How To Score Cheap Broadway Tickets in New York City [No Scams, Real Tips]

When it comes to visiting Broadway in New York City, you don’t have to break the bank to get a ticket! While popular shows cycle in and out of the Times Square area on a regular basis, there are always deals to be had, and, as an avid Broadway-goer myself, I have a strategy for how I choose my shows and how I obtain tickets.

For me, Broadway is a great way to see the latest shows and new hit plays or musicals that will go on to win Tony Awards. It’s always a fun atmosphere, and while ticket prices have increased in recent years, there are still opportunities to participate in this fun New York City pastime.

Figure Out What You Want To See

Sometimes it’s not all about the ticket price. Purchasing a cheap ticket to a show you have no interest in seeing does no one any good. You have to want to see the show first, and there’s almost always something on Broadway for everyone.

I recommend visiting Playbill’s weekly schedule of shows before you do anything else. Playbill publishes the little magazine booklet and program you get with each show, and the company does a great job of compiling the week’s schedule. Broadway shows rotate quite often, so what may be playing one week isn’t necessarily what may be playing the next week. When you visit the website, you can see a full list of shows on Broadway and what time the performance is each day. Just as important, you can see what days the show is “dark,” meaning it does not have a performance.

It’s worth noting that Playbill’s website does not list off-Broadway shows. Off-Broadway shows are generally smaller productions in smaller theaters, usually outside of the Broadway area. These shows may have started on Broadway and moved to a smaller venue, or are beginning their time in New York “off-Broadway” with the hope that it someday may make it big and move “on Broadway.” For the purposes of this article, I’ll be talking about shows on Broadway, as those are usually the popular musicals and plays everyone tends to think of.

Hot Tip:

A Broadway theater is considered any theater in the Theater District with a seating capacity of 500 or more. Off-Broadway refers to any New York City theater with a seating capacity of 100 to 499. Off-off-Broadway is a New York City theater that seats under 100.

Timing

Generally speaking, you’ll find the best availability during the week, especially Wednesday matinee shows, when most people are working. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening shows also sometimes have decent availability. Especially busy shows tend to be on Friday night, all Saturday, and Sunday.

Some Shows Are Never Cheap

Some shows on Broadway, whether a play or musical, just won’t be cheap.

A few years ago, I saw “Sweeney Todd” on Broadway with Josh Groban, and ticket prices were just insane. I think I paid over $500 for an orchestra seat, a price I wouldn’t usually pay for a show, but did because I so desperately wanted to see the lead actor. “Hamilton” was that way for a while, too. In recent memory, “Good Night and Good Luck” with George Clooney had similarly high-priced tickets, and it was nearly impossible to score something reasonable.

Bottom Line:

When popular shows feature well-known actors and actresses, it may be hard to get a cheap ticket.

Buying Tickets in Person

TKTS

Once I know what I want to see, I usually head to the TKTS Discount Booth at Broadway at W. 47th Street, at the north end of Times Square by the bleacher seats. TKTS, owned by the nonprofit Theatre Development Fund, is a discounted seller of Broadway tickets and usually has tickets for shows with unsold seats. TKTS usually sells all the most popular shows, but if a show is near a sellout, you won’t find any additional tickets for sale here.

TKTS releases seats the same day as the show and matinees the day before the performance. You can’t purchase these tickets online, and you physically need to show up at the TKTS box office, right in the heart of Times Square. There’s also an additional TKTS box office at Lincoln Center, but this location is a bit out of the Theater District and likely won’t be as convenient for folks.

Once you get to TKTS, you’ll see a billboard with all of the shows for sale. Shows come and go, so you may want to check back often. Usually, you can find shows for sale at about 30% to 50% off, though the price varies depending on the show.

You get in line and are called to the box office window when one becomes available. While lines can be long, I’ve usually found them to last no more than half an hour or so.

