Wizard of Oz Colchester: Charter Hall, 12 Dec to 3 Jan

The Wizard of Oz is Charter Hall’s Christmas show this year, and it runs from Saturday 12 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. The box office has 32 performances on sale, with tickets listed from £24.75 to £30.95.

It is a separate show from the Mercury Theatre’s pantomime. Colchester Events, the city council’s events arm, is staging it at Charter Hall with Stage Right Entertainments, which the council describes as the producers of Elf and Shrek: The Musical.

The quick answer

Yes, it is on, and tickets are on sale now. The run is 12 December to 3 January at Charter Hall, inside Leisure World on Cowdray Avenue. Most days have a 2pm matinee and a 7pm evening show; Christmas Eve and Sunday 3 January have 12pm and 4pm shows instead. There are no performances on 14, 17, 25, 26 or 31 December, or on 1 January. The show runs about two and a half hours with an interval.

Every fact here comes from the council’s Colchester Events listing and the box office it links to, both read on 13 October 2026.

Every performance

These are the 32 performances the box office lists. All of them were on sale, and none was marked sold out, on 13 October.

The box office gives each show a finish time two and a half hours after the start, so a 2pm matinee ends at about 4.30pm and a 7pm show at about 9.30pm. Doors open an hour before every performance.

The Essex schools break up for Christmas on Friday 18 December, so the first weekday matinee most children can get to is Monday 21 December. Our Colchester school term dates page has the full calendar.

Tickets and prices

The box office lists tickets from £24.75 to £30.95, its lowest and highest prices across the run. It does not break those down by seat area or age in the page we could read, so check the price for your seats at checkout.

What the organisers do publish:

• Under-2s go free on an adult’s lap, one per adult, and must be taken out if they become disruptive.
• Under-16s must be with a paying adult aged 18 or over.
• The show is not recommended for under-5s.
• Accessible tickets are booked by email, at support@musthavetickets.co.uk, according to the Colchester Events listing.

The council’s listing still carries copy written before tickets went on sale: it says prices “will rise and additional performances will go on sale” in February 2026, and that the cast would be announced in spring 2026. Neither page names a cast as of 13 October.

Getting there and parking

Charter Hall is inside Colchester Leisure World on Cowdray Avenue, a short walk from the town centre through Castle Park. Colchester Events says it is within walking distance of both Colchester North and Colchester Town stations, and that buses stop on Cowdray Avenue.

Parking. The venue page says there are 400 spaces at Charter Hall, including accessible bays, but the car park is shared with other businesses and a space is not guaranteed. Its advice is to arrive at the doors time, an hour before the show. The car park uses MiPermit, location number 737941, payable in the app, by text to 61600 or by phone on 0345 505 1155. Leisure World tariffs and the other city centre car parks are on our parking in Colchester page.

For a weekend matinee in December, expect the Leisure World car park to be busy: the leisure centre, the gyms and the Christmas shopping crowd in the town centre all compete for the same spaces. Check our roadworks and travel page before you set off, and if you are coming by train for an evening show, check the Christmas timetable on our Christmas trains and buses page.

Confirmed, and still to be confirmed

We will update this page when the cast is named or more performances are added.

Other Christmas shows in Colchester

• Jack and the Beanstalk, the Mercury Theatre’s pantomime, from 21 November to 17 January. Every date is on our Mercury Theatre panto page.
• The Christmas market on the High Street is on Sunday 6 December; details on our Colchester Christmas market page.
• Santa’s grottos at the Castle, the Zoo and the Mercury are on our Santa’s grotto page.
• Colchester Ice Rink in Culver Square: the operator gives 5 December to 3 January. See our ice rink page.

Frequently asked questions

When is The Wizard of Oz on in Colchester?

From Saturday 12 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 at Charter Hall, with 32 performances listed by the box office.

How much are Wizard of Oz tickets at Charter Hall?

The box office lists tickets from £24.75 to £30.95. Under-2s on an adult’s lap are free.

How long is The Wizard of Oz at Charter Hall?

About two hours 30 minutes, including an interval.

Is The Wizard of Oz suitable for young children?

The organisers do not recommend it for under-5s, and under-16s must be with a paying adult.

Where do you park for Charter Hall?

In the shared Leisure World car park, 400 spaces, paid through MiPermit (location 737941). Arrive at the doors time, an hour before the show, as spaces are not guaranteed.

Sources

• Colchester Events, The Wizard of Oz, read 13 October 2026
• Colchester Events box office, The Wizard of Oz Musical: performance dates, times, running time and price range, read 13 October 2026
• Colchester Events, Charter Hall venue page: parking and travel
• InColchester, Christmas in Colchester: run dates