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    Broadway Tickets

    Lottery and rush are luck; TKTS is same-day; resale picks your seat

    Forty-one theaters, eight shows a week and four ways in: full price, lottery or rush, the TKTS booth, and resale. Here is how each one works.

    Broadway shows

    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing Hadestown
    Broadway

    Hadestown

    Where to sit for Hadestown at the Walter Kerr Theatre, how long it runs, who it suits, and how the touring production works.

    New York, NY
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing Hamilton
    Broadway

    Hamilton

    Where to sit for Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, how long it runs, who it suits and how the tour works before you buy.

    New York, NY
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing MJ the Musical
    Broadway

    MJ the Musical

    Michael Jackson's songs, Christopher Wheeldon's choreography and a 1992 rehearsal-room story at the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway.

    New York, NY
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing The Book of Mormon
    Broadway

    The Book of Mormon

    Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez's Tony-winning musical about two missionaries in Uganda, at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

    New York, NY
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing The Lion King
    Broadway

    The Lion King

    Where to sit for The Lion King at the Minskoff Theatre, why aisle seats matter, how long it runs and the best ages for kids.

    New York, NY
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing Wicked
    Broadway

    Wicked

    How to pick seats for Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre, how long the stage show runs, who it suits and when demand peaks.

    New York, NY
    By the Good Seats editorial teamUpdated How we research

    Four Ways Into a Broadway Show

    A Broadway ticket can come from four places: a full-price sale from the show's box office or primary ticketing site, a discount program run by the show (digital lotteries, rush and standing room), the TKTS discount booths, or the resale market. The first and last let you choose your date and seat. The discount routes trade that control for a lower price and an element of chance.

    Broadway itself is a defined set of venues: 41 professional theaters with 500 or more seats each, in the Theater District and at Lincoln Center in Midtown Manhattan. Most shows play eight performances a week, typically evenings Tuesday through Saturday, matinees on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, and a dark (closed) Monday, though individual schedules vary. Demand is at a high point. The Broadway League reported that the 2024–2025 season drew 14.7 million attendances and 1.89 billion in grosses, the highest-grossing season on record, with audiences filling 91.2 percent of available seats. With nine in ten seats filled across the season, the popular shows leave little slack, and the discount routes are competitive.

    How Broadway Digital Lotteries Work

    A digital lottery is a drawing for a small number of deeply discounted seats. You enter online for a specific performance, the show draws winners at random, and winners get a short window to pay. Lotteries run through platforms such as Broadway Direct and Lucky Seat, and through some shows' own apps. As of fall 2026, the Broadway Direct lottery page lists shows including Aladdin, MJ, Six, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, The Lion King and Wicked; the roster changes as shows open and close.

    Hamilton's lottery is a good example of the details that matter. Per the show's lottery page, entry opens at 10 a.m. every Friday and closes at noon the following Thursday, covering the next week's performances. Winners are notified by email and push notification between noon and 4 p.m. on Thursday, and have two hours to claim and pay. Each winner may buy up to two tickets, entrants must be 18 or older with photo ID matching the entry name, tickets are picked up at will call starting 30 minutes before the show, and lottery tickets are void if resold.

    Rules for other shows are similar in shape but differ in timing. Many draw daily, the day before or the morning of the performance, and claim windows run from about an hour to several hours. Seat locations are assigned by the theater and can include partial-view seats or the front row. Treat the lottery as a bonus, not a plan: enter for several dates, and keep a backup if you are traveling to see a particular show.

    Rush and Standing Room

    Rush tickets are discounted seats released on the day of the performance. They come in two forms:

    • General rush is sold in person at the theater box office, first come, first served, typically when the box office opens on performance day (often 10 a.m., and noon on Sundays). Some shows limit rush to students with valid ID.
    • Digital rush is released through an app such as TodayTix, usually in the morning, and sells out in minutes for popular shows.

    Most rush policies cap purchases at two tickets per person, and seat locations are at the theater's discretion. Wicked, for example, offers general rush at the Gershwin Theatre. Standing room (SRO) is a separate option: some theaters sell a limited number of standing positions at the back of the orchestra, usually only when a performance is sold out. Policies change often, so check the show's current rush, lottery and standing room rules on the day you plan to go.

    The TKTS Booth, Explained Accurately

    TKTS is a discount ticket service run by TDF (Theatre Development Fund), a nonprofit that has worked to make the performing arts accessible since 1968. The first New York booth opened in 1973. The Times Square booth stands in Duffy Square at West 47th Street and Broadway, under the red bleacher-style steps that opened in 2008. A second New York booth operates at Lincoln Center, in the David Rubenstein Atrium, and TDF also runs a booth in Philadelphia.

