Guide to Last Minute Broadway Tickets

Maybe you’re in town at the last minute, maybe you just like to fly by the seat of your pants, but either way, you want to see a Broadway show…fast. Never fear! Even with no advance notice and only hours to spare, you can still get great seats to a range of Broadway shows. No matter your budget, we’ll tell you how to score last minute cheap Broadway tickets, or even get the best seats in the house! We'll detail how use rush and lottery tickets, what shows offer Standing Room Only seats, how to get into sold-out shows, and what services to utilize to get great seats. We’ll also tell you tips and tricks on what performances are likely to be cheaper. Here's everything you need to know about how to get tickets:

The Apps and Websites

Let’s face it, we don’t have time to wait in line. The easiest ways to get tickets last minute is to go ON line. These are the websites to know:

Telecharge

Telecharge: Telecharge is the official ticket seller for many Broadway plays and musicals and also offers exclusive deals, rush and lottery options, and discounts on certain shows. It is owned by the Shubert Organization, which also owns many Broadway theaters.

TodayTix

TodayTix: TodayTix is known for its discounts and flash sales, and it also offers digital rush and lottery tickets for many shows. The app is known for being particularly user-friendly.

ATG Tickets

ATG Tickets: ATG is the official ticket seller for: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Hadestown, The Book of Mormon, Other Desert Cities, Paddington, Paranormal Activity, and Dolly.

Broadway Direct

Broadway Direct: Broadway Direct is the official ticket seller for: Hamilton, Six, Stranger Things, Warriors, and Wicked.

Criterion

Criterion: Criterion is the official ticket seller for & Juliet, The Rocky Horror Show, The Full Monty, and The Imaginary Invalid.

StubHub

StubHub: This is a secondary marketplace – it is a safe and valid way to buy tickets, but be prepared for some potential price markups. If a show is sold out, it very well may have tickets still available on StubHub.

The Discount Sites

The discount sites: Check Playbill Discounts, BroadwayBox, and Theatermania for promo codes and featured discounts to some of the most popular shows on Broadway.

Enter Digital Lotteries

Just put your name in the pot and go on with your day! Most Broadway shows offer digital lotteries on LuckySeat, Broadway Direct, or Telecharge. Specific details are below, and just remember to check your phone periodically, because if you win a Broadway lottery, you may only have a limited time to claim your tickets. Here are the major platforms that offer lottery tickets and how they work, and if you want a show-by-show list, check out our article on Broadway Lottery Tickets for a full rundown.

Lucky Seat

Enter by: 9:30am EST

Winners are drawn: at 10am EST and continue throughout the day.

How to claim tickets: Winners will receive an email with instructions. Limit 2 tickets per winner.

What shows have lotteries on LuckySeat? LuckySeat offers lotteries for Hadestown, Other Desert Cities, Paranormal Activity, and The Book of Mormon.

Broadway Direct

Enter by: It varies on the show.

Winners are drawn: It varies on the show.

How to claim tickets: Winners will have 60 minutes to pay for tickets using a credit card.

What shows have lotteries on Broadway Direct? Aladdin , MJ , Schmigadoon! , Six , Stranger Things , The Lion King, The Lost Boys, and Wicked.

Rush Telecharge

Enter by: 3pm the day before the performance

Winners are drawn: usually at 10am and 3pm

How to claim tickets: Winner will receive an email and have 5 hours to purchase tickets online.

What shows have lotteries on Telecharge? Buena Vista Social Club , The Great Gatsby , Maybe Happy Ending , Oh Mary! , Operation Mincemeat, The Outsiders, and Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).

Get Digital Rush Tickets

Rush Tickets are discount tickets reserved for same-day ticket buyers and sold first-come, first-served. Consider them a reward for procrastinators everywhere. Some shows only offer these tickets in-person at the box office, but many others allow guests to join a digital queue.

If a theater is offering digital rush tickets, they are usually using one of two platforms: TodayTix or Telecharge. Just head to both websites to see what’s on offer. Most policies require you to pay by credit card and have a limit of 2 ticket per person, and seating location is at the discretion of the box office.

TodayTix

TodayTix: Rush tickets go on sale at 9am, and it is recommended that you check the website or app as soon as possible, because tickets sell out quickly. Shows like & Juliet and The Book of Mormon offer rush tickets through TodayTix.

Rush Telecharge

Telecharge: Rush tickets go on sale at 11am on the day of the performance. For really popular shows, set an alarm and be ready to purchase tickets right at 11am…these tickets go fast! You’ll need to sign in either using a social network like Facebook, X, or linked in – or you can just sign up with your email address. Current and recent shows on offer include this year’s winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical, Maybe Happy Ending!

Get Rush Tickets In Person

For in-person rush tickets, head to the box office for a chance to purchase discounted seats. Tickets are sold first-come, first serve, so for popular shows, people start lining up before the box office opens. But it’s worth checking for tickets at any time of day, tickets will be sold until they are out of stock. The below shows offer in-person rush tickets, usually priced between $40 and $50 each. We’ll let you know the address of the box office, and when it opens!

