Broadway Direct is the Broadway League’s own lottery platform. The Broadway League is the industry trade association that represents producers and theater owners — so when the industry runs its own lottery rather than hiring a third party, it goes through Broadway Direct. That institutional backing shows in the policies, especially the ID rules. Here’s exactly how it works.
What is Broadway Direct?
Broadway Direct (lottery.broadwaydirect.com) runs lotteries for Disney Theatrical and Nederlander shows, plus a rotating set of other productions. Think Aladdin, The Lion King, Wicked, Six, MJ, Stranger Things. These are some of the highest-demand shows on Broadway, which means Broadway Direct lotteries have large entry pools — but the seats are real and the process is clean.
How to enter — step by step
- Go to lottery.broadwaydirect.com
- Create a free account. Don’t enter as a guest — you’ll lose your entry history and may get flagged for duplicate entries.
- Find your show and the specific performance date you want. Broadway Direct runs separate lotteries per performance — a Wednesday matinee and a Wednesday evening are two different entries.
- Select 1 or 2 tickets and submit. Free to enter.
- Winner notification arrives by email, usually within minutes of the lottery closing.
- If you win: pay within 60 minutes using a credit card. The name on your entry must match your government-issued photo ID exactly.
- Pick up tickets at the box office, no sooner than 30 minutes before showtime. Bring your photo ID and the credit card you used.
Entry timing
- Opens: Several days before the performance (varies by show — check the listing)
- Closes: Varies — check the show’s specific lottery page for the cutoff
- Winners drawn: Shortly after entries close
- Payment window: 60 minutes from the winner notification email
- Pickup: Box office, no sooner than 30 minutes before curtain
What it costs
Common price points are $30–$45. Wicked and The Lion King typically run at the higher end. MJ has historically run $30. You’ll see the exact price before you enter on the show’s lottery page.
The ID rule — don’t get burned by this
Broadway Direct is stricter about ID matching than any other lottery platform on this list. The name you enter must match your government-issued photo ID exactly. Not your nickname. Not your middle name. The name on your driver’s license or passport, character for character.
If you’re “Michael” on your ID, enter as “Michael.” Not “Mike.” Box office staff at Broadway Direct shows check ID against the manifest and they don’t make exceptions. If the name doesn’t match, you lose the tickets and the payment isn’t refunded. Enter your legal name, get your tickets, that’s the whole deal.
One entry per performance — this trips people up
Broadway Direct runs separate lotteries for every individual performance. A Wednesday matinee and a Wednesday evening are two different drawings. You can enter both — they’re not duplicates. People miss this and think they’re double-entering when they’re actually entering two different lotteries. If you want to see a show and have schedule flexibility, enter every available performance. Each is its own draw.
Shows currently using Broadway Direct
- Aladdin — New Amsterdam Theatre. $35
- Death Becomes Her — Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. $45
- MJ — Neil Simon Theatre. $49
- Schmigadoon! — Nederlander Theatre. $45
- Six — Lena Horne Theatre. $45
- Stranger Things: The First Shadow — Marquis Theatre. $45
- The Lion King — Minskoff Theatre. $35
- The Lost Boys — Palace Theatre. $45
- Wicked — Gershwin Theatre. $55
The active list updates as shows join or leave the platform. Check lottery.broadwaydirect.com for what’s currently live.
Tips
Always use an account, never guest checkout. Guest entries are harder to track and Broadway Direct has flagged household entries made from the same IP under different guest emails. Account entries are clean and you keep your history.
Enter weekdays. Wicked and The Lion King have massive tourist entry pools on weekends. Weekday matinees and Tuesday/Wednesday evenings have meaningfully lower entry counts. This is true across all lottery platforms but especially pronounced on Broadway Direct shows because tourist volume is so high.
Don’t share wins. If you win and want a friend to pick up your tickets, you need to put their name on the payment form — not yours. The name that goes on the form goes on the manifest. Plan this ahead of time.
What to do if you don’t win
Broadway Direct shows typically also sell rush tickets at the box office — same-day, first-come-first-served. The Disney houses (New Amsterdam for Aladdin, Minskoff for Lion King) open their box offices at 10 AM Tuesday through Saturday. Rush lines for Wicked start forming early — get there before 9 AM if you’re serious.
For the full lottery strategy guide covering all platforms, read How to Win Every Broadway Lottery in 2026.
For a side-by-side comparison of all four platforms, see Broadway Lottery Platforms Explained.
Every show with an active lottery is listed at our Broadway Lottery Tickets hub.
