New York City high school students can enter a lottery for more than 2,000 free tickets to seven Broadway productions under a new partnership between Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani’s administration and the nonprofit Theatre Development Fund.
The lottery opened Aug. 13 and runs through 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 17. Eligible students in grades 9 through 12 can enter at on.nyc.gov/Broadway and, if selected, claim up to two tickets.
Participating productions are Buena Vista Social Club, In the Heights at New York City Center, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, The Lost Boys, The Great Gatsby and Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).
Every student who enters the lottery will receive a free two-month TDF membership, which provides access to discounted tickets for Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway performances, as well as participating music, dance and museum offerings. Discounted tickets generally range from $20 to $40.
Students may claim the free membership and download a digital membership card through Sept. 13, even after the ticket lottery closes.
“In a city overflowing with extraordinary art and culture, every young person should have the opportunity to experience those moments, regardless of what’s in their bank account,” Mamdani said in a statement. He said the initiative is intended to help students explore the city’s cultural offerings and discover “something that stays with them long after the curtain falls.”
The membership also offers free or discounted admission at more than 20 cultural institutions, including the American Museum of Natural History, Brooklyn Museum, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, MoMA PS1, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City Ballet, the Public Theater, Wave Hill and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Deeksha Gaur, TDF’s executive director, said the organization sees theater access as essential for New Yorkers and credited the city partnership with helping create long-term relationships between young people and the arts.
TDF, founded in 1968, operates the TKTS discount booths and programs aimed at reducing financial, physical and other barriers to theatergoing. Its education, accessibility and community programs include open-captioned, audio-described and ASL-interpreted performances, autism-friendly shows and school partnerships.
City officials said the program is part of the administration’s broader summer effort to connect young New Yorkers with free and low-cost activities. The city earlier launched its “Summer in N.Y.C.” website, which lists programming across the five boroughs, including arts classes, sports leagues and extracurricular activities.
The administration also cited a record $323 million investment in the Department of Cultural Affairs and the creation of a Cultural Stability Fund for arts organizations facing unexpected or emergency circumstances.
