This post explains how to use the ticket lottery systems, both the online and in-person versions, to get reduced-price Broadway show tickets.
As someone who enjoys seeing as many shows as possible, I always look for inexpensive ways to get tickets, and the Broadway Lottery system is one of them.
Just like playing the regular lottery, you are never guaranteed to win a Broadway ticket lottery (though your odds are better!)
There are some tips I will pass along to increase your chances, and give you the best odds possible!
Broadway show ticket lotteries are exactly what the name implies: your name is entered into a drawing to potentially win tickets.
It is free to enter a Broadway lottery. No money is exchanged unless you win and accept the tickets
Most lotteries are conducted online, but a few require you to show up at the box office.
Lottery winners can score big savings on tickets (and often for premium seats). How's this for a bargain: $10 tickets for Hamilton!
Lotteries are a chance to get great last-minute deals. Most of my spur-of-the-moment theater plans have happened because of lotteries
However, relying on a lottery might mean that regular-priced tickets could be sold out once you decide to go the full-price route.
This is what I want to stress the most: playing the lottery isn’t a sure thing.
If you have your heart set on seeing a particular show on a particular day, the lottery may not be the best choice for you
Not all shows participate in lotteries, but many top shows do.
In the sections below, I explain in detail how that type of lottery works and list the shows that currently offer lotteries.
This post is updated approximately every 3 months so check back to see which other shows have lotteries.
Digital lotteries are accessed through a website or mobile app, so you will need access to a computer, smartphone or tablet and the ability to go online.
If you are traveling internationally and are reliant on Wi-Fi to go online, plan your day accordingly!
Currently, four companies have digital lotteries, Broadway Direct, Lucky Seat, Telecharge, and TodayTix.
Each lottery is run independently by those companies.
Also, not all shows participate in the lottery system, so it's best to have a few choices of shows you are interested in seeing.
You can enter lotteries for as many shows as you want, (as long as that show offers a lottery).
But you can only win one of the shows in the time slot you entered.
Each show only allows one entry per person to win two tickets for that specific show and showtime.
For example, if you enter the lottery for Hamilton and Wicked for the evening show on the same night, you can only win one of those shows in that time slot.
However, you are eligible to win tickets for different showtimes, for example, both matinee performances and evening performances.
My sister and I love trying our hand at this. If we are lucky enough to win both, we call it “Broadway Double Feature Day.”
If you do win tickets for both, you will have plenty of time between a matinee and an evening show to take a walk and have a leisurely dinner.
Lottery prices usually cost between $30 and $49 per ticket and vary by the show (Hamilton is just $10).
There is no charge to enter any digital lottery so the price listed is what you will pay only if you win.
Because it is relatively easy and doesn’t cost anything to enter, I would say enter as many lotteries as you can!
If you are just looking to get a great deal for a show, but seeing a specific show on a specific day isn’t a make-or-break thing for you, ticket lotteries are for you!
These are just a few Broadway shows that have a digital lottery:
Offered through Broadway Direct:
- Hamilton
- Wicked
- The Lion King
- MJ The Musical
- Six: The Musical
- Aladdin
- The Who's Tommy
Offered through Lucky Seat:
- The Book of Mormon
- Moulin Rouge
- Hadestown
- Illinoise
Offered through Telecharge:
- Back to the Future
- The Notebook
- The Great Gatsby
- Hell's Kitchen
- Oh, Mary!
- The Outsiders
- Stereophonic
Offered through TodayTix:
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
- Merrily We Roll Along
When to enter a lottery
Usually, the show lottery is available to enter 24 hours before the scheduled performance.
Check with each digital lottery operator for their rules. You must be 18 to enter.
Some shows offer the ability to enter a lottery via their website, or through a lottery app that you must download onto your mobile device.
Note that some digital operators require you to go through their app.
Each show has a website or app where you can enter the digital lottery.
Because this may involve downloading something to your phone, I recommend seeing which providers host the lotteries for shows you might like to see in advance.
That way you aren’t messing with trying to figure out which company it is, download an app, and then enter a lottery all at the same time.
The beauty of ticket lotteries is that they are simple and quick!
How to find out if you won tickets
After you enter, you will be notified by email (and, in some cases, by text as well) whether you have won tickets.
If you win, you will be sent an email with instructions on how to pay with a credit card.
IMPORTANT: You’ll have 60 minutes from the time of email notification to purchase the tickets. If you do not pay within that purchase period, you will lose the tickets.
Tip: Do what I do...set an alarm or reminder to check your email if you have entered a lottery. You don’t want your ticket offer to expire!
After you pay and receive your payment confirmation, you can pick up your tickets at the theater's box office no less than 30 minutes before showtime.
Make sure to bring a valid photo ID.
If you entered a lottery through Broadway Direct or Lucky Seat, you can check their websites to see if you have won.
If you used Telecharge or TodayTix, check with the individual show's website where you entered the lottery.
Seat selection
Seat locations are assigned at the discretion of the box office and may be in any section of the theater.
Since you are not choosing your seat, there's always a chance that your seat may have a partial view of the stage.
I have gotten incredible seats through lotteries, but I have also gotten tickets with partial views.
I find that a lot of people are uncomfortable with the idea of having a partial view. I get it! It doesn’t sound great.
But here’s the thing: if a seat has a 99% clear view of the stage but 1% of the view is blocked, the seat must be sold as a “partial view”. So "partial view" is hardly that!
I have done partial view many times, and have always felt like I could see perfectly fine.
If you are very nervous about it, check out the website A View From My Seat.
