TodayTix is the odd one out among Broadway lottery platforms — it is not run by a theater owner or the industry trade group, it is a third-party app that resells discounted and same-day tickets, and it bundles three different ways to get in cheap: Lottery, Rush, and plain discounted tickets. If you only know it as “that app,” here is exactly how the lottery and rush sides work, and which NYC shows actually use it.
What is TodayTix?
TodayTix (todaytix.com) is a mobile-first ticketing platform that has become one of the four main ways New Yorkers get cheap Broadway and Off-Broadway seats. Unlike Broadway Direct (the industry’s own platform) or Telecharge (the Shubert box office), TodayTix is an independent app that partners with shows to run their Lottery and Rush programs — especially Off-Broadway, where it runs more draws than any other platform. If a downtown play has a lottery, odds are it lives in the TodayTix app.
The three ways in: Lottery, Rush, and discounts
TodayTix is really three products in one, and people mix them up constantly:
- Lottery — a random draw you enter in the app, usually one to two days before the performance. Win and you buy at a deep discount.
- Rush — same-day, first-come tickets released each morning. No luck involved, just speed.
- Discount tickets — regular inventory sold below box-office price, available any time in the app. Not a lottery, but worth knowing it is there.
This guide is about the first two — the ones that get you the cheapest seats.
How to enter the TodayTix Lottery — step by step
- Download the TodayTix app (iOS or Android). Lottery and Rush are app-only — you cannot enter from the website.
- Search the show, or use the in-app Lottery & Rush filter to see everything currently offering a draw.
- Tap Enter Lottery, choose one or two tickets, and submit. Free, takes seconds.
- Wait for the draw. Winners are picked at random by computer and notified by app push and email.
- If you win, you get a short window to pay in-app before the seats release to the next name.
How TodayTix Rush works
Rush is the other half of the app and the one people forget. These are deeply discounted same-day seats released first-come, first-served — most shows drop them around 9 AM local time the morning of the performance. There is no drawing and no luck: you open the app at release time, tap, and you have tickets for tonight. Up to two per person. If you are not the type to enter a lottery every day, set a 9 AM alarm and treat Rush as your main play.
Entry timing
There is no single TodayTix lottery time. Each show sets its own opening, closing, and draw schedule — some lotteries open the night before, some the morning of, some up to a week ahead. Rush is more predictable, usually right around 9 AM day-of. Because the windows vary show to show, check the specific production in the app (or our lottery hub, which tracks the open ones) rather than assuming a universal time.
What it costs
TodayTix lottery and rush seats typically land between $25 and $49, depending on the show — Off-Broadway draws often sit at the lower end, the bigger Broadway titles toward the top. You pay the lottery or rush price in-app; there is no separate box-office pickup for these. For full-price or discount inventory, TodayTix does add its own fees, but the Lottery and Rush programs are the cheap doors.
The catch: it is app-only
The single thing that trips people up — TodayTix Lottery and Rush only exist inside the app. You will not find them on the desktop site, and you cannot enter by email the way you can on some other platforms. Download it before the show you want goes on sale, not the morning of, so you are not fumbling with an install while Rush sells out.
NYC shows currently using TodayTix
TodayTix runs the lottery or rush for a rotating slate that leans heavily Off-Broadway, plus a few big Broadway titles. Recent and current examples include New Born, Indian Princesses, Girl, Interrupted, Animal Wisdom, KENREX, School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play, Becky Shaw, What Happened Was, & Juliet, and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The lineup changes constantly — the Broadway lottery hub lists every TodayTix show with a live draw right now, updated daily.
Tips
- Use the Lottery & Rush filter. It is the fastest way to see everything winnable today instead of searching show by show.
- Turn on push notifications. Lottery wins and Rush drops are time-sensitive; a missed notification is a missed seat.
- Play Off-Broadway. TodayTix is the strongest platform for downtown shows, and their pools are smaller than the Broadway blockbusters.
- Keep a card saved in the app. The claim windows are short — fumbling for a credit card is how wins expire.
- Stack it with the other platforms. Enter TodayTix and the others the same night; the goal is volume.
What to do if you don’t win
Losing a TodayTix lottery costs you nothing, so enter again tomorrow. While you wait, check the app’s standard discount inventory for the same show — TodayTix often has below-face seats even when the lottery comes up empty. And widen your net: every open lottery across all four platforms is on our lottery hub, and if the whole system is new to you, start with Broadway Lotteries 101.
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