What Happens If It Rains at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre?

The short version: you go anyway, and on average you see the show. 94% of performances are completed each season, which is the theatre's own figure.

The forecast for your evening

If you are choosing between dates, the evening forecast for the park is the one to look at. The second half is after dark, so what matters is the temperature at eight o'clock rather than the daytime high.

Rain will not stop it before the start time

A performance is never called off for rain before its advertised start time, whatever the weather is doing in the afternoon.

It rains all day in London and then clears at twenty to eight often enough that calling it off early would throw away performances that were going to happen, and localised weather does the same thing in reverse.

So travel as planned, bring the right things, and expect to start on time.

If the weather turns during the performance

They may stop and re-start: a heavy burst means everyone waits it out and the show picks up again. On rare occasions a performance cannot be finished at all.

Heat has its own rules, and they are the one exception to the start-time promise. For a daytime show, starting from 11am to 3pm, a Met Office forecast of 35 degrees at the venue or a red extreme heat warning for London is enough to cancel it ahead of time. The theatre tries to decide by 6pm the night before and contacts ticketholders by email or phone. At 40 degrees or more, on the day or during the performance, the show is called off. The exchange applies exactly as it does for rain.

What happens to your money

  • There are no refunds for weather. None, in any circumstance
  • You can exchange for a seat of the nearest value at another show in the theatre's main repertoire, subject to availability, and there is no time limit, so a washed-out evening in September is still worth something the following June. Music and comedy nights are not part of the exchange, and a ticket marked NO WEATHER EXCHANGE is not covered
  • Pre-ordered food is not refundable, because it will already have been made and you will already have eaten it. Interval drinks ordered at the venue are refundable if they had not been prepared, with a receipt
  • Festival days, live music and comedy events are never cancelled for weather at all

The theatre does not contact ticketholders who were not there. If you did not travel, or you left early, you ring afterwards to find out what happened.

What to bring

  • A jumper for an evening performance. By September, in the back rows, it decides whether you enjoy the second half
  • Something for the seats after rain. Staff hand out cloths, but a poncho or a waterproof to sit on does the job better. The theatre sells both blankets and ponchos on site
  • An umbrella is allowed on site but not in the auditorium, so it will get you from the gate to your seat and no further. Parasols the same
  • For a hot matinee: cover up, a hat, high-factor sun cream, and the two water refill stations. Tell a Visitor Services Assistant if you start to feel unwell
  • Book a high seat number for a hot matinee. The highest numbers are the side most likely to be in shade

Weather FAQs

What happens if it rains at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre?

The performance goes ahead unless the weather makes it impossible, and 94% of performances are completed each season. Rain never gets a show called off before the advertised start time, so travel as planned. If it rains hard during the show they may stop and re-start it.

Do you get a refund if the show is cancelled for bad weather?

No. There are no weather refunds. What you get instead is an exchange into another show in the theatre's main repertoire, subject to availability, with no time limit on using it.

Is Regent's Park Open Air Theatre covered?

No. The stage, the auditorium and the picnic lawn are all open to the sky. The bar and the Covered Dining area are the only covered parts of the site.

What should I wear to Regent's Park Open Air Theatre?

There is no dress code, so anything you like. What the evening actually asks for is a jumper, something waterproof if the forecast is doubtful, and sun cream and a hat for a matinee. Umbrellas are fine on site but cannot be used in the auditorium.

Is the show cancelled if it is too hot?

Only in extreme heat, under the rule above, and then the weather exchange applies. Below that it goes ahead, so the practical answer for a hot matinee is a hat, sun cream, and a seat with a high number on the shadier side.