The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals comes to the AO Arena in Manchester for the fifth year, again hosted by Jason Manford.
There will be songs from Disney’s The Lion King, Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Lionel Bart’s Oliver!, Annie starring La Voix as Miss Hannigan, The Kinks musical Sunny Afternoon and the new West End hit Paddington The Musical, plus a Disney medley and a number featuring a National Lottery funded choir alongside the musical The Choir of Man.
These join the new production of Miss Saigon, Jesus Christ Superstar with Sam Ryder, the Mel Brooks musical comedy The Producers, Wicked and I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical, with Chaka Khan played by Alexandra Burke.
Manford said, “every year, Big Night of Musicals gets bigger and better, and 2026 is no exception. We’ve got an incredible mix of iconic shows and brand-new productions coming together for one unforgettable night. It’s a celebration of the magic of theatre and a heartfelt thank you to National Lottery players who make so much of this possible. I can’t wait to share this spectacular evening with everyone at the AO Arena.”
The show on Monday 26 January 2026 will be broadcast in spring on BBC One and available on BBC iPlayer.