Hiptix is not a lottery. That’s the first thing to know. You don’t enter a random drawing and cross your fingers — you join a free program, open an app, and buy $30 tickets to any Roundabout Theatre Company show, in advance, with no luck involved. It’s one of the best deals in New York theater, and most people under 40 don’t know it exists. (Current for the 2026 season.)
What is Hiptix?
Hiptix is Roundabout Theatre Company’s discount program for theatergoers ages 18 to 40. Roundabout is one of the largest nonprofit theaters in the country — they produce five to eight shows a year across their Manhattan venues, and Hiptix gets you into all of them for $30.
It’s free to join. You verify your age once, and you’re in. Tickets live in the Criterion Ticketing app: pick a show, buy your seat at $30, done. Up to 2 tickets per production, and your guest can be any age.
How to join and use it
- Download the Criterion Ticketing app (Apple App Store or Google Play) — that’s where Hiptix lives now.
- Create a free account and verify your age (18–40). You only do this once.
- Browse current Roundabout productions and buy $30 tickets right in the app.
- Up to 2 tickets per production. Your guest can be any age — the age requirement is on the account holder, not the second seat.
- Bring your ID. You show it at the theater; some performances use mobile tickets, so check your confirmation.
You can also start at roundabouttheatre.org/get-tickets/hiptix, which points you to the app.
What it costs
$30 per ticket, bought in advance, fee included. Roundabout sets aside a limited number of Hiptix seats for each performance — usually mezzanine or balcony — and may release more as the date approaches. Popular titles and weekends go first, so don’t wait.
Hiptix High: $10 for high schoolers
New alongside Hiptix is Hiptix High — the same idea for high school students ages 14 to 18. It’s free to join, runs through the same Criterion Ticketing app, and offers a limited number of $10 tickets to Roundabout shows when they’re available. If you’ve got a theater kid in high school, this is the cheapest legit seat in town.
Hiptix Gold
If you go to Roundabout often, Hiptix Gold is the upgrade. It’s a membership for ages 18–40 that starts with a $100 annual donation, and it gets you $30 orchestra seats (subject to availability) plus invitations to insider-only events. The ticket price is the same $30 as standard Hiptix — what Gold buys you is the better seat category and access, and the donation supports a nonprofit and is tax-deductible. If you keep getting shut out of good seats, that’s the fix.
Which venues and shows
Roundabout produces across several Manhattan venues, including:
- Todd Haimes Theatre (formerly the American Airlines Theatre) — 227 W 42nd St, Midtown
- Studio 54 — 254 W 54th St, when Roundabout is in residence
- Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center — 111 W 46th St, for smaller productions
Hiptix covers current Roundabout productions across all of them.
Shows currently using Hiptix
- The Rocky Horror Show — Studio 54. $30
- The Imaginary Invalid — Todd Haimes Theatre. $30. Opens Sep 25
- Mix and Master — Todd Haimes Theatre. $30
- The Full Monty — Todd Haimes Theatre. $30
Tips
Book early, not day-of. Hiptix seats go on sale in advance — this isn’t a day-of lottery. The closer you get to the performance, the fewer Hiptix seats remain. For popular shows or weekend performances, check the app 1–2 weeks out.
Bring whoever you want. Your guest can be any age — you just need to be 18–40 yourself, and you’ll show your ID at the theater. (Older guides still say both seats have to be under 35. They don’t.)
Do the math on Gold if you’re a regular. Gold doesn’t make the ticket cheaper — it’s $30 either way — so the upgrade is about seats and access, not price. If you see Roundabout several times a year and keep getting shut out of good seats, the $100 membership earns its keep. If you go once or twice, standard Hiptix is all you need.
Roundabout plays are the good ones. Roundabout is a Tony-winning nonprofit — they consistently produce serious work, not tourist fare. The Hiptix catalog includes revivals and new plays that draw top-tier casts. This is the deal you use to see the show everyone in the industry is talking about for $30.
