Matcham Membership Changes
We’re making imminent changes to our Matcham Membership programme, a programme that saves you money and ensures you can secure seats to fabulous theatre, music and comedy shows at Buxton Opera House year-on-year.
From Fri 31 Jul 2026, four pre-existing levels will not be available to renew, and there will be one streamlined Matcham Membership level available to purchase at £35 annually. This was previously known as ‘Matcham Premier Membership’. This is available for purchase on our website here and via the Box Office on 01298 72190.
The following previous Matcham Membership levels will be discontinued:
- Matcham Senior (£13 Annually)
- Matcham Joint Senior (£26 Annually)
- Matcham Individual (£18 Annually)
- Matcham Individual & Senior (£31 Annually)
This is a first step to streamline our programme. These changes aim to simplify the current membership programme, ahead of a series of further changes that we intend to roll out within the next year. We look forward to keeping our members informed about all exciting developments to this loyalty programme.
Why we’re making changes
The Matcham Membership programme has supported Buxton Opera House for more than 12 years, and we're incredibly grateful to everyone who has been part of that journey.
As costs, audience expectations and the theatre landscape have changed, it's time for our membership programme to evolve too. We're making some updates to create a simpler, more sustainable programme that continues to offer great value to members while helping support the future of Buxton Opera House.
These changes are just the first step, with more exciting improvements planned over the coming year. We'll keep members updated as new benefits and opportunities are introduced.
Thank you for your continued support. Every membership helps us bring great entertainment, creative opportunities and community programmes to Buxton and beyond.
What your Membership helps to support
Becoming a member is both a way of saving you money and supporting the work we do as a charity at Buxton Opera House. Here are just a couple of examples of what your membership can help to enable, through our Buxton Opera House Creates programme:
Our Technical Youth Theatre
Buxton Opera House’s Technical Youth Theatre provides vocational training for local young people aged 13 to 18 in backstage theatre skills. The programme helps address skills shortages in the theatre industry while supporting young people in the High Peak through hands-on experience working with professionals on live shows, learning to use technical equipment, software, and backstage systems.
“I’ve just seen him become more and more confident and more and more self-assured in where his place is in the world.”
Parent of a Technical Youth Theatre Participant
“I am currently studying Technical Theatre, a decision I wouldn't have made if it wasn't for Technical Youth Theatre. I am also continually gaining experience working on shows at the Opera House, including the pantomime. [This is] hugely valuable experience that can both be added to my college portfolio and go on my CV as relevant experience for future courses/jobs."
A past participant, Sam 2025.
Connecting for Creativity – Our Intergenerational Project
Connecting for Creativity was an intergenerational project that brought together older adults in Buxton with around 80 young people aged 8 to 15 from local schools, helping different generations connect, share experiences, and learn more about each other and their community.
A film about the project can be watched here. We hope to be able to bring the project back in 2027.
“The show at Haddon [Hall Care Home] was fabulous! There were so many children involved and the room was lovely and crowded with lots of atmosphere. The camaraderie between the residents and the children was abundantly evident. To hold the show at Haddon meant that more residents, and residents that are unable to travel were able to attend which was special and meaningful to them.”
Care Home Staff Member, 2026
Image gallery
Membership Changes FAQS
How to Renew
If you are on a Membership level which will be discontinued:
You will continue to receive your membership benefits according to your previous membership level until its expiration date. You can check when your membership expires by logging into your account and navigating to ‘Memberships’, or by calling the Box Office.
When your membership expires, we would love to welcome you to renew as a revised Matcham Member (£35 annually), ensuring you can continue to benefit from a range of perks for theatre lovers.
Your membership will not automatically renew at the Matcham Premier level, so if you would like to renew and continue to support the Opera House as a member, please contact our friendly Box Office team who will be very happy to help on 01298 72190, or via boxoffice@boh.org.uk.
If you are already on the £35 annual membership level:
If you are already accessing the benefits of the previous ‘Matcham Premier Membership’ at £35 annually, and your membership is set to auto-renew, your membership will renew automatically and there is nothing for you to do.
If your membership is not set to auto-renew, you will be contacted about renewing your membership in the normal way.
What are the Membership Benefits?
Our membership enables members to access a range of fantastic benefits, including:
- Discounts on a wide range of shows – 4 discounted tickets per performance
- Flexible booking reservations – we’ll hold your seats until one week before the show (or two weeks for high-demand events)
- Priority booking access – be among the first to secure your favourite seats
- Exclusive email updates – stay in the loop with new show announcements and behind-the-scenes content
Currently, membership benefits remain unchanged from the previous membership programme. The ‘Matcham Premier Membership’ offers 2 more discounted tickets per performance than the previous Matcham Individual, Senior or Joint memberships.
Further Help
If you have any questions or would like support, our Box Office team is always happy to help. Please contact our friendly team on 01298 72190 or email boxoffice@boh.org.uk.