Families can score free Broadway tickets for kids and teens with Kids’ Night on Broadway, plus dining deals and hands-on theater experiences.
At a Glance:
- Date: Tuesday, August 25, 2026
- Deal: Kids and teens 18 and under attend free with a full-paying adult
- How it works: Tickets are purchased as pairs at 50% off each
- Shows participating: 21 Broadway productions (list below)
- 15 restaurants in the Theatre District, the Museum of Broadway, and Top of the Rock will offer exclusive deals for Kids‘ Night on Broadway ticketholders
Growing up with a single mom who worked two jobs, there wasn’t much money left for extras. Back then, Broadway wasn’t even a question, but I was able to see my first show in high school, thanks to a discounted school field trip. My mother waited even longer. I was in my 20s and working for a magazine when I was finally able to get her tickets to Little Women. I’ll never forget how happy she was.
So when I hear parents say that maybe someday they will take their kids, when Broadway tickets don’t cost as much as a week’s worth of groceries, I totally get it. That someday doesn’t always feel realistic.
That’s why Kids’ Night on Broadway, returning Tuesday, August 25, is so exciting. It’s one of the few nights each year when Broadway feels doable for working families.
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How Kids’ Night on Broadway Works
“Kids’ Night” doesn’t mean tickets are automatically free. Kids and teens (18 and under) get a ticket only when paired with a full-paying adult, with the discount applied as 50% off each ticket purchased together. Every guest still needs their own ticket.
Which Shows Are Participating This Year?
This year’s lineup is broad, everything from Disney favorites to teen-appeal musicals and serious theater for older kids.
Participating shows include:
- Aladdin
- & Juliet
- Buena Vista Social Club
- Chicago
- The Great Gatsby*
- Hadestown
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
- Just In Time
- The Lion King
- The Lost Boys
- Maybe Happy Ending
- MJ
- Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical
- The Outsiders
- Paranormal Activity
- Schmigadoon!
- SIX: The Musical*
- Stranger Things: The First Shadow
- Titaníque
- Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
- Wicked
*The performance date for The Great Gatsby and SIX: The Musical will take place on Wednesday, August 26.
Remember to always check content warnings since some shows on this list are better for older kids. For elementary-age kids, The Lion King, Aladdin, and Harry Potter are usually the safest bets. Tweens and teens tend to love Wicked, SIX, MJ, and & Juliet.
Planning the Night: Dinner and Activities Around Kids’ Night on Broadway
Another great aspect of Kids’ Night on Broadway is that it acknowledges a basic parenting truth, the kids are going to need dinner.
Fifteen Theater District restaurants are offering Kids’ Night dining deals, including free kids’ meals with the purchase of an adult entrée. That alone can save you another chunk of change and mental energy on a weeknight.
Participating spots include family-friendly classics like Applebee’s, Carmine’s Italian Restaurant Times Square, and Hard Rock Cafe, and many others.
Plus, the Museum of Broadway and Top of the Rock will offer exclusive deals for Kids‘ Night on Broadway ticketholders.
How to Get Tickets
Tickets will go on sale at a later date. To be among the first to know when they’re available, sign up for the free Broadway Fan Club at KidsNightonBroadway.com. You can also find information on shows, sign up for The Broadway Fan Club, and check out dining options.
Watching your kid’s face when the lights go down never really gets old. As I wrote this, I recalled my kids’ faces while watching their favorite shows. With Kids’ Night on Broadway becomes what it’s supposed to be: a memory you’ll talk about on the way home, and hopefully much longer than that.
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