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, there are no 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. You could say, that I was kinda sad about that whole affair.
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 NY and I managed to see 5 shows. At two of them I had first row seats. Is she rich or something? No. 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 three TKTS Discount Boxes in New York: On Times Square, in Downtown Brooklyn and at South Street Seaport. Here you can get same day 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 is still kinda 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, there are different kinds of lotteries: Digital lotteries, student lotteries and in-person lotteries, where everybody can join.
With this 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.
You should note, that with this and the following options you have to bring cash. Some box offices do not accept any other paying method for these kinds of 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. 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