Ticket Policies

For specific information on subscriptions and single tickets for our 2023/24 Season, visit our seasonal Tickets & Subscriptions page.

For all other ticket and patron service matters, select an option below to jump to the section of your choice:

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Ticket & Patron Services Contact Information

Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Business hours are subject to change. Staff work hybrid schedules in the office and on site during business hours.

Patron Services representatives are available in the lobby or box office of every Washington Performing Arts performance. If you need ticket-related assistance or have questions regarding upcoming performances.

Email: PatronServices@WashingtonPerformingArts.org
Phone: (202) 785-9727
Mail:
Washington Performing Arts Patron Services
1400 K Street NW, Suite 500
Washington, D.C. 20005

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Ticket Purchase and Sale Terms and Policies

Washington Performing Arts makes our performances widely accessible and available, regularly partnering with D.C.-area venues (i.e. The Music Center at Strathmore, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts) to host our events, and authorizing their box offices as official ticket sellers. We operate in accordance with laws that regulate ticket sales for public benefit. The terms and policies below apply to ticket purchases and sales.

  • Tickets purchased from a source other than Washington Performing Arts or its partner venues may be lost, stolen, fake, or otherwise violate our terms or policies. Such tickets will not be honored at the time of the performance.
  • Washington Performing Arts does not guarantee the authenticity of tickets purchased from any third-party reseller (such as brokers or individuals). WashingtonPerformingArts.org and the websites of our partner venues are the only official online ticket sellers for Washington Performing Arts events.
  • Tickets may not be sold for more than face value. Limited exceptions for charitable events may be made, only with prior consent from Washington Performing Arts.
  • Fraudulent, misleading, or other unlawful conduct in a ticket purchase or sale is a basis for legal enforcement. Washington Performing Arts reserves the right to provide authorities with account holder information for investigation or prosecution of a ticket purchase or sale.
  • Proposed purchases in excess of 10 tickets may be referred to the Washington Performing Arts Group Sales Department, and are subject to management approval.
  • All productions have ticket purchase limits. The limit may be determined by account, household, credit card, IP address, email address, street address, or other method. In the event that a person or organization purchases more than the limit, Washington Performing Arts may revoke and return all or part of the excess and issue a refund.
  • Washington Performing Arts reserves the right to not sell a ticket to any person or organization if we have knowledge or reason to believe, by virtue of the buying process, the buyer’s behavior or for other reason, that the purchase is for resale or would otherwise violate Washington Performing Arts terms, policies or applicable laws. We also reserve the right to not honor a ticket that Washington Performing Arts knows or has reason to believe has been purchased in violation of our terms, policies, or applicable laws.
  • Ticket purchasers who are identified as having violated Washington Performing Arts terms, policies or purchasing with the intent to violate terms and policies may have their accounts closed, tickets revoked, admission refused, delivery method changed without prior notification, and/or future purchases refused. Tickets may be seized and canceled without compensation.

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General Ticket Purchase Information

All subscriptions must be purchased via Washington Performing Arts—see our season schedule to begin shopping!

Single tickets to 2023-2024 season events will be available for purchase beginning August 15, 2023. See our season schedule to plan your attendance. Our programs have limited capacity and patrons are encouraged to order early to ensure availability.

Single tickets for most events are available through Washington Performing Arts and the host venue’s ticket office. However, for events in some venues, single tickets are available only through Washington Performing Arts or only through the venue’s ticket office.

Tickets are available for purchase through Washington Performing Arts Patron Services for most performances until 48 hours prior to the performance—or by Friday at 5:00 p.m. for weekend performances. On the evening of a weeknight performance, and for all weekend performances, all sales must take place via the event venue. In cases where a venue is not otherwise selling Washington Performing Arts tickets, “walk-up” tickets may be available at the door shortly before showtime—exact times for each event TBA. In these cases, box office associates will not be able to verify the number of available tickets over the phone.

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Seating Charts

Washington Performing Arts is proud to have Washington, D.C. as our stage. Our performances happen in venues across the region. Please click here to find detailed seating charts for venues.

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Accessibility

Washington Performing Arts strives to meet the needs of all patrons. Accommodations at our venues for listening enhancement devices, wheelchair accessibility, and large print programs vary from venue to venue. To request a service or for additional information, contact PatronServices@washingtonperformingarts.org or call (202) 785-9727.

Please identify accessibility needs when placing your subscription order so we may prioritize your request for seating. When ordering online, please enter accessibility requests in the “Notes” field of the checkout screen. We also encourage the use of our Accessibility Request Form for more detailed requests.

