The length of West End shows depend on ticket sales. Musicals tend to have longer runs than dramas. The longest running musical in West End history is Les Misérables. It overtook Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats, which closed in 2002 after running for 8,949 performances and 21 years, as the longest running West End musical of all time on 8 October 2006. Other long-runners include Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera and Willy Russell's Blood Brothers which have also subsequently overtaken Cats. However the non-musical Agatha Christie play The Mousetrap is the longest running show in the world, and has been showing since 1952.

• The Mousetrap at the St Martin's Theatre – opened 25 November 1952 originally at the Ambassadors Theatre[8] – 58th Year.
• Les Misérables at the Queen's Theatre – opened 8 October 1985 originally at the Barbican Theatre – 25th Year
• The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre – opened 9 October 1986[9] – 24th Year
• Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre – opened 28 July 1988 originally at the Albery Theatre[10] – 22nd Year
• Cats – opened 11 May 1981 at the New London Theatre and closed 11 May 2002 on its 21st anniversary
• The Woman in Black at the Fortune Theatre opened 15 February 1989 originally at the Strand Theatre[11] – 21st Year
• Starlight Express – opened 27 March 1984 at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and closed 12 January 2002[12] – 17 years
• No Sex Please, We're British – opened 3 June 1971 at the Strand Theatre and closed 16 January 1987[12] – 16 years
• Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre – opened 18 November 1997 originally at the Adelphi Theatre- 12th Year
• Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story – opened 12 October 1989 at the Victoria Palace Theatre, transferred to the Novello Theatre October 1995 and closed 19 May 2002[12] – 12 Years
• Mamma Mia! at the Prince of Wales Theatre – opened 6 April 1999 originally at the Prince Edward Theatre – 11th Year
• Disney's The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre – opened 19 October 1999 – 11th Year
• The Black and White Minstrel Show – opened in 1962 at the Victoria Palace Theatre and closed about 1972[12] – 10 years
• Miss Saigon – opened 20 September 1989 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and closed 30 October 1999[12] – 10 years
• Jesus Christ Superstar – opened 9 August 1972 at the Palace Theatre and closed about 1980[12] – 8 years
• Me and My Girl (revival) – opened 12 February 1985 at the Adelphi Theatre and closed 16 January 1993[12] – 8 years
• Aldwych Farces (revue) – opened in 1925 at the Aldwych Theatre and closed in 1933 – 8 years
• We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre – 14 May 2002 – 8th Year
• Stomp now at the Ambassadors Theatre opened 25 September 2002 at the Vaudeville Theatre – 7th Year
• Evita – opened 21 January 1978 at the Prince Edward Theatre and closed on 8 February 1986[12] – 7 years
• There's A Girl In My Soup – opened June 1966 at the Globe Theatre. Closed in 1973 after over a thousand performances – 6 1/2 years
• Oliver! – opened in 1960 at the New Theatre and closed about 1966[12] – 6 years.
• Billy Elliot the Musical - opened May 2005 at the Victoria Palace Theatre - 5th year.