It's time to get those tickets booked and look forward to some epic theatre, opera and dance productions coming to our top venues across the country. From popular favourites like Mamma Mia! and Sister Act to kids' classics and more, there's some great theatre to entertain us in 2023.
If you're fancying going to a gig this year, you can check out this list of the huge names playing in Wales in 2023, and if you're after some stand-up, audiences with and more, find out which famous faces you can book to see in Wales, here.
There is much to look forward to in this new year, so let's see what's booked in around the country.
Read more: Cabaret venue to open in Wales Millennium Centre
Bugsy Malone
The all-kid production of the splurge gun gangster classic will be coming to town in January and see Fat Sam and Dandy Dan fight it out with custard pies.
It's at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff from Tuesday, January 17 to Saturday, January 21. Click here for tickets.
Strictly Ballroom: The Musical
The Craig Revel-Horwood-directed production of Baz Luhrmann's 1992 film stars Kevin Clifton from Strictly and Maise Adams from EastEnders (and Strictly!) and has already toured into Llandudno in late 2022.
It will come to the Wales Millennium Centre from Monday, January 23 to Saturday, January 28, there's more, here.
Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty
The reimagined classic comes back to Cardiff on its brand new tour. With an unforgettable score by Tchaikovsky, sumptuous sets and costumes, evocative lighting and masterly storytelling, the beloved fairy tale is brought to life by the uniquely talented New Adventures company.
Catch it at Wales Millennium Centre from Tuesday, January 31 to Saturday, February 4. Find out more and book.
Mamma Mia!
It's back! And it's in Cardiff for three weeks this winter giving you a shot of Greek, Abba-soaked sun in the middle of February.
It calls at the New Theatre from Tuesday, February 14 to March 4. Click here for more.
The King & I
Fans of Call the Midwife's Helen George will do well to get tickets for this new tour of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic which is a 'gloriously lavish' production brought to the stage by an internationally renowned creative team under Tony Award-winning director Bartlett Sher (South Pacific / My Fair Lady / To Kill a Mockingbird) and will feature a world-class company of over 50 West End and Broadway performers and a full-scale orchestra.
It's at Llandudno at Venue Cymru from Tuesday, March 7 to Saturday, March 11 and at Cardiff's New Theatre from Tuesday, April 25 to Saturday, April 29. Click here for Venue Cymru info and here for New Theatre.
WNO's Spring season
Welsh National Opera's calendar is bursting with action once again as it hits the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff and Venue Cymru in Llandudno.
Blaze of Glory! will follow a group of miners from the 1950s who form a male voice choir, while The Magic Flute will bring Mozart front a centre. The former is in Cardiff from Thursday, February 23 – Saturday,March 18, and in Llandudno on Saturday, April 1.
While the latter is in Cardiff from Sunday, March 5 to Friday, March 17 and Llandudno from Wednesday, March 29 to Friday, March 31.
Visit wno.org.uk
The Shawshank Redemption
The stage version of Stephen King's novel and one of the greatest movies ever made, this version of Shawshank stars Doc Martin and EastEnders star Joe Absolom as Andy Dufresne and London's Burning's Ben Onwukwe as Red.
It's at Theatr Clwyd in Mold from Monday, February 27 to Saturday, March 4. Book here.
Sister Act The Musical
Praise the lord, Sister Mary Clarence is out on tour again and will be in Llandudno and Cardiff in 2023. Starring Lesley Joseph and Sandra Marvin the action transfers to Venue Cymru from Monday, February 13 to Saturday, February 18 and then it'll be at the Wales Millennium Centre from November 13 to 18. Venue Cymru details, here and WMC details, here.
Romeo and Julie
Here's a chance to see our brightest acting export of the past couple of years, Callum Scott Howell, hot off the London stage in Cabaret and, of course, his award-winning role in It's a Sin on Channel 4.
Romeo and Julie is a modern, Cardiff-based love story inspired by Romeo and Juliet. It's on at the city's Sherman Theatre from Thursday, April 13 to Saturday, April 29. All the details, here.
Jersey Boys
A popular musical, Jersey Boys dropped into Swansea Arena in 2022 and now it's back in Wales if you missed it. It'll take you inside the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and will have all the brilliant hits including Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Oh What A Night, Walk Like A Man, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You and Working My Way Back To You.
It's at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff from Tuesday, April 11 to Saturday, April 22. Click here.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The classic Roald Dahl tale will be a sweet treat with a sting as it hits the UK tour circuit for the first time. It's in Cardiff at the Wales Millennium Centre from Wednesday, May 3 for 17 days. Click here for more information.
Heathers
The winner of WhatsOnStage's 2022 award for Best New Musical is coming to Cardiff next year. Heathers The Musical will be singing its way into the Wales Millennium Centre from August 22 to 26 - and tickets are on-sale here.
Greatest Days
This is the Take That musical, renamed as it was previously called 'The Band'. The musical follows five boy band obsessed best friends in the 1990s, who reunite over 20 years later to see their heartthrobs one last time in what could be the Greatest Days of their life.
If you love Take That this is for you. It's at the Wales Millennium Centre from Tuesday, June 27 to Saturday, July 1. More here.
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