An icon of Times Square, the Theatre Development Fund’s TKTS booth marked 50 years of operation this week, celebrating its role in expanding the Broadway audience with discounted last-minute tickets. The booth, first opened in 1973, offers consumers tickets discounted by as much as 50% to Broadway shows in the city.
To celebrate the landmark anniversary, a celebration was held at the location in Times Square, where a proclamation from Mayor Eric Adams was read by Commissioner of Culture for the city Laurie Cumbo designating June 28, 2023 as “TKTS Day” in New York.
Actor S. Epatha Merkerson was on hand to accept the proclamation on behalf of TDF on Wednesday, part of an event that also featured a trivia and a Broadway sing-along.
Happy 50th birthday to @TKTS!! Tens of millions of affordable Broadway tickets later, you’ve expanded access to the performing arts for generations of theater lovers.
Today, @CommishCumbo delivered a proclamation from @NYCMayor naming June 28, 2023 “TKTS Day” in celebration! pic.twitter.com/YRteN6Ig5A
— NYC Cultural Affairs (@NYCulture) June 28, 2023
Since the TKTS booth opened, the TDF claims that more than 68 million tickets have been sold through the booth, which typically operates during the afternoon until 8 p.m. Its return in 2021 following the long COVID-related halt on live performances in New York was a welcome sign of a return to something close to “normal” in the Big Apple.
Tickets available at the booth (and its sister operation in Lincoln Center on the city’s Upper West Side), are typically for matinee and same-day performances. For Wednesday’s performances, more than 20 Broadway shows had tickets available at the booth, including The Book of Mormon, Parade, Moulin Rouge!, Hadestown, Camelot, and Aladdin. There were also a dozen off-Broadway productions with tickets available at the booth, including Blue Man Group, Drunk Shakespeare, and Singfeld! A Musical About Nothing!
The list of available shows is updated daily at the TKTS website as well as bulletin boards at the actual locations.
Broadway Tickets
Broadway tickets at MEGASeats.com | 10% Off Using Code TICKETNEWS
Broadway tickets at ScoreBig
Broadway tickets at SeatGeek
Broadway tickets at StubHub
Broadway tickets at Ticket Club | Free Membership Offer
Broadway tickets at Vivid Seats