How Hiptix compares to lotteries
Lotteries are random. Hiptix is not. You decide when to go, you buy the ticket, done. The trade-off is that you’re limited to Roundabout shows — you can’t use Hiptix for Wicked or Hamilton. But for the five to eight Roundabout productions a year, this is simply the better deal: predictable access, better seat selection, and no refreshing an app at midnight hoping your name comes up.
If you’re under 40 and you don’t have a Hiptix account, fix that today.
Other under-40 and student theater discounts worth knowing
Hiptix only covers Roundabout. If you’re a younger theatergoer in New York, a few other companies run their own age-based deals worth signing up for. Prices and age caps change, so confirm the current terms on each program’s page:
- LincTix — Lincoln Center Theater’s program for ages 18–35. Discounted tickets (roughly $35–$40) to LCT productions at the Vivian Beaumont, Mitzi E. Newhouse, and Claire Tow, plus LCT’s Broadway transfers. Free to join, but your seatmates have to be LincTix members too. lct.org/linctix
- MTC35 (Manhattan Theatre Club) — $35 tickets for theatergoers 35 and under, to MTC shows at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre and City Center Stage I. Free to join; your guest can be any age. manhattantheatreclub.com
- 30 Under 30 (Second Stage) — $30 tickets for theatergoers 30 and under at the Hayes Theater and Tony Kiser Theater. No sign-up — just use code 30UNDER30. 2st.com
- TDF membership — discounted tickets across a wide range of NYC theater, dance, and music for those who qualify (students, teachers, union members, and more). tdf.org
- 20at20 — $20 Off-Broadway tickets, 20 minutes before showtime, during the twice-yearly promotion. 20at20.com
Actually a student, not just under 40? A student ID opens a different set of doors, and some of them stack with the programs above — we mapped every one in our guide to student Broadway tickets.
Hiptix FAQ (2026)
How old do you have to be for Hiptix?
Hiptix is open to theatergoers ages 18 to 40. High schoolers ages 14 to 18 can use Hiptix High instead. Your guest can be any age.
How much are Hiptix tickets?
$30 per ticket, fee included. You can buy up to 2 tickets per production. Hiptix High tickets are $10 for high school students, when available.
How do I get Hiptix tickets?
Through the free Criterion Ticketing app (Apple App Store or Google Play). Create an account, verify your age once, then buy $30 tickets to any current Roundabout show in the app.
Is Hiptix free to join?
Yes. Membership is free — you create an account and verify your age once, and there’s no annual fee.
Is Hiptix a lottery?
No. Unlike a rush or lottery, you buy Hiptix seats in advance at a set $30 price. No drawing and no luck involved.
What is Hiptix High?
Hiptix High is the high school version of Hiptix, for students ages 14 to 18. It’s free to join through the Criterion Ticketing app and offers a limited number of $10 tickets to Roundabout shows when available.
Which shows can I use Hiptix for?
Any current Roundabout Theatre Company production across their Manhattan venues. It can’t be used for non-Roundabout shows like Wicked or Hamilton.
What is Hiptix Gold?
A membership for ages 18–40 that starts with a $100 annual donation. It adds $30 orchestra seats (subject to availability) and invitations to insider-only events, at the same $30 ticket price, and the donation is tax-deductible.
Do I need to be a student?
No. Hiptix is based on age (18 to 40), not student status — anyone in that range can join.
More resources
For a full breakdown of all four lottery and discount platforms — Lucky Seat, Broadway Direct, Telecharge, and Hiptix — see Broadway Lottery Platforms Explained.
For the full strategy guide on winning Broadway lotteries, read How to Win Every Broadway Lottery in 2026.
Every show with an active lottery or discount ticket program is listed at our Broadway Lottery Tickets hub.
Students have their own set of rules, prices, and age caps — all of it is in Student Broadway Tickets: The 2026 NYC Guide.
Keep reading
- The best Broadway lottery odds right now
- Which Broadway lottery is easiest to win?
- How to win every Broadway lottery
- Every lottery platform, explained
