Frequently asked questions
How First Night works, and the questions people ask most.
- How do I log a show?
- Find the show you want to log, then click the 'Log' button on the show page. You can give it a star rating, write a note, and record the date you saw it. If you can't remember the exact day, you can give the month, the year on its own, or leave the date off altogether. You can also log directly from the quick-log button in the navigation bar.
- Can I add shows I saw years ago?
- Please do. Your diary isn't meant to be a record of what you've seen since joining - it's meant to be a record of your theatre-going, and most of that has already happened. Log anything you can remember, at whatever precision you remember it: an exact date, a month, a year, or no date at all. If the show isn't in the catalogue yet, add it as you log it.
- Can I log theatre I saw outside London?
- Yes, wherever you saw it. Our catalogue started in London, but your diary has no geographical limits: a touring production in the Midlands, a fringe show in Edinburgh or a night out abroad all belong in it. If the show or the theatre isn't listed yet, add it as you log it. Your diary entry is saved straight away; we check the show's details before it gets a public page.
- Can I keep track of shows I'm going to?
- Yes, and it's worth keeping separate from your watchlist. A plan is for a night you're actually going: pick the date, add the time and a note about who you're meeting or where you're eating, and it appears under Upcoming. Once the date has passed, First Night asks whether you went, so you can turn the plan into a diary entry. The watchlist stays looser - shows you'd like to see one day, with no date attached.
- Can I track shows I want to see?
- Yes. Every show page has a 'Want to see' button. Add shows you're interested in and they'll appear in your watchlist. You can also add notes to remind yourself why you wanted to see it. Once a show stops being someday and becomes a night you're going, add a dated plan for it instead.
- Do I need to have seen a show to use it?
- Not at all. You can browse shows, build a watchlist of things you want to see, and follow other users before you've logged anything. First Night is just as useful for planning your next night out as it is for recording past ones.
- Can I follow other people?
- Yes. You can follow any user on First Night. Their activity will appear in your personal feed, so you can see what they've been watching and what they thought of it.
- Why do I need to verify my email?
- Verifying shows the address is yours. Until you do, your logs stay private to you. Accounts that are never verified are deleted about six months after sign-up, along with their diary. From five months, we warn you in the app and send a reminder to the address you signed up with, so there's time to verify or correct it. Once you've verified, changing your email address later never puts your account at risk.
- Is First Night free to use?
- Yes. First Night is free to use. Create an account, log shows, follow people and explore, with no subscription or payment required.
- How are show details added?
- Most show and venue information comes from public databases and feeds, such as Wikidata, Wikipedia, Ticketmaster and venues' own ticketing systems, plus what members add. New shows are reviewed before they're published in the catalogue, but we don't check every detail of every show by hand, so if something looks wrong, please suggest a correction. Show descriptions are written for First Night, drafted with help from an AI model and reviewed before they appear; we don't republish synopses from other sites. The catalogue is far from complete, so if a show you've seen isn't listed, add it as you log it. You can log it straight away; it's marked as not yet checked, and until it has been reviewed it has no public show page and doesn't appear in anyone else's searches.
- Can I suggest a missing show or credit?
- Yes. If you've seen it, add it as you log it: search for it, then choose 'Add & log it', and your diary entry is saved straight away. If you haven't seen it, you can suggest it from the shows page. You can also suggest missing cast or creative credits on any show page. Suggestions are reviewed before anything is added to the public catalogue.
- Is First Night affiliated with theatres or ticket sellers?
- First Night is an independent platform and is not currently affiliated with any theatre, production company or ticketing provider. Show information comes from public sources and from members.
- Can I delete my account?
- Yes, and you don't need to ask us. Open your settings and use the Danger zone to delete your account. That permanently removes your profile, diary, watchlist and plans. Shows or venues you added to the catalogue stay, but without your name or any notes you left with them; the Privacy Policy has the full detail. You can also change your email and theme preferences in settings.
New to First Night? See how the theatre diary works.
Still have questions? Get in touch - we're happy to help.