Who ARE These Seat Fillers in London?

Seat Fillers in London Are Off the West End

OTL London Seat Fillers Are Locals (Not Tourists) and Are Secret Free Ticket VIPs

Seat Fillers in London Secretly Receive Pairs of Free Tickets

By Lu, OTL City Guides & Seat Fillers

When you think about seat fillers, your mind might conjure images of the BAFTAs or maybe the occasional West End Show. But OTL London Seat Fillers are having even more fun claiming free pairs of tickets and enjoying all kinds of live entertainment in neighborhoods throughout the city.

The local seat filling concept is a win-win for both seat fillers and the promoters who invite them:

  1. OTL Seat Fillers receive free pairs of tickets to local shows and events.
  2. London's off-West End arts and entertainment community benefits from a free, private, and easy way to expand the audience AND introduce their shows to new patrons.

Why Be a Seat Filler in London?

Before I answer, "why be a seat filler in London?" let me ask you a few questions.

  • Are you a fan of live plays, musicals, and comedy shows?
  • Do you enjoy a wide variety of shows and events, even smaller ones held at neighborhood venues?
  • How do you feel about treating your family and friends to free tickets?
  • Would you be open to last-minute outings instead of planning for weeks or months ahead?

Did You Answer Yes, Yes, Yes, and Yes?

If you said yes to all, then you’d 100% enjoy being a seat filler in London. And I might say this a few times, but it bears repeating. Because London is so spread out and most events might not be in your neighborhood, we've lowered the dues significantly.

Can you believe that it only costs £3.65 each month to be part of OTL? Oh, and that includes TWO free tickets to each event you attend! C'mon, you can't even buy a large latte at that price!

But you do need to keep in mind that we never know how many or what events will be posted.  Yes, London seat fillers receive free pairs of tickets, but never know what's about to pop up - that's part of the fun, though. You get to be surprised!

But while we love expanding our presence with new London club members, we don’t want anyone to join (even at just £3.65) unless it’s the perfect fit.

Benefits of Seat Filling in London

Let's get back to those questions I posed, and you'll understand why we're confident that most Londoners will appreciate the seat filling concept.

Live Events

London Seat Fillers attend live shows and events. Although, sometimes we might even have a virtual opportunity or unique activity.

Comedy, Plays, and More

There might be the occasional concert from time to time, but local seat filling is all about plays, musicals, and other theatrical events. OTL also receives quite a few invitations from comedy clubs. Additionally, other surprise tickets are common, like burlesque, dance, sports, escape rooms, classes, etc.

Up to Four Free Tickets Per Event

When you join the club, you get to choose a two-seat or four-seat membership. So, you don't have to go it alone, and you get to treat your family and friends to free tickets.

Surprise!

London Seat filling is more about last-minute opportunities than advance planning. Venues privately offer comp tickets when they know they’ll have some open spots. So, notice tends to be more like a few days rather than several weeks or months. Again, part of the fun is seeing what pops up out of the blue!

What Types of Events Are Offered to London Seat Fillers?

Everyone who's new to OTL and local seat filling is quite curious about the ticket opportunities (and we get it!).

Privacy to Shows

However, specific shows and events are a well-kept secret for members' eyes (and experience!) only. Keeping things quiet is the reason why the seat filling concept has worked so well for more than seven years now

Why?

Because OTL has a policy called "privacy to shows." The purpose is to steer clear of negatively impacting the venue's regular ticket sales. If OTL Seat Fillers publicized its entertainment partners, why wouldn't everyone pay £3.65 for two tickets to each show instead of £10, £20, or even £50 or more at the box office?

We’re here to support community shows, events, and activities in London, not find ways for audience members to work the system.

However, even though we can't share specifics, we can tell you that plays, musicals, and comedy shows are the most frequent offerings. From there, almost anything goes. Seat Fillers have attended small concerts, escape rooms, burlesque shows, and various other live events.

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How Can I Be Seat Filler in London?

If you’re excited to be a London seat filler, it couldn’t be easier to join in on the fun.

All you have to do is go to OTL’s pricing page and pick one of two London seat filling memberships.

  • Premiere Preferred – two seats per show
  • Grand Preferred – up to four seats per show

OTL’s low membership dues are all-inclusive - you never pay for tickets. So, if you have a Premiere plan, you can reserve up to two seats for shows and events that pop up. Sometimes there might not be anything, and other times you might have a few options. You get to share your secret seat filling VIP privileges with family and friends without worrying about the cost, though.

And, don't feel like you're "stuck" if you move or are too busy to use your seat filling privileges. You can cancel anytime. Memberships automatically renew, but once you click cancel in your member's area, you won't be charged again.



Can It Really Be This Simple? What's the Catch?

I can’t say that there isn’t a catch, although the word "catch" sounds pretty negative, and everything is positive in the world of OTL Seat Fillers.

Just a Few London Seat Filling Rules of the Road

Be Open to Slower Periods and Fun Surprises: There’s no guarantee as to the number of shows or specific ones. That’s the entire premise of OTL seat filling, though. It’s fun to see what pops up, but that means one month, it could be one show, and the next, you might have five or six open for reservations.

When You Reserve Tickets, You Must Attend: A second “catch” is that London seat fillers must show up to anything they choose to reserve. There are no mandatory events to attend. However, if you make a reservation, you can’t no-show. OTL’s partners count on those seats being filled.

Manage Your Membership: As we mentioned, London seat filler memberships auto-renew monthly. However, you can cancel at any time without jumping through hoops. Just click cancel in your private member area. Please don't yell at us about your membership renewals. We like to keep things very positive and make it as easy as possible to be a part of OTL. Dues are less than £5 a month, and you cancel your own membership with a simple click of a button. Easy peasy!

London Seat Filling for Event Promoters

While I've focused on the fun of seat filling for London area members. However, I'd be remiss if I didn't touch on how OTL works for London event marketers and promoters.

It’s an excellent tool to have in your promotional toolbox, as OTL is a private, free, and easy way to fill some seats or add to your event. And it doesn’t have to be a traditional show with assigned locations. Seat Fillers have gone virtual and also love activities and out-of-the-box opportunities. They’ve been to escape rooms, filmings, festivals, classes, and more.

If you’re interested in inviting seat fillers to your venue or show, we have an entire section on OTLSeatFillers.com for you!