If you love musical theater and plays, but spending $200 on a ticket to a Broadway show seems like a stretch, don’t worry. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to enjoy some of the world’s best theater, whether that be a Broadway musical or Broadway play. Even with rising ticket costs, there are plenty of discounted Broadway tickets – especially if you’re willing to be flexible with timing. Trust me, I’m a Broadway addict who has visited New York City more than 28 times to see musicals. My guide to cheap Broadway tickets for New York shows gives you an in-depth way to find the best tickets for your budget – with some tickets starting as low as $11!
How to Find Cheap Broadway Tickets
Broadway tickets do not have to be expensive! If you need to see a show on a certain date, you may have less flexibility and may have to pay a certain price. However, there are a number of ways to find cheap Broadway tickets. Here are 8 tried-and-true ways to get your hands on cheap Broadway tickets to best sellers like Hamilton, Wicked and more!
Rush Tickets
Rush tickets are one of two ways to find the cheapest Broadway tickets (we’ll discuss the second one next). Rush tickets are tickets you can buy on the same day of a show. Most of the time, you can buy two tickets per person the day of the show.
To rush for Broadway tickets, you will line up the morning of the show in front of the theater and buy the inexpensive Broadway tickets; some shows will also have virtual rush tickets.
For most shows, rush tickets will be available when the box office opens around 10 am. However, some shows will offer a more cramped timeline, as little as two hours before showtime.
If you do want to rush for Broadway tickets, consider looking at Broadway grosses here to understand how well the show is selling tickets. If a show is selling 80% or below, there’s a good chance that rush tickets won’t be too difficult to get. However, if it’s more popular, you might not get tickets – or you might need to get there early to line up for tickets, due to popularity.
Rush is never guaranteed; if there’s a show you really want to see, rush tickets might not be the best option – especially if the show is selling well. If the show is sold out for that day, for example, there won’t be any rush tickets available. The only time I’ve done rush tickets is for shows I’ve seen before or shows that have been running on Broadway for a while – so if I do not get the tickets, it’s no great loss.
One thing to keep in mind: not every Broadway show offers rush tickets – and even if they do, the price will differ for each show. For example, Chicago does not offer rush tickets for Saturday evening performances. It’s worth calling the ticketing agency to ask in advance to ensure you can actually get tickets. I personally love this site which helps keep track of which show offers rush tickets – and their prices. It is updated constantly.
If you do get rush tickets, you will usually get a physical ticket or a virtual ticket; however, a small percentage of shows may require you to download an app to get your tickets.
Lottery Tickets
Lottery tickets are the second most common ways to get cheap Broadway tickets. However, like rush tickets, there are only a select number of these tickets – if the show offers them. To get lottery tickets, you’ll need to enter the lottery drawing (oftentimes digital nowadays!) and win the tickets. The lottery usually happens a day or so in advance of the show.
The types of lottery tickets you can win will differ, depending on the show. Some shows will use seats they have not yet sold and put them up in the lottery. However, other shows will use designated seats for lotteries – these might be partial view seating, for example. As a result, the type of tickets you might win can vary a lot.
How do you enter Broadway lotteries? Most lotteries will happen on one of the following sites (or apps!):
Lotteries for specific shows will be on one site or app; the site will normally correspond to the owner of their theater (for example: BroadwayDirect for Nederlander and Disney, LuckySeat for Ambassador Theatre Group, and Telecharge for Shubert).
In general, you’ll find two types of lotteries:
- Lotteries which you will enter the morning before the show. You may have an hour or less to claim tickets when you win. For example: BroadwayDirect lotteries and Telecharge lotteries.
- Lotteries where you can enter earlier in the week for shows later in the week. With these lotteries, you will have slightly more time to claim tickets. For example: TodayTix and LuckySeat lotteries, as well as the Hamilton lottery, which operates on its own app.
Standing Room Tickets
Standing Room Only (SRO) tickets aren’t for everyone – but if you don’t mind standing during a show, these can be a really affordable way to see Broadway musicals and plays. Most standing room tickets are located at the back of the orchestra, offering a great view of the action.
How do you buy standing room only tickets? Most shows will sell them at the box office in-person, but they are available for the most part when the show has sold out. This means you might have to wait up until the very last minute to buy them.
Discounts for Younger Audiences
Several theater organizations will offer discounted tickets for younger audiences, though they may require you to sign up in advance and buy early. These are three of the most popular programs (and the only ones I know about – let me know of others in the comments!).
Manhattan Theatre Club
Theatergoers under 35 years old can join the Manhattan Theatre’s Club “30 under 35” program for free. Once you join, you will receive emails when new tickets are released for upcoming performances. You can buy two tickets for $30 each. I’ve bought tickets through this program before, and the great part is that you can pick from a range of different seats. However, you’ll have to act fast when you get the email. Sign up here.
LincTix
Theatergoers between 18 and 35 years old can sign up for LincTix for free. Then, you’ll be eligible for $35.50 tickets (purchased online) or $32 tickets (purchased in person). A limited number of these tickets are available for every performance, and you’ll need to buy them in advance. Sign up here.
TKTS Booth
The TKTS Booth in both Times Square and Lincoln Center is a failsafe option for cheap Broadway tickets. This popular booth offers discounted prices for select Broadway shows, but the prices and list of shows will be released 30 minutes or less before the booth opens.
If you’re planning to use the TKTS booth, make sure to get there early – because there will be a line, especially at Times Square. Alternatively, go a couple hours after it has opened (less people, but also less selection).
In my opinion, the TKTS Booth is a last resort option for cheap tickets on Broadway. These tickets are cheaper and slightly better quality than rush or lottery tickets, but you’ll pay for it.
TodayTix
If you need to buy specific tickets for a specific show, consider checking out TodayTix. This popular theater app will sell discounted tickets to pretty much every single Broadway show. The discounts aren’t massive, but they do offer at least $10 off most ticket prices – oftentimes more.
Theatre Development Fund (TDF) Membership
While not for everyone, if you meet the Theatre Development Fund’s eligibility requirements, you can buy a TDF membership for $42. This membership will get you access to discounted tickets; you may pay between $11 to $60 for shows. In addition, you can buy these tickets in advance.
Theatr App
Theatr is a new app which allows people to buy and sell their tickets to Broadway shows. Most shows will have full-price tickets for resale, but you can oftentimes find a great deal with discounted tickets, too. If you want to see a popular show, be quick: these tickets will get snagged quickly.
Samantha Tatro is a Czech-American third culture kid who grew up living and traveling abroad. Many years later, after living in California and working as a journalist, she decided to take the leap and move abroad again…this time to Prague, Czech Republic. Samantha started Undiscovered Path Home to help couples and solo female travelers find the courage to visit countries – and locations – off the beaten path. Her work has appeared in Bon Appetit, NBC News, The Adecco Group, and more.
