Disney's The Lion King has been voted Britain's favourite musical in a new poll, with nearly one in five Brits (18%) choosing the West End spectacular as their top show. The musical, which has been running in London's West End since 1999, beat long-time favourites Mamma Mia! (16%) and Grease (15%) to the title.
Poll Highlights
The research, conducted by Marella Cruises, TUI's cruise line, ahead of the launch of its first musical-themed voyage, Musical Med-leys, also placed The Sound of Music (11%), Wicked (10%), and Matilda (10%) prominently in the rankings. The Lion King is also the most-watched musical, with a quarter of Brits (25%) saying they have seen the show live on stage.
When it comes to the nation's most cherished songs, ABBA's Dancing Queen topped the charts at 14%, closely followed by Mamma Mia (13%), Circle of Life (13%), and We Will Rock You (13%).
Musicals in Everyday Life
Musicals have become a staple of British life, with one in four people regularly listening to show soundtracks at home and the same number singing along while doing housework. More than one in five (22%) belt them out in the shower, and 23% admit to having the same soundtrack on repeat for weeks.
Despite this passion, most Brits are occasional theatre-goers, with nearly a quarter (23%) attending less than once a year. Just 7% manage to see a musical every month. If given the chance to spend a year working in musical theatre, 15% would opt for behind-the-scenes roles, while 14% dream of becoming a West End leading performer, and a further 14% would join the entertainment cast on a cruise ship.
Musical Med-leys Cruise
This enduring love inspired Marella Cruises to launch Musical Med-leys, its first-ever sailing dedicated entirely to musicals. The five-night cruise aboard Marella Voyager will feature live performances and appearances from West End stars Zoe Birkett, Lee Mead, and Jenna Lee-James, who will also take part in Q&A sessions with guests.
The entertainment line-up reflects Britain's favourite musicals, with Frozen ranking seventh (10%), while Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (6%) and The Tina Turner Musical (5%) also featured. Their signature songs proved popular too, with Let It Go named joint third favourite (13%), while Any Dream Will Do and Proud Mary made the top 20.
West End star Zoe Birkett said: "The magic of musical theatre is that it stays with you long after the curtain comes down. The songs become part of your everyday life, the stories never leave you, and every audience shares something special together. It's wonderful to see just how passionate Britain remains about musical theatre, and I can't wait to help bring that same excitement to guests aboard Musical Med-leys."
Britain's Favourite Musicals
- The Lion King – 18%
- Mamma Mia! – 16%
- Grease – 15%
- The Sound of Music – 11%
- Wicked – 10%
- Matilda – 10%
- We Will Rock You – 9%
- Mary Poppins – 9%
- Les Misérables – 8%
- The Phantom of the Opera – 8%
Britain's Favourite Musical Songs
- Dancing Queen (Mamma Mia!) – 14%
- Mamma Mia (Mamma Mia!) – 13%
- Circle of Life (The Lion King) – 13%
- Let It Go (Frozen) – 13%
- We Will Rock You (We Will Rock You) – 13%
- Hakuna Matata (The Lion King) – 12%
- You're The One That I Want (Grease) – 12%
- The Winner Takes It All (Mamma Mia!) – 11%
- Time Warp (The Rocky Horror Show) – 9%
- Defying Gravity (Wicked) – 8%
