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 seek out inexpensive ways to get inexpensive tickets, and the Broadway Lottery system is one of them.
Below I share my insider tips on how to enter these lotteries and succeed!
I also looked at what members of our popular NYC Travel Tips Facebook group had to say about using the lottery system. You can see these comments at the bottom of this post.
Our Facebook group of over 200,000 members consists of locals, like our guides, regular visitors to NYC, and newbies to the city.
There's no need to join the group to search for and read posts, comments, and recommendations. So check us out after you've read this post!
In the video below, I explain how the lottery works generally. Beneath the video, this post goes into more detail.
INTRODUCTION
Broadway show ticket lotteries are exactly what the name implies, except that no money is exchanged unless you are the winner.
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 usually for premium seats). How's this for a bargain: $10 tickets for Hamilton!
Lotteries are a chance to get great last-minute deals.
However, relying on a lottery might mean that regular-priced tickets could be sold out once you decide to go the full-price route.
Not all shows participate in lotteries, but many top shows do.
In the sections below, we explain in detail how that type of lottery works and list the shows that currently offer lotteries
We update this post approximately every 3 months so check back to see which other shows have lotteries.
- Digital Lotteries
- In-Person Lotteries
- More Ways to Save
- FAQs Regarding Lotteries
- Tips from Locals and Travelers
- Free Things to Do in NYC
DIGITAL LOTTERIES
Digital lotteries are accessed through a website or mobile app, so you will need access to a computer or a smartphone or tablet.
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, provided 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 an 8 p.m. showing 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, matinee performances and evening performances.
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.
These are just a few Broadway shows that have a digital lottery:
Offered through Broadway Direct:
Offered through Lucky Seat:
Offered through Telecharge:
- Back to the Future
- The Notebook
- Kimberly Akimbo
- Enemy of the People
- A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical
Offered through TodayTix:
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 that you go through their app.
Each show has a website or app where you can enter the digital lottery.
How to find out if you won tickets
After you enter, you will be notified by email (and in some cases text notification as well) whether you have won tickets or not.
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.
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.
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.
Once you’ve entered through Broadway Direct or Lucky Seat, you can check whether you’ve won by looking at their websites: Broadway Direct and Lucky Seat.
If you used Telecharge or TodayTix, check with the individual show's website where you entered the lottery.
IN-PERSON LOTTERIES
A handful of shows also hold a lottery drawing 2 or 2 1/2 hours before the curtain time.
To participate, you must go to the individual box offices on the day of the performance.
Box offices generally open at 10 a.m., but it's a good idea to call a theater in advance to double-check when their box office opens.
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 time.
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 Worldund Broadway for Broke People.
For up-to-date information, check with individual show box offices for in-person lotteries.
OTHER TIPS TO SAVE ON TICKETS
By the way, before we list other options, keep us in mind, Kostenlose Touren zu Fuß.
We offer daily guided and self-guided walking tours of NYC.
NYC Tourist Attraction 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.
Buy tickets through a money-saving website.
Disclosure: While our recommendations are always unbiased, we may receive a small share of sales through some of the links below at no cost to you. See the full text.
You can also find deals on Groupon, Living Socialund Goldstar, sometimes as much as 50% off.
As we mentioned above, you can get reduced-price tickets through TodayTix.
This website offers reduced-price tickets up to 30 days in advance. (There is also a TodayTix app).
Two other popular sites that offer reduced-price tickets are Broadwaybox and Theatermania.
Also, look at StubHub and TicketsNow as they offer retail and resale tickets so some of their tickets are sold at less than face value cost.
For additional information, please see our detailed post, How to Get Cheap Broadway Tickets.
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?
Read more about cancellation tickets here.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT LOTTERIES
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.
I don't want to risk not getting any tickets through the lottery. Where else can I get cheap Broadway tickets?
If you want to ensure that you get cheap Broadway tickets, go through websites like TodayTix and StubHub.
Read our post, How to Get Cheap Broadway Tickets, to learn about other ways to secure cheap tickets.
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!
Are Broadway lotteries legit?
Absolutely!
So are all the other websites we mention in this post such as Todaytix, Lucky Seats, StubHub, etc.
TIPS FROM LOCALS AND TRAVELERS
We hope the above information gave you all the information you need to know about trying your hand at Broadway lotteries and what alternatives exist.
While we have used the lottery system for years with success, we thought it would be helpful for you to hear from others about their experiences.
We reviewed hundreds of comments from members of our NYC Travel Tips Facebook group and here is a handful of them.
So many of our Facebook group members have entered Broadway lotteries, and lots have won.
Here’s what some of them had to say about lotteries, including great tips, advice and what to expect.
Below, Pavy has won the lottery four times and loves the system. She emphasizes tips and information in this post.
TIP: If you are a pair, both of you should enter the same lottery separately. This doubles your chances of winning tickets.
Marii shares her experience increasing your chances of winning. If there are two of you and don't mind sitting separately, each of you can enter a lottery for one ticket.
Though statistically, we can't say this is a foolproof method, it can't hurt to try!
Here are other ways to increase your odds of winning tickets.
Lori is spot on when she recommends entering a lottery and choosing a Tuesday or Wednesday matinee.
These times are likely to have fewer lottery entries. She likes TodayTix for playing the lottery.
Of the lottery services, Todaytix is especially popular and group members have found good ticket prices. They also said the process was smooth. But don’t rule out the other options.
Remember, there is a reason it’s called a lottery. There is no guarantee you will win tickets as Garth and Dottie have found out.
Here's one group member's strategy to try to get the cheapest tickets, though it will require a bit more effort on your part.
If the lottery doesn’t work out, try Digital Rush. Do not forget about the TKTS Booth in Times Square.
Going to the theater is a hit or miss, so make sure you call the theater first to see if you can get any tickets by going there.
Read about all these from our post, How to Get Cheap Broadway Tickets.
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