For each Broadway show, there is only one official online (and phone sales) Broadway ticket seller that is approved to sell the face value Broadway Tickets. These ticket sellers are also able sell discounted tickets, provided you already have the discount code. Using this ticket seller for either services will result in a booking fee.
By buying tickets in-person, at the box office, you can avoid paying the ticketing fees. If you are buying just two tickets, then the fees are not going to be that high and it may be worth paying for the convenience of buying online (or over the phone). But for three tickets or more, then buying tickets in-person at the box office is going to be the right way to go.
Buyers will physically have to go to the box office to buy the tickets. The box office will not hold the tickets until buyers get there and pay for them.
There is a business opportunity for someone to buy tickets for others, which especially makes sense when it is a large amount of tickets and the savings will be significant.
Each Broadway theatre has its own box office. Buyers can purchase a ticket in advance and in person for the Broadway show currently playing. Buyers can also purchase a ticket for a show that has not yet opened. All purchases can happen during its normal box office business hours.
Buying Broadway tickets directly at the theatre box office is advantageous because then you don't have to pay any of the handling or convenience charges that Ticketmaster and Telecharge, or another ticket vendor will add to your Broadway tickets bill if you buy online or over the phone.
Buying In person also allows you access to tickets that have not be advertised in those other mediums. There is a reason why Broadway ticket brokers only buy tickets this way. Another advantage of buying tickets directly at the box office is that you will have a physical ticket in hand, so no need to pay for shipping.
The downside to buying tickets in-person means that you have to actually get to the theatre to complete the transaction, which is difficult for people who live outside the theatre district and next to impossible for out-of-towners.
Ticketmaster sells about 40% of all Broadway tickets, and is the well-known ticketing giant that people use all over the world for concerts and sporting events. In New York City, Broadway tickets are one of Ticketmaster's most important products.
With so many options available, the idea of buying tickets to a Broadway show may be daunting. That is why we at The Broadway League, the national trade association for the Broadway industry, have created this easy-to-follow guide to buying a Broadway show ticket.
Broadway and Off-Broadway have roared back to life in New York. That's the good news; the bad news is that the ever-rising cost of tickets makes it hard to take full advantage of what the city's stages have to offer. But the situation is not as dire as it may seem: Discount Broadway tickets are everywhere, and modern technology makes it easier than ever to find cheap seats, even at the last minute. If you play your cards right, you can even score seats for sold-out hits like Hamilton. Here are the five best ways to get your hands on cheap Broadway tickets.
Great a resource as it is, TKTS has limitations: You have to wait there in person, often for a long time, and you can only get tickets on the day of the show (or the day before a matinee). Thankfully, the Internet provides alternatives. The popular TodayTix app lets you find discounted tickets on your mobile phone up to month in advance; discount deals are listed alongside tickets being sold at regular prices. Another reliable online source for cheap Broadway seats is New York Show Tickets; membership there costs about $5 per month. Good discounts can be also be found at BroadwayBox, TheaterMania, Playbill and GoldStar. Consider visiting all of these options and shopping around for the best bargain. And in January/February and September, you can avail yourself of the two-for-one deals offered through the Broadway Week program. (But remember: The usual online ticketing fees, generally $10 to $15 per ticket, tend to apply when you use these discounts, and that can bite into your savings.)
Most Broadway shows also now conduct digital lotteries on the morning of or the before each performance, either on their own or through TodayTix. But perhaps the most competitive of these lotteries are held weekly: the Hamilton lottery (which offers 46 $10 seats a day) and the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child lottery, both of which are now held once a week on Fridays. To find out which shows offer rush tickets and lotteries, consult the handy listings at Broadway on a Budget or Playbill (which offers both Broadway and Off Broadway guides).
