The National Lottery has announced the return of its Big Night of Musicals concert for 2025, which is celebrating 30 years of National Lottery support for the theatre and performing arts.
The event will take place at the AO Arena in Manchester on 27 January 2025.
Hosting duties will once again go to TV and stage star Jason Manford, returning to host the show for a fourth time.
The initial line-up of musical theatre acts has also been announced. Shows performing at Big Night of Musicals include touring productions Calamity Jane starring Carrie Hope Fletcher, Dear Evan Hansen, Jim Steinman’s Bat Out of Hell The Musical, and Here and Now – The Steps Musical.
West End shows performing in Manchester include Mean Girls The Musical, which is now playing at the Savoy Theatre in London; and Disney’s Hercules, which premieres at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane this summer.
More shows and performers are to be announced soon.
12,000 free tickets to the show will be on a first-come, first-served basis – from 10am tomorrow, Thursday 12 December. National Lottery players can book up to four free tickets.
The National Lottery has helped support more than 20,000 theatre-related projects over the last 30 years, providing over £1.3 billion of financial support.