Fri, 12 Dec 2025

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 'We fundraised all year so our kids could experience a panto'

Some theatres tell the BBC panto season can make up almost half of their annual income.

* Pantomimes are a significant source of income for many theatres, with one reporting that last year's panto brought in 45% of its annual income.
* A class of 7 and 8-year-olds from Fieldhead Primary Academy in Kirklees raise over £2,000 through bake sales, discos, and summer fairs to take their pupils to the local theatre for a pantomime performance.
* The head teacher at Fieldhead Primary says she wants to provide children with experiences beyond the classroom, especially those from low-income families who may not be able to afford them otherwise.
* Other schools in the area are also taking their pupils to pantomimes, including Willows Academy in Grimsby, which is keeping costs down by having the students walk to the theatre.
* Darren Henley, chief executive of Arts Council England, says pantomimes are "the absolute bedrock" that regional theatres across the country rely on.
* The panto at Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield has a 56-show run and is expected to bring in about 20,000 people throughout December.
* Last year's panto was the theatre's biggest earner, generating 16% of its annual income.
* The BBC contacted every theatre in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and found that pantomimes are a significant source of income for many theatres, with one reporting that it provided almost half of their income last year.
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