Email: First, when subscribing online, use the “Notes” field to explain use of the Accessibility Request Form. Then, simply fill out the Accessibility Request Form online, save it, and email the file as an attachment to PatronServices@washingtonperformingarts.org. You are also welcome to print the blank form, fill it out by hand (please use dark ink), scan it or take legible photos of it (both pages), and email the file to PatronServices@washingtonperformingarts.org. On the form, please reference your subscription order number, which you will find in the confirmation email you receive after submitting your subscription order.

Mail: Send your completed Subscription Order Form and Accessibility Request Form to:
Washington Performing Arts Patron Services
1400 K Street NW, Suite 500
Washington, D.C. 20005

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Ticket Handling Fees

  • Ticket fees are waived for Friends of Washington Performing Arts (annual gift of $75 and up).
  • There is a $10 per order fee for subscription orders (any number of tickets to two or more events purchased in one order).
  • All other ticket purchases are subject to a handling fee based on a percentage of the cost of each ticket—currently 15%. This includes any additional tickets purchased by subscribers that are separate from the initial subscription order. For example, the fee on a $25 ticket is $3.75; the fee on a $50 ticket is $7.50; etc.

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Accepted Forms of Payment

Washington Performing Arts accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, and checks made payable to Washington Performing Arts Society or Washington Performing Arts. Washington Performing Arts discourages mailing cash for ticket purchases or exchanges and is not responsible for cash that is lost or stolen during transit.

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Delivery of Tickets

  • Tickets purchased 12 or more days in advance of a performance will be mailed to the purchaser unless will call is requested at the time of purchase.
  • All tickets purchased within 12 days of a performance date will be held at the venue box office will call. Patrons are required to show a photo ID at the window.

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Ticket Exchanges

Standard Exchange Policy

Ticket-exchange credit in advance of an event is available for all patrons who purchased their tickets via Washington Performing Arts, as follows:

  • Washington Performing Arts Friends (annual donors) and subscribers may exchange the amount paid for their event tickets to another performance in the same season, with no added charge.
  • Ticketholders who are not Friends or subscribers may obtain exchange credit as noted above with an added $5/ticket exchange fee.

To process an exchange, your tickets (or proof of destroyed tickets; see below*) must be received by Patron Services 48-hours prior to the performance. No refunds, exchanges, or credit will be available after a show has passed. 

*Washington Performing Arts encourages ticketholders to exchange by emailing proof of destroyed tickets (e.g., a simple cell-phone photo of the torn tickets, with performance and seating details clearly visible), along with correspondence as noted below, to PatronServices@washingtonperformingarts.org. If ticketholders choose to exchange by mail, be sure to allow ample time for mailing. Washington Performing Arts is not responsible for tickets that are not received or that may be received after a performance because of delayed mail. Washington Performing Arts regrets that exchanges cannot take place on the day of a performance.

When tickets are submitted for exchange, the ticketholder should include correspondence indicating the performance they would like to attend and the preferred seating section or price. Seating availability and prices can be obtained by viewing the performance at WashingtonPerformingArts.org or by calling Patron Services at (202) 785-9727. Availability is not guaranteed, and seats will not be held. Washington Performing Arts personnel will contact the ticketholder upon receipt of the exchange materials.

The cost of the original tickets will be applied to the new tickets, minus exchange fees if applicable (i.e., for patrons who are not Friends or subscribers, as noted above). If the new tickets (plus fees, if applicable) cost more than the original tickets, the patron must pay the difference at the time of the exchange. If the new tickets (plus fees, if applicable) cost less, the difference will be placed on credit in the ticketholder’s account. Credits can be used for future purchases for the same season only and do not carry forward to the following season.

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Cancellations & Refunds

Refunds are granted only in the case of performance cancellation. Ticket purchasers will be contacted directly by Washington Performing Arts Patron Services and given the option to:

  • apply the amount paid for their ticket(s) to a credit for future events in the same season,
  • donate the amount paid for their ticket(s) to Washington Performing Arts, or
  • claim a full refund

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Group Sales

Washington Performing Arts offers up to a 15% discount for groups of 10 or more for most individual performances. For more information, email groupsales@washingtonperformingarts.org or call (202) 785-9727. Click here for more information. Please note: Group sales discounts may not be combined with other discounts (e.g., subscription discounts).

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Gateway Student Ticket Program

In the spirit of Washington Performing Arts Founder Patrick Hayes’s personal catchphrase—and our organizational motto—“Everybody in; nobody out,” Washington Performing Arts offers a limited number of $10 tickets to select performances through the Gateway Student Ticket Program. Current students of all ages and grade levels, from primary school through graduate school, are eligible. Each student may order up to two (2) tickets with a valid student ID. For children in primary and secondary school, a parent may order on their behalf as long as the student is present to pick up when the tickets are collected from Will Call.

Please note:

  • Gateway Student Tickets are available only through the Washington Performing Arts Patron Services office by phone at (202) 785-9727.
  • Gateway tