Sleeping Beauty runs at the Theatre Royal from 4 December to 3 January, 54 shows, tickets from £13. Cheapest dates, relaxed and BSL shows, and the dark days.
Winchester’s pantomime this Christmas is Sleeping Beauty at the Theatre Royal on Jewry Street, running from Friday 4 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. There are 54 performances and the cheapest tickets are £13, on the weekday school-time shows.
The quick answer
- Sleeping Beauty, Theatre Royal Winchester, Fri 4 December to Sun 3 January. About two hours with an interval.
- Tickets from £13 (Super Saver), rising to from £25 for the five Peak Plus shows on 23, 24 and 26 December.
- Relaxed and BSL-interpreted shows: Thu 10 December at 1pm and Fri 1 January at 2.30pm.
The show
The theatre calls it “a traditional family panto”, written and directed by Robin Belfield with music by Simon Slater. The story is set in Snorchester, where Princess Rose’s 16th birthday brings a curse from Carabosse. It is for all ages, runs for about two hours with a 15 to 20 minute interval after an hour, and is supported by Paris Smith. All of that is from the Theatre Royal’s Sleeping Beauty page.
The cast had not been announced when we checked on 25 September.
Prices and which dates are cheapest
The theatre sells four price levels. The level is set by the performance, not the seat.
| Performance type | Tickets from | Number of shows | When they fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Saver | £13 | 13 | Opening night, 5 and 6 Dec evenings, and most weekday daytime shows 9 to 17 Dec |
| Off-Peak | £17 | 15 | Some early-December and weekday shows, and most of 1 to 3 Jan |
| Peak | £22 | 21 | Weekends 12 to 20 Dec and most of the Christmas week |
| Peak Plus | £25 | 5 | Wed 23 Dec (11am and 2.30pm), Thu 24 Dec (both shows), Sat 26 Dec 2.30pm |
Discounts listed by the theatre:
- Schools: £11 on all price bands, or £14 with an ice cream, on Super Saver shows only.
- Groups of 8 or more: 10% off price bands A and B on Super Saver and Off-Peak shows.
Dates and times
| Date | Times |
|---|---|
| Fri 4 Dec | 7pm |
| Sat 5 Dec | 2.30pm, 7pm |
| Sun 6 Dec | 1.30pm (audio described), 5pm |
| Tue 8 Dec | 7pm |
| Wed 9 Dec | 1pm, 6.30pm |
| Thu 10 Dec | 9.45am, 1pm (relaxed and BSL) |
| Fri 11 Dec | 10am, 6.30pm |
| Sat 12 Dec | 11am, 2.30pm, 7pm |
| Sun 13 Dec | 11am, 2.30pm |
| Tue 15 Dec | 9.45am, 1pm |
| Wed 16 Dec | 10.30am, 6.30pm |
| Thu 17 Dec | 10am, 6.30pm |
| Fri 18 Dec | 6.30pm |
| Sat 19 Dec | 11am, 2.30pm, 7pm |
| Sun 20 Dec | 11am, 2.30pm |
| Tue 22 Dec | 2.30pm, 7pm |
| Wed 23 Dec | 11am, 2.30pm, 7pm |
| Thu 24 Dec | 11am, 2.30pm |
| Sat 26 Dec | 2.30pm, 7pm |
| Sun 27 Dec | 11am, 2.30pm, 7pm |
| Mon 28 Dec | 11am, 2.30pm |
| Wed 30 Dec | 2.30pm, 7pm |
| Thu 31 Dec | 11am, 2.30pm |
| Fri 1 Jan | 2.30pm (relaxed and BSL), 7pm |
| Sat 2 Jan | 11am, 2.30pm, 7pm |
| Sun 3 Jan | 11am, 2.30pm |
No shows on Monday 7, Monday 14 and Monday 21 December, Christmas Day, or Tuesday 29 December.
Accessible performances
- Relaxed and BSL-interpreted: Thursday 10 December at 1pm and Friday 1 January at 2.30pm. Lights stay low, loud noises are softened, people can come and go, there is a chill-out area, and a visual story can be downloaded in advance.
- Audio described: Sunday 6 December at 1.30pm, with a touch tour of the set at 12.30pm.
- A second touch tour runs at 1.30pm before the 1 January relaxed show.
Watching from home
The theatre also lists a Sleeping Beauty livestream, online from Friday 18 to Wednesday 30 December 2026, on the same page.
Getting there
The Theatre Royal is at 21 to 23 Jewry Street, SO23 8SB; the box office is on 01962 840440. Park and ride buses do not run on Sundays or bank holidays (Winchester City Council), which rules them out for the Sunday and 28 December shows. Car parks near Jewry Street are on our parking in Winchester page, and trains over the holiday are on our Winchester Christmas trains page.
Also on in December: the Christmas market at the cathedral and the Christmas lights switch-on.
Still to be confirmed
- The cast. The theatre has not named it yet. This page will be updated when it does.
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