It has almost been a decade since Hamilton first rocketed to the top of the Broadway scene, and the megahit shows no signs of slowing down: with capacity numbers almost always over 90 percent, and an average ticket price of more than $200 per patron, Hamilton remains one of the hottest tickets in town. But for a theatre lover on a budget, how can you get into the room where it happens without breaking the bank?
Hamilton does not have a formal rush ticketing policy. But what they use, instead, is an incredibly affordable online lottery: $10 front row orchestra tickets. Called Ham4Ham, the $10 lottery program was instituted by show creator/original A.Ham Lin-Manuel Miranda when fervor for the production was at its initial peak; instead of allowing fans to lineup on the street hours in advance for a chance at a rush ticket, the lottery allows rolling admissions, with winners selected only a few hours before performance.
While the winners' drawing was initially accompanied by impromptu acoustic performances by the cast outside the theatre, the Ham4Ham performances have mostly been suspended outside of the occasional return. Nowadays, the $10 lottery is run weekly instead of before each individual performance, and you enter online via HamiltonMusical.com and the Hamilton app.
The lottery opens Fridays at 10 AM ET, with the entrance portal open through the following Thursday at Noon. Winner and non-winner notifications are sent between 1 PM and 4 PM every Thursday for the following week's performances. Winners have two hours to claim and pay for their tickets using either a debit or a credit card.
There are some stipulations, however. There is a limit of one entry per person per performance, and each winner can only purchase two tickets. Unclaimed tickets are forfeited and used as the box-office sees fit. Winners must pick up their tickets at the box office with a valid photo ID that matches the name drawn. Depending on availability, ticket pairs may be split up.
Hamilton does not offer special student ticket rates. Hamilton does not offer standing room tickets unless every single seat in the theatre is sold, which has rarely happened since the COVID-19 shutdown. For card-carrying military veterans, a $25 ticket discount is available via ID.ME. For groups of 10 or more, special ticket rates are available from Broadway Plus. Click here to learn more.
If your timing is flexible and you want to plan ahead, keep a look out for Broadway Week deals, which occur for two weeks every January and September. During Broadway Week, almost every show on the Main Stem will provide two tickets for the price of one, and Hamilton has participated in recent years by providing 2-for-1 tickets. So check back on Playbill.com since we will announce Broadway Week when the deals are live.
But do not worry, there's more shows on Broadway. For more information on how to get the cheapest tickets to Broadway's biggest hits, visit Playbill's Broadway Rush/Lottery/Standing Room Policies Page.
Miguel Cervantes and Ensemble in Hamilton
Miguel Cervantes and Company in Hamilton
Tamar Greene and Ensemble in Hamilton
Ebrin R. Stanley in Hamilton
Miguel Cervantes and Ensemble in Hamilton
Miguel Cervantes and Tamar Greene in Hamilton
Miguel Cervantes and Jared Dixon in Hamilton
Jared Dixon in Hamilton
Euan Morton in Hamilton
Kyle Scatliffe, Miguel Cervantes, Ebrin R. Stanley, and Daniel Yearwood in Hamilton
Stephanie Jae Park, Jennie Harney Fleming, and Julia Estrada in Hamilton
Daniel Yearwood, Miguel Cervantes, Kyle Scatliffe, and Ebrin R. Stanley in Hamilton
Miguel Cervantes and Company in Hamilton
Company of Hamilton