& Juliet

Stephen Sondheim Theatre

124 W. 43rd Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Sunday.

It’s Romeo and Juliet with an all-new ending and a ton of pop music! What if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo?

Buena Vista Social Club

Schoenfeld Theatre

236 W. 45th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

Come see the sights and sounds of Cuba as you immerse yourself in the iconic music of Buena Vista Social Club!

Chicago

Ambassador Theatre

219 W. 49th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

An enduring Broadway classic, Chicago follows two charismatic murderesses as they try to get out of jail with a little razzle dazzle.

The Great Gatsby

Broadway Theatre

1681 Broadway, between 52nd and 53rd Street

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

It’s the Roaring Twenties! Parties, luxury, and the American dream – join Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway in this retelling of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Lyric Theatre

214 W. 43rd Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Sunday.

Set years after the events of the book series, this brand-new story takes place in Hogwarts when Harry and Draco’s sons start school.

NOTE: In-person rush for Harry Potter is currently paused

Just In Time

Circle in the Square Theatre

235 W. 50th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

Follow the extraordinary life of Bobby Darin in this hit musical that features songs like “Mack the Knife,” “Splish Splash,” and “Beyond the Sea.”

Maybe Happy Ending

Belasco Theatre

111 W. 44th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

Winner of the 2025 Tony Award for Best Musical, Maybe Happy Ending follows two retired robots who have the most human of emotions.

Oh, Mary!

Lyceum Theatre

149 W. 45th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

This madcap comedy follows Mary Lincoln, a hard-drinking, aspiring cabaret singer who feels stifled by her husband Abe.

Operation Mincemeat

Golden Theatre

252 W. 45th Sreet, between 7th and 8th Avenues

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

This musical comedy is based on the unbelievable true story of how a British operation tricked Hitler and his forces using a dead body. This West End hit is now a hit on Broadway!

The Outsiders

Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre

242 W. 45th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

Based on the novel of the same name, The Outsiders is all about brotherhood and chosen family. It is set in 1960s Oklahoma and follows a rivalry between two groups: the Greasers and the well-off Socs.

The Rocky Horror Show

Studio 54

254 W. 54th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue.

Box office is open 10am on Tuesday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday and Monday.

Luke Evans stars in this cult musical comedy about a wholesome young couple who stumble into the bizarre and seductive mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter

Schmigadoon!

Nederlander Theatre

208 W. 41st Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

A musical comedy about a modern couple who become trapped in a magical town where everyone lives as if they're in a classic Golden Age musical!

Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Marquis Theatre

210 W. 46th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue

Box office is open 10am on Monday through Saturday and at 12pm on Sunday.

Based on the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things: The First Shadow takes you back to Hawkins in 1959, when it all began!

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Longacre Theatre

220 W. 48th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue

Box office is open 10am on the day of each performance.

This charming musical two-hander follows a British man who has just landed in New York City and a woman who is busy running errands for her sister, who is about to get married.

Standing Room Only Tickets

Standing Room Only (SRO) tickets are sold at a lower ticket price and are only offered for performances of shows that are entirely sold out. Not every show offers them, so check with the box office for availability. Currently & Juliet , Chicago , Hadestown , Maybe Happy Ending , The Outsiders, and Six all offer SRO options. Tickets can be bought at the box office and are usually limited to two tickets per person. Standing locations are usually located at the rear of the orchestra, and there is usually a bar to lean on.

Just Show Up at the Box Office

It’s always worth checking with the box office – some shows, like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, have an official cancellation line for tickets that are returned last-minute, but all shows will sell you a ticket if there is one available. And it can even be worth asking about things like box seats; some theaters don’t put these on sale to the public, usually due to sightline issues, but might sell them at a discount at the box office.

What Are the Cheapest Last Minute Broadway Tickets?

Standing Room Only tickets are likely going to be the cheapest tickets offered, and in general matinee and weekday performances are cheaper than evening and weekend performances. If you have enough time, it can also be worth going directly to the box office of the show you’re trying to see and asking if they have any last-minute deals available.

But if you have limited time and are only in town for a few days, we’d recommend heading to the TKTS Booth in Times Square, which offers tickets at steep discounts up to half off!

Other Ways to Score Last Minute Broadway Tickets!

Concierge Services: If you’re staying in a New York hotel with a concierge, they can often help find hard-to-get, last minute tickets to hit shows in a variety of seat locations. Just be aware you may be paying a premium.

American Express: American Express cardholders can get exclusive access to blocks of tickets through the Card Member Access program.

Discounts and Broadway Shows on Now

Looking to buy last minute tickets to a Broadway performance in New York City right now? Check out our article on the Top Broadway Shows playing today! Or check out our NYC Broadway Week article and Discount Broadway Tickets article for more information about what times of year you can get 2-for-1 theatre tickets and other ways to save!