    Here is what TKTS does and does not do:

    • It sells same-day tickets to matinee and evening performances, plus next-day tickets to matinees, at discounts of up to 50 percent off regular prices (Wikipedia cites a range of 20 to 50 percent).
    • It sells what shows release to it. The hardest-to-get hits often do not appear on the board at all, so TKTS is better for flexible plans than for one specific show.
    • It adds a per-ticket service charge and limits purchases to six tickets per person. It accepts major credit cards, cash and TKTS eGift Cards.
    • It shows live inventory in the TKTS app, and the Times Square booth offers a 7-Day Fast Pass lane for returning customers.

    One caution: with dynamic pricing (box office prices that move with demand), the advertised discount does not always mean a lower price than the box office or resale at that moment. Compare before you queue. Current details are on the TDF TKTS page.

    When Resale Is the Better Route

    Resale is the only route that lets you pick the show, the date and the exact seat after the box office has sold through. It makes sense when:

    • The show is a long-running hit. Hamilton, The Lion King, Wicked, MJ, Hadestown and The Book of Mormon rarely need discount programs to fill seats.
    • Your dates are fixed. A family trip on a holiday week cannot depend on winning a lottery.
    • You need seats together. Lotteries and rush cap at two tickets, while resale listings often hold four or more seats in a row.
    • You care where you sit. Discount seats are assigned; resale lets you choose center mezzanine over a side box.

    Two rules keep resale safe. Never buy a lottery or rush ticket from a reseller, since those tickets require ID at will call and are void if resold. And compare the all-in price across listings, since sellers must now display total prices including fees. Every GoodSeats order is covered by a 100% guarantee.

    Orchestra, Mezzanine and Balcony: Choosing a Seat

    Broadway houses range from the Gershwin Theatre, the largest at 1,933 seats and home of Wicked, to the Hayes Theater at 597. Most use the same vocabulary:

    • Orchestra: the ground floor. Center orchestra from about row E back sees the full stage at eye level. The first few rows look up at the stage and can miss choreography at the back.
    • Mezzanine: the first raised level. Front mezzanine center is often the best seat in the house for big dance musicals, since it shows the whole stage picture.
    • Balcony: a second raised level in some theaters. It costs less and sits farther away, with steeper steps.
    • Boxes: side seats near the stage, usually with a sharply angled, partial view.

    Size matters. The Walter Kerr Theatre (Hadestown) seats 945, and the Eugene O'Neill Theatre (The Book of Mormon) seats 1,066, so even rear seats are close. The Minskoff Theatre (The Lion King, 1,710), the Neil Simon Theatre (MJ, 1,467) and the Richard Rodgers Theatre (Hamilton, 1,400) are larger, and the rear orchestra sits under the mezzanine overhang, which can cut off the top of the set. Listings marked partial view or obstructed view usually mean a column, a box rail or the overhang.

    The Broadway Demand Calendar

    Broadway demand follows the visitor calendar. Thanksgiving through New Year's is the busiest stretch, with Christmas week the hardest to buy. Summer weeks and spring school breaks run strong. The weeks after the New Year holidays tend to be quieter and offer more choice. Saturday evening and Saturday matinee sell first in most weeks; Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings usually offer the widest selection.

    New productions follow their own curve. Demand often jumps after strong reviews and again around the Tony Awards in June, presented by the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League. If a show you want has just been nominated, buy before the broadcast.

    Frequently asked questions

    How does the Broadway lottery work?

    You enter online for a specific performance through a platform such as Broadway Direct, Lucky Seat or a show's app. Winners are drawn at random and get a limited window, often one to a few hours, to buy up to two discounted tickets.

    What is rush on Broadway?

    Rush tickets are discounted seats sold on the day of the performance, either in person at the box office when it opens or digitally through an app such as TodayTix. Quantities are small and most shows limit buyers to two tickets.

    Does TKTS sell tickets to every Broadway show?

    No. TKTS sells only the seats shows release to it, mostly same-day tickets plus next-day matinees. Long-running hits often do not appear on the board.

    Where is the TKTS booth in Times Square?

    The booth is in Duffy Square at West 47th Street and Broadway, under the red steps. TDF also runs a TKTS booth at Lincoln Center in the David Rubenstein Atrium.

    Can I buy a resold lottery ticket?

    You should not. Shows such as Hamilton require photo ID matching the winner's name at will call and void lottery tickets that are resold.

    Is orchestra or mezzanine better on Broadway?

    Center orchestra is best for faces and intimacy, while front mezzanine center is often better for large dance musicals because it shows the full stage picture.

    Sources