Panto in Liverpool and Merseyside 2026: every show this Christmas, what tickets cost and which ones suit little ones
Nine family pantos across Merseyside this Christmas, from the Everyman's rock and roll Beauty and the Beast to a giant Cinderella at the arena, with prices, relaxed performances and which suit little ones.
There is a moment in every panto, usually about forty minutes in, when a child who has been sitting rigid with nerves suddenly stands up and shouts "he's behind you" louder than anyone in the building. That is the moment you have paid for. Merseyside has more chances to see it this Christmas than most of the country, with nine family shows from Southport to Runcorn. Here is what each one is, what it costs and which suit a first timer, with every price taken from the theatre's own page this week. Where a theatre's page would not show its details, I say so rather than guess.
The big three in Liverpool
The Everyman's Rock 'n' Roll Panto is the one grown ups end up enjoying more than the kids. This year it is Beauty and the Beast, from 14 November 2026 to 16 January 2027, with tickets from £20 to £47. The cast are actor musicians, so the band is on stage and everything is played live. There is a relaxed performance on Thursday 14 January 2027 at 1.30pm, an audio described show on 9 December, and a BSL performance on 18 December after the first one sold out.
The biggest by a distance is Cinderella at the M&S Bank Arena, which calls itself Liverpool's biggest ever pantomime. It runs from 12 to 29 December 2026 in the arena's Auditorium, with Bippo as Buttons, Strictly's Neil Jones as Prince Charming from 20 December and the Queen of Scotty Road as Dandini. The arena offers a British Sign Language interpreted performance. Ticket prices were not showing on its page when I checked.
The Epstein Theatre on Hanover Street has Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, listed from 5 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. The Epstein's own page would not load its details for me, so check dates and prices there before you book.
Across Merseyside
In Southport, The Atkinson has Cinderella from 4 to 31 December, produced by KD Theatre Productions, with Gregor Duncan as Buttons and Lacey Creed as Dandini. Tickets are £28 to £30 for adults and £26 to £28 for under 16s, over 60s and students, or £98 to £110 for a family of four, plus a £1.50 booking fee online or by phone. The show runs about two hours with an interval. There are relaxed performances on Saturday 12 December and Sunday 27 December at 1pm, and a captioned performance on Tuesday 22 December. A £10 panto pack of sweets and a light up toy can be pre-ordered until 3 December.
At the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton it is Aladdin, from 5 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, with Sean Jones back as Wishee Washee. Adults pay £15 to £38.50, children £15 to £35.50, and a family of four starts at £120 on selected performances. Every performance has some £15 stalls seats, which is the cheapest proper panto seat on this list. It runs two and a half hours with the interval, so it is a long sit for under fours.
St Helens Theatre Royal has The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan and the Return of Captain Hook, from 28 November 2026 to 10 January 2027, with Mark Labbett from The Chase as Hook and tickets from £20.
Further out, The Brindley in Runcorn is listed with Snow White from 9 December 2026 to 10 January 2027, and the Hope Street Theatre in the city centre with Rapunzel, a Liverpool twist on the fairytale, from 11 to 31 December. I could not confirm either on the theatres' own pages, so treat those dates as provisional.
The Liverpool Empire's family Christmas show is the CBeebies Panto, Treasure Island, which is the gentlest first panto of the lot for preschoolers who know the CBeebies faces. Dates and prices had not been announced when I checked.
Check before you book the Royal Court
The Royal Court's big Christmas shows have been written for adults in recent years, so if a friend suggests "the Royal Court panto" for the kids, check the age guidance on its own page first.
Which one for which child
For a first panto with a two or three year old, the CBeebies show or a relaxed performance at The Atkinson, where nobody minds a wander. For five to eight year olds, the Floral Pavilion's £15 seats or St Helens. For older children and parents who like music, the Everyman. For the full spectacle, the arena.
The FamDays verdict
Book the Everyman if you want to enjoy it yourself, the Floral Pavilion if you are watching the pennies, and a relaxed performance if your child has never sat in the dark before. Whichever you choose, practise the boo in the car on the way.