It shows photographs of the stage from specific seats in a theater, and you can see exactly what your partial view will look like.
A handful of shows also hold a lottery drawing 2 or 2 1/2 hours before the curtain time right in front of the theater.
To participate, you must go to the individual box offices on the day of the performance.
For in-person lotteries, you can throw your name in even just a few minutes before they do the draw!
These tickets are usually in the front half of the orchestra section and cost between $25 and $35.
Each lottery may have slightly different procedures in terms of the start time, and payment accepted so check with the box office of that theater for details.
Some shows only accept cash for lottery tickets, so be sure you check with the box office.
As there is a limited number of tickets available for lotteries, each person can enter their name only once.
The ticket limit for how many you can get is usually 2.
Tip: If there are two of you, each of you should enter the lottery -- this will double your chances!
Additional information on shows with in-person lotteries can be found on these websites: Broadway on a Budget, Broadway World, and Broadway for Broke People.
For up-to-date information, check with individual show box offices for in-person lotteries.
On a side note, I’m a bit sad that in-person lotteries are being used less and less as most shows have switched over to digital.
But if you have a chance to participate in an in-person lottery, go for it! I personally love them, for the following reasons.
First, they are better odds than the digital lotteries. Because you have to physically go to the box office, you will be vying with way fewer people than an online lottery. Most people prefer to go online rather than go to the box office.
But since you can throw your name in right before the drawing, the entire process will take up only 10-20 minutes of your time.
Second, in-person lotteries are a truly spontaneous way to see a show.
I was once walking through the theater district with no plans whatsoever for the evening.
I passed a lottery about to happen and threw my name in right at the last minute.
I won and had a great evening at the theater!
Lastly, going to in-person lotteries is pretty fun! It is a somewhat festive atmosphere as they call the names out.
How hard is it to win a Broadway lottery?
If you are wondering how likely it is to win a Broadway lottery, here’s an answer that will give you a general picture of your chances.
The odds of winning a Broadway lottery ticket depend on two things: first, the number of tickets the show makes available for that day and how many people enter that show’s lottery.
Most shows base the number of lottery tickets on the number of unsold tickets.
It’s impossible to say how many tickets will be available for a particular performance.
As an example, let’s say the average is about 20 tickets per show.
If 1,000 people enter that show’s lottery, and each asks for two tickets, the odds of winning are 1 in 100.
Can you win a Broadway lottery twice?
You can enter as many show lotteries as you want but only once for each show. This is highly recommended to increase your chances of winning tickets to one of those shows.
But, if you do enter lotteries for several shows on the same date and showtime, you can win tickets for only one of the shows you entered.
However, if you enter lotteries for shows at different showtimes, like a matinee and an evening performance, it’s possible to win the lottery twice that day.
Example: You enter a lottery for one show for a matinee and also enter a lottery for a different show for an evening performance, you might win tickets for both.
Are Broadway lottery tickets seated together?
While theaters make every effort to offer winners of the lottery seats together, they do state that there is a chance pairs may be split up.
It all depends on the availability of seats. But don’t let this possibility deter you from signing up for a lottery.
There is no obligation to pay anything until you win seats. At that point, you will be asked to confirm that you want the tickets and pay for them.
If you don't like the seats, don't purchase them and some other lucky people on the list will get them.
What are the chances of winning the Hamilton ticket lottery?
Your chances of winning the Hamilton lottery depend on how many people entered the same lottery and how many tickets the show has made available.
Hamilton is one of the most popular shows on Broadway making the lottery very competitive.
Enter multiple times and eventually, you might win!
By the way, before we list other options, keep us in mind, Free Tours by Foot.
We offer daily guided and self-guided walking tours of NYC.
NYC Tourist Attraction Discount Passes
If you are considering purchasing a money-saving tourist attraction pass, the New York Pass entitles you to up to 10% on Broadway shows.
These passes can save you up to 55% off the retail price by bundling tickets to various tours and attractions.
To find out if getting a tourist pass is right for you, our post, New York City Attraction Passes: Which One Is the Best to Buy will help you make that decision.
Attend weekday shows
Prices are highest for weekend performances on Friday and Saturday evenings, so change things up by going to weekday performances.
Don't forget that Monday is the one weekday when most shows are "dark" meaning no performances are taking place.
Attend in the off-season
Show tickets tend to be less expensive in spring or fall to avoid the peak prices of the summer and winter holidays.
Attend during “Broadway Week”
This is a biannual event that happens in January and September and allows patrons to purchase two tickets for the price of one.
See our post on Broadway Week information.
Try for Standing Room Only Tickets
Some shows offer day-of-show standing-room-only (SRO) tickets for sold-out performances.
Instead of a seat, guests stand behind the last row in the back of the orchestra section.
SRO tickets are offered at special prices that are quite inexpensive. They are limited in number and sell very quickly.
Read more about standing-room tickets here.
Try for Rush Tickets.
Rush tickets are last-minute tickets you can purchase at the box office on the day of the performance or enter a digital Rush lottery online the night before.
They cost anywhere from $25-40 depending on the show.
To purchase at the box office, you need to go early and wait in line.
Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
You can’t choose your seat, as it is up to the sole discretion of the show.
Almost always your seat will have a full view of the stage, but there is no guarantee
Read more about Rush tickets here.
Try the cancellation line.
When ticket-holders cancel at the last minute, the theater will sell those tickets at the box office just moments before the show starts.
This is not a way to guarantee you will get tickets, but if you are in the area, why not try lining up at the theater on the cancellation line?
