How cheap Broadway tickets actually work
Rush, lotteries, and standing room in plain language.
What is general rush?
Deeply discounted same-day tickets (usually $30 to $59) sold in person at the box office when it opens, first come, first served, until that day's allotment runs out. You show up early, wait in line, and buy at the window, typically a limit of one or two tickets per person. Seat locations vary: sometimes front row, sometimes partial view. Box offices generally open at 10 AM Monday through Saturday and noon on Sunday.
What is student rush?
The same idea as general rush, but you need a valid student ID at the window, and the discount is often deeper. Some shows limit it to one ticket per ID. A few shows also honor educator or under-30 versions of the same policy; the show's policy details here will say so.
What is standing room (SRO)?
Standing room only: a cheap spot at the back of the orchestra or mezzanine where you stand for the whole performance, usually $30 to $49. Most shows only sell standing room when the seated house is sold out, which makes it a hot-show thing. It is line-based like rush: sold at the box office when it opens, first come, first served.
What is digital rush?
First come, first served like regular rush, but in an app (usually TodayTix) instead of a physical line. Discounted tickets unlock at a set time, often 9 AM on the day of the performance, and the fastest fingers win. No box office line, so for digital-rush shows this site shows the unlock time instead of an arrival stat.
What is a digital lottery?
You enter online (each show's policy links to the entry page), usually the day before or the morning of the performance, and winners are drawn at random for the chance to buy heavily discounted tickets, often $10 to $49. It is a random draw, so when you enter makes no difference: any entry before the deadline has the same odds. That is why lottery-only shows on this site show entry details instead of an arrival time.
What is an in-person lottery?
Same random-draw idea, but you put your name in a physical drum at the theater, typically two to two-and-a-half hours before curtain, and winners are drawn about two hours before the show. You must be present when your name is called.
How does the arrival stat work?
People in rush lines file reports here: when they arrived, how long the line was, and whether they got tickets. We aggregate those into "arrive by [time] for about [X]%" per show, weighting recent reports more heavily and showing the sample size and a confidence range with every number. Below a minimum number of reports we say "not enough reports yet" instead of inventing a number. Reports from unusual periods (a star's final week, holidays) are held out of the baseline so they don't distort a normal week.
Is the stat a guarantee?
No. It is a historical estimate from self-reported data, and rush behavior shifts with casting news, closings, holidays, and weather. Treat it as a well-informed starting point, confirm the policy with the box office, and when in doubt, go earlier.
Something here is wrong or out of date.
Policies and closing dates change weekly and we'd rather hear it than miss it: report an error here. If you just came out of a rush line, the single most useful thing you can do is file a rush report.