Everything you need to know about Les Misérables at Radio City Music Hall

Les Misérables tells the story of Jean Valjean, a man who was imprisoned for years for stealing a loaf of bread and has returned to Paris for a fresh start. All the while, he is pursued by the vindictive police inspector Javert, who does not believe Valjean can be redeemed.

Along the way, Valjean's journey leads him among an ensemble cast of lovers, students, workers, and other characters, some struggling and others prospering in post-Revolution France. Tensions brew over class and social inequities, culminating in the bloody June Rebellion.

Les Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular will be at Radio City Music Hall (1260 Avenue of the Americas between 50th and 51st Streets) from July 23 to August 9, 2026. Radio City Music Hall is the home to the world-famous Rockettes and their annual Christmas Spectacular, and it also hosts popular musicians, comedians, and other performers throughout the year.

Read our full guide to Radio City Music Hall, including nearby restaurants and attractions.

The runtime of Les Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, with a 20-minute intermission. This is approximately the same length as a standard Les Misérables production, as the sung-through musical will be performed in its entirety at the arena concert.

Les Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular runs in NYC from July 23 to August 9, 2026. There will be no performances on Mondays, while most Saturdays and Sundays, plus Wednesday, August 5, will have matinees in addition to an evening show.

Les Misérables is recommended for ages 10 and up. The show contains some mature themes — including war, violence, crime, sexual content, alcohol, and death — that may not be appropriate for very young viewers.

The Les Misérables musical made its world premiere in London's West End in 1985 and transferred to Broadway in 1987. It was the second-longest-running Broadway show in history at the time of its closing in 2003.

Those productions were adapted from a French concept album that came out in 1980, itself based on the same-named 1862 French novel by Victor Hugo.

The Les Misérables musical was written by Alain Boublil (book, lyrics) and Claude-Michel Schönberg (book, music), a French duo also best known for Miss Saigon. Herbert Kretzmer also wrote additional lyrics for the show's English version.

The source material is the 1862 French novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.

The central conflict of Les Misérables revolves around ex-convict Jean Valjean and policeman Javert, but there is an ensemble cast whose stories are also told throughout the musical. The main characters span different socioeconomic backgrounds and represent different struggles facing the French during that time.

• Jean Valjean: An ex-convict set on rebuilding his life after serving a 19-year prison sentence. He also becomes Cosette’s adopted father.
• Javert: A police inspector obsessed with capturing Valjean again and proving he is irredeemable.
• Fantine: A working-class girl who loses everything after becoming pregnant. She is forced into prostitution and is cast aside by society.
• Cosette: Fantine’s daughter, who lives with the cruel Thénardiers. She is later adopted by Valjean and falls in love with Marius.
• Éponine: The Thénardiers' biological daughter. She falls in love with Marius but harbors the feelings secretly.
• Marius: A student revolutionary in the Friends of the ABC who is in love with Cosette.
• Enjolras: Another student revolutionary who is the leader of the Friends of the ABC.
• Thénardier: A cruel, greedy innkeeper who steals from his customers.
• Madame Thénardier: Thénardier’s wife and co-innkeeper, who also helps him with thefts.

Les Misérables is a sung-through musical, which means that there is no spoken dialogue; the story is told entirely through song. The score features famous musical theatre songs like “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Do You Hear the People Sing?” and “One Day More.”

Prologue

• "Work Song (Look Down)"
• "On Parole"
• "Valjean Arrested/Valjean Forgiven"
• "Valjean's Soliloquy (What Have I Done?)"

Act I

• "At the End of the Day"
• "I Dreamed A Dream"
• "Lovely Ladies"
• "Fantine's Arrest"
• "The Runaway Cart"
• "Who Am I?"
• "Fantine's Death (Come To Me)"
• "Confrontation"
• "Castle on a Cloud"
• "Master of the House"
• "The Bargain/Thénardier's Waltz of Treachery"
• "Look Down"
• "The Robbery"
• "Stars"
• "Eponine's Errand"
• "The ABC Cafe/Red and Black"
• "Do You Hear The People Sing?"
• "In My Life"
• "A Heart Full of Love"
• "The Attack on Rue Plumet"
• "One Day More"

Act II

• "Building the Barricade"
• "On My Own"
• "At the Barricade"
• "Javert at the Barricade"
• "Little People"
• "A Little Fall of Rain (Eponine's Death)"
• "Night of Anguish"
• "The First Attack"
• "Drink With Me"
• "Bring Him Home"
• "Dawn of Anguish"
• "The Second Attack (Gavroche's Death)"
• "The Final Battle"
• "The Sewers/Dog Eats Dog"
• "Javert's Suicide"
• "Turning"
• "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables"
• "A Heart Full of Love" (reprise)
• "Valjean's Confession"
• "The Wedding"
• "Beggars at the Feast"
• "Valjean's Death"
• "Do You Hear the People Sing? (Reprise)"

Since it debuted in London's West End, there have been many successful productions of Les Misérables. From full-scale productions to other anniversary concerts, this monumental musical is told time and time again to audiences across the world.

• 1985 West End premiere: A reworked version of the French production debuts in London's West End. This production is still running there today.
• 1987 Broadway premiere: Following the successful West End debut, Les Misérables opens on Broadway and won several Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It ran for 16 years, becoming the second-longest-running Broadway show of its time when it closed in 2003.
• 1987 national tour: The Les Misérables touring production kicks off the same year as its Broadway premiere. Since then, there have been numerous American national tours, with the most recent in 2022.
• 1995 anniversary concert: A 10th-anniversary concert takes place at London’s Royal Albert Hall to celebrate the West End’s 10-year run.
• 2006 Broadway revival: Les Misérables reopens on Broadway only three years after its closure, first as a limited run, but then as an open-ended show that ran until 2008.
• 2010 anniversary concert: A 25th-anniversary concert is performed at the O2 Arena in London.
• 2014 Broadway revival: Les Misérables opens again on Broadway, as a transfer from a popular Toronto production starring Ramin Karimloo. It ran until 2016 and scored numerous Tony nominations.
• 2024 concert production: Les Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular embarks on a world tour for the show's 40th anniversary. This production stops at Radio City Music Hall in summer 2026.

Over its long history, Les Misérables has racked up many awards, especially from its Broadway premiere in 1987.

• Olivier Awards: In 1985, Patti LuPone won Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for playing Fantine in the London premiere.
• Tony Awards: In 1987, the Broadway premiere won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score. The 2014 revival got three nominations, including for Best Revival of a Musical.
• Drama Desk Awards: In 1987, the Broadway premiere won five Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical and Outstanding Orchestrations.

In 2012, a Les Misérables movie musical came out, directed by Tom Hooper. Its star-studded cast was led by Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe as Valjean and Javert, while Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, Samantha Barks, and Aaron Tveit played supporting roles. Hathaway won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress as Fantine.

As a musical with its roots that date back to the 19th century, Les Misérables has a long, storied history. Here are a few fun facts you might not know about the famous musical.

• Les Misérables is the longest-running musical in the West End, having run for over 15,000 performances in London. It's also the second-longest-running show of all time there after the Agatha Christie play The Mousetrap.
• Les Misérables is one of the most-translated musicals, adapted into 22 languages. It’s also been performed in over 50 countries across the world.
• Another book-to-musical adaptation inspired co-creator Alain Boublil: Oliver! The character of the Artful Dodger inspired him to create Gavroche, and ultimately all of Les Misérables, after he watched a 1978 Oliver! performance.
• The Les Misérables musical started as a French concept album released in 1980.
• If you think the 3-hour musical is long, it's got nothing on the novel, which clocks in at nearly 60 hours as an audiobook. Printed editions are generally between 1,000 and 1,500 pages.

Get Les Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular tickets on New York Theatre Guide. Les Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular is a limited-time event that is a must-see for any fans of the musical. Don’t miss your chance to catch this exciting 40th-anniversary celebration before it leaves New York.