Wicked for 30$? Hamilton tickets for 10$? 37$ to see “Cats” in New York? Is she mad, you might ask?
I’ve been to New York two times already. Sadly I must admit, that I did a crucial thing wrong the first time I went: I thought that there won’t be any cheap Broadway tickets and didn’t spend another minute thinking about them. That’s how I came to visit New York without actually seeing A SINGLE Broadway show.
But, you know: Stupid is only, who makes the same mistake twice. Luckily the second time around I did things differently. I had 5 days in New York and I managed to see 5 shows. At two of them I had first row seats. That’s why I put together a list of tips on how to get cheap broadway tickets:
Where to Find Those Cheap Broadway Tickets:
Click on the links to go directly to the corresponding paragraph or just scroll through.
1. Book well in advance
Sometimes you can get earlybird tickets for shows (e.g. via travel agencies). I booked my tickets to the “Christmas Spectacular” show in advance. That’s the Rockettes’ show that’s playing in the Radio City Music Hall during christmas time.
This is one possible option – but it’s not the best and not the cheapest. It IS the best option for those of you who need or want reliable travel plans.
2. TKTS – Ticket Box
There are two TKTS Discount Boxes in New York: On Times Square and at the Lincoln Center. Here you can get same day (or next day matinee) tickets at approx. 50% off.
A show that would normally be 150$, seems cheap at 75$. I was tremendously proud of my bargain hunter instinct as I bought my first ticket there. Compared to the following options it’s still kind of expensive though.
3. Lottery
The lottery is exactly what it sounds like – a lottery. You write down your name on a piece of paper and the “winners” (those, who are allowed to buy the tickets) are drawn. That said, in the past there were different kinds of lotteries: Digital lotteries, student lotteries and in-person lotteries, where everybody can join.
These days the only lotteries I’ve found are digital lotteries and at the time of updating this article (Oct 24) there are no student lotteries available.
Some lotteries like Aladdin and Back to the Future open their lotteries one day ahead of the performance. Be sure to check this for your trip planning.
With the lottery option you leave your evening plans up to luck. When you only have a few days in New York and want to see as many musicals as possible, you should think twice about putting all your eggs in one lottery-basket.
I got lucky (respectively my sister was the one getting lucky) and got my “Wicked” ticket through the lottery. Every evening there are approx. 200 people who take their chance at two of the 26 tickets. Not the worst of odds, but nevertheless completely up to luck. We paid 30$ for front row tickets.
4. Rush Tickets
Rush tickets – when they’re gone, they’re gone. You can only get these tickets for same day performances at the box office of the respective musical. And they are cheap!
Again, there are different kinds of rush tickets: general rush and student rush (e.g. The Great Gatsby). In order to get a student rush ticket you need to be able to present a student ID.
With this method I was able to get front row tickets for “Mamma Mia” and tickets for “Les Miserables”. Both cost around 30$.
This is the method I would recommend every time! In my experience you do not have to get up particularly early to get tickets. And I have not witnessed a long waiting line.
5. Standing Room Only (SRO)
This is the only option I have not tested myself. But sometimes there are cheap offers for those of you who don’t mind standing through the whole show. These kinds of tickets are generally only available if the show is sold out.
On this website, all current shows on Broadway (which grant discounts) are listed with their discount options. Tell me about your experiences in the comments! Where have you found cheap Broadway tickets on your stays?
Jenny