When you approach the ticket window, tell the agent the show you want to see, and they’ll let you know the price. In most cases, they can sell orchestra and mezzanine seats, each with its own discount. Unlike Ticketmaster, you can’t really select a specific seat. You walk up to the window expecting to purchase what seats are available at that time, though if you ask nicely, sometimes the agent can accommodate specific requests, such as getting an aisle seat.

Assuming the ticket price is OK for you, you pay, and your ticket is instantly printed out. Be sure to keep this ticket in a safe place, as you don’t want to lose it!

TKTS tickets are normal Broadway tickets, so there’s no downside to purchasing through them. I’ve very rarely been disappointed in a ticket I purchased through TKTS. The prices are reasonable, the seats are usually very well-located, and the value for money is there.

One cool thing about TKTS is that they have an express line for repeat ticket holders. If you’ve purchased a show within the past 7 days through TKTS, head to the front of the line. An attendant will stamp your ticket and allow you to cut in front of other purchasers. It’s a great way to skip the line during peak hours.

TKTS also sells a membership online where you can go to its website and purchase deeply discounted tickets very cheaply and well in advance. Several years ago, I was a member and got “Phantom of the Opera” tickets for around $40. However, these tickets are only available on select days, and those are often the days most people don’t want to go.

Hot Tip:

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Rush Tickets

Some performances sell what are called “rush” tickets. These tickets are usually only available a few hours before the performance starts, and are usually only available for sale at the theater itself. You’ll save a considerable amount of money if you can purchase a rush ticket — these tickets can go for as low as around $20, and can easily save you over $100, depending on the show and ticket. These tickets tend to be seats reserved for producers or other VIPs and will otherwise go unsold, so they are sold for a very cheap price to last-minute theater-goers.

Some rush tickets may be classified as obstructed view seats, so be sure to check the location of your seat before purchase. It may not be worth it if you cannot see some of the stage.

There is another risk with rush tickets. Those cheaper seats can easily sell out, so if you arrive at the theater too late, you may be stuck without a ticket and forced to see another show. Find out when rush tickets begin to get released, and be sure to show up to the box office before that time so you’re ready to go. There have been several cases where I’ve arrived too late to the theater, so you must arrive early to make this strategy work.

I’ve had good luck with rush tickets before. If my time allows, I’ll get to the theater early and see what the rush price is and if any rush tickets are available. In most cases, I’ve found availability and can snag one of these cheaper seats without issue.

Lottery Tickets

Some performances give away very cheap tickets on a lottery basis. Many theaters have adopted an electronic lottery system, but some theaters require you to submit your request in person. With a lottery ticket, there are limited last-minute seats at a reduced price. Your name goes into a lottery, and if you’re the winning person, you’re allowed to purchase that cheaper seat. Most lotteries allow you to purchase a ticket for yourself and 1 other person, so keep this in mind.

Winners are notified by text message or email, or you may be required to show up at the theater at a specific time to hear a person announce the winners. If the theater announces the winners in person, factor this into your schedule.

In most circumstances, there is no limit on who can enter the lottery, but the person who wins must usually be present to purchase and collect the tickets. If you’re in a group of people, have every person enter the lottery to maximize your chances of winning.

When I purchase lottery tickets, I always have a backup show in mind if the original show I’m looking at is unavailable for the lottery or I don’t win. Be flexible with lottery tickets and always plan on not winning so you aren’t too disappointed if your name doesn’t get called. In most lotteries I have entered, I have not won. Many people compete for the same limited number of tickets, and especially for popular performances, the chances of winning can be quite slim.

Some lotteries require a credit card to be placed in the system, and the system automatically charges you if you win. In these types of lotteries, make sure to remain available for the performance up until the names are called.

Standing-Room-Only Tickets

A select number of theaters offer standing-room-only tickets. These tickets are for spaces at the very rear of the theater, where you must stand to watch the performance. There are no chairs and no opportunities to sit down. This can be especially uncomfortable for longer shows, so only select this option if you truly can enjoy the show while standing up.

Even with the cheap ticket price, I try to avoid standing-room-only tickets, as it’s hard to pay attention to longer shows while trying to stay comfortable. These standing slots also tend to be packed tight, so while there is usually a bar to lean on, you’re squished in with people next to you.

Obstructed-View Seats

In every theater, there are seats categorized as obstructed views. These could be seats behind a pole or, more often, seats on the very far edges of the rows or in the mezzanine boxes. Depending on how the stage is set up, obstructed view seats for one show might not necessarily be the same obstructed view seats for the next show.

Theaters sell obstructed-view seats both online and in person. Online, you’ll see a warning that explicitly states that the seat is an obstructed-view seat. Still, you should be wary about seats nearby, as well, as these seats are in the same vicinity and may also be difficult to see from, even though they’re labeled as full view. In person, the ticket agent can show you where your seat is on a map and identify the view.

Hot Tip:

To see a picture of the view from the seat you’ll be sitting in, check out A View From My Seat, which has user-uploaded photos of theaters throughout the country.

Obstructed-view seats are always cheaper than full-view seats, with the understanding that you might not be able to see every single scene to the fullest. Sometimes, “obstructed view” means that only a portion of the stage is cut off, and you can still see a majority of the show. In other performances, an obstructed view seat may mean you miss a specific action that happens above or off to the side. Keeping this in mind, you may have obstructed seats that are perfectly normal for most of the show, so weigh the savings against the view and see what makes sense for you.

For shows that I might only see once and have a keen interest in seeing, I splurge and avoid obstructed-view seats. Having seen many Broadway shows, I have had some very bad obstructed-view seats where a considerable portion of the stage has been out of view. I had one show where I was seated in one of the boxes in the mezzanine and could not see 90% of the show. I had to lean over the edge to catch a glimpse of what was happening down below, and even then, it was highly uncomfortable, so I resorted to just listening to the audio of the show for the rest of the performance.

Scalping

With most shows, scalping is not allowed. Scalping is the practice of selling tickets outside of the show to passersby. These sellers may purchase tickets in bulk and try to make back their money or get rid of extra tickets.

While there can be some savings, it’s almost impossible to prove your ticket is legitimate, and you don’t want to be stuck with a ticket that may not actually be valid for the show. Selling fake theater tickets is big business in the crime world, as many of these fake tickets are exchanged for cash, making the fraudsters hard to catch.

When purchasing your ticket, always make sure you purchase it through a reputable seller or, even better, directly through the box office.

Buying Tickets Online

StubHub

StubHub is an online platform where sellers can sell tickets to shows they can’t or don’t want to see. While many users post tickets for shows they can’t attend (e.g., if they’re sick, new plans come up, etc.), some sellers try to use this as a platform to truly make money on performances that may be sold out.

StubHub adds considerable fees onto each ticket, so use this platform only if you need a ticket to a show you can’t otherwise directly purchase through the show’s website or official ticket vendor.

One of the biggest downsides of StubHub is that you cannot select your seat. The app gives you a vague idea of where the seat might be, including a row or section number, but you cannot narrow it down to more than that. If you want to sit in a specific seat or check the view from that seat, the best you can do is a best guess as to where the seat might be prior to purchase.

Hot Tip:

The Chase Sapphire Reserve^® comes with $300 in annual credits at StubHub.

TodayTix

TodayTix is an app where you can enter lotteries for selected shows and purchase discounted seats for shows the week of the performance. You can also purchase full-price tickets for shows further out. The nice thing about TodayTix is that you can select a seat on the seat map so you can choose the view and price point that best suits you.

TodayTix offers deeply discounted tickets for most major shows, but it also sells full-price tickets for premium seating or specific seats.

Final Thoughts

Seeing a Broadway show doesn’t have to break the bank. While there are shows of all shapes, sizes, and price points, there are a number of ways you can save on your tickets. If you’re willing to be flexible and purchase from a show’s lottery or buy a standing-room-only or obstructed-view ticket, you can save a ton of money, which might end up allowing you to see more shows!