Bankside to Tate Modern and Borough Market.
Insider tips
- The first thatched roof permitted in London since the Great Fire of 1666 tops the Globe.
- Yard tickets give the best interaction with actors; arrive early to stand by the stage.
- Hire a cushion for gallery seats: the benches are hard.
- The Globe's café and bar overlook the Thames.
A short history
Shakespeare's company built the original Globe in 1599; it burned down in 1613 when a cannon set fire to the thatch during Henry VIII, was rebuilt and closed in 1642 under the Puritans. American actor Sam Wanamaker campaigned for decades to recreate it; the new Globe opened in 1997, near the original site, using oak, lime plaster and thatch as in the 16th century.
Best (and worst) times to visit
- Best: the first morning tour on a weekday.
- Worst: summer school-holiday middays.
- Plays: summer evenings in the open air are magical; check the weather.
🔑 Free skip-the-line hack
Go when it’s quiet: see live crowds and the hourly forecast.
Hour-by-hour crowds, live status and weather: daily crowd forecast for Shakespeare's Globe →
Plans by visitor type
Theatre lovers
Morning tour, then an evening play with groundling tickets.
Families
Family tour tickets and summer family productions; groundling standing is hard for young children.
Bankside in a day
Globe tour, Tate Modern, then St Paul's across the Millennium Bridge. Tate Modern guide · St Paul's Cathedral guide.
Budget travellers
A £5 groundling ticket is one of London's best cultural bargains.
Where to eat
The Swan at the Globe has river views; Borough Market, 10 minutes away, is London's best food market for a casual lunch.
Getting there
21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, on the south bank of the Thames.
Accessibility and families
The Globe has accessible spaces in the yard and galleries that can be booked, plus lifts to some levels; contact the box office in advance. Children's tours and family-friendly productions run in holidays.
Mistakes to avoid
- Assuming tours run all day on matinee days.
- Waiting too long to book £5 groundling tickets.
- Bringing an umbrella to the yard.
- Underestimating three hours of standing.
- Booking an outdoor play without checking the weather.
FAQs
How much is a Shakespeare's Globe tour?
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Roughly £25-27 for adults, with reductions for children and concessions.
How much are groundling tickets?
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From £5 for many performances; they sell out fast.
When is the Globe season?
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Roughly April to October; winter performances are in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.
Do tours run every day?
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Most days, mainly mornings; fewer on matinee days.
How long is the tour?
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About 50 minutes.
What is the best time to visit?
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Heading to Shakespeare's Globe?
See how busy it is right now and the quietest hours for your date, then walk in when the line is short.
Check live crowds →Sources
How we research: every guide is written by the BeatTheCrowd team from official sources and recent traveller reports, cross-checked against each other, and dated so you know how fresh it is. Last checked 29 October 2026. Prices and rules change, so always confirm on the official site before you book.