For $40, if you're eligible, you can get an annual membership to TDF, which lets you use ticket deals days or weeks before the show. TDF also lets you see Off-Off Broadway shows for just $11 through its OffOff@9 program. And most of the city's major theater companies offer membership packages: You pay a fee up front (say, $65) in return for discounted tickets all year; what's more, you get the chance to buy tickets before they go on sale to the general public, which can be a big deal when it comes to shows with a lot of advance buzz. The trick is to pick companies that showcase consistently strong work, such as the Public Theater, Playwrights Horizons, New York Theatre Workshop, Atlantic Theater Company or Ars Nova.
However, one thing that can be tricky when visiting New York (especially in the busier seasons), is managing to get tickets at all and get tickets at a decent price. So as the thoughtful theatre lover that I am, I have shared some top tips for buying Broadway tickets in New York City.
If the show you desperately want to see is sold out, you can head to the theatre several hours before to see if there are any tickets available at the door. Some people may have returned their tickets if they are unable to make the show, meaning a small handful may be available at the box office.
To avoid heartbreak when your favorite show is sold out, you can book tickets in advance on BroadwayBox.com. They are known for offering the best prices on broadway tickets with some great discounts available!
The Playbill website has a whole section of discounts that are available for various shows. Browse the offers, print the discount vouchers, and use these at the Theatre Box Office to save money on your tickets.
There are many pros and cons to living in New York City, but one massive pro is that you can take advantage of the Theatre Lottery. Some productions offer a ticket lottery for those looking for same-day tickets. This means you can get discounted tickets but may not be guaranteed tickets until later in the day. Check the TodayTix app or the guide on playbill.com to see what your chosen production/theatre offers.
You can opt to save a lot of money by seeing a show off-Broadway, meaning the show may have a smaller budget or may be less popular but in my experience, they are still just as good. You could also try and get Shakespeare in the Park tickets; there are a few ways you can get tickets and performances to run in the warmer months.
Tickets range from $20 to $175 depending on which show you watch. Chicago, The Phantom of the Opera and Kinky Boots are some of the cheapest Broadway shows you can watch whilst Hamilton, Frozen, The Lion King, Aladdin and Wicked are some of the more expensive broadway show tickets to buy.
If you want to watch a popular show or you are visiting in busy seasons (such as the summer or Christmas), then booking tickets at least 3 months before is essential. We recommend aiming for 6 months in advance is possible.
How can you find out what's running on Broadway and what is worth seeing? Playbill offers a number of resources, including this
list of the shows currently running on Broadway, including links to reviews and discount tickets
PREMIUM TICKETS
Reacting to market forces, most Broadway shows now offer premium seat locations at higher prices (typically $250+ vs. the "regular" price of $160 or so for an orchestra seat). Such tickets sell at a slower rate and, as a result, some premium seats may remain available in the days leading up to a given performance. Such premium tickets are a viable option for a very special occasion and provide the peace of mind of buying legitimate tickets from the official ticket vendor.
To take advantage of these discounts, visit the Playbill Club for discount codes redeemable online, over the phone, and in person from the official ticket vendors, ensuring your tickets are legit. Online and phone orders carry a service fee (averaging $10 per ticket) while redeeming in person at the box office will eliminate all service fees except a facility/restoration charge of about $2 (make sure you present the discount code to the box office to qualify for a discount).
The lines can be long for the Duffy Square booth, though you can view a live webcam to determine the length of the line before venturing to Times Square. The other booths offer the same ticket inventory and shorter lines, as well as next-day matinee tickets in addition to same-day performance tickets. Visit TDF for booth locations and hours.
Broadway Week (mid-January and early September) and Kids' Night on Broadway (late February)
Several times a year, Broadway shows work together to promote near-industry-wide discounts. The next few discount periods are NYC Broadway Week, with 2-for1 tickets mid-January and early September (with a $20 "upgrade" option for preferred seating) and Kids' Night on Broadway late Februrary, with a free ticket for a young person 18 and under accompanied by a full-paying adult. Check this page regularly for additional discount promotions, or visit Playbill Club for a comprehensive list of current Broadway Discounts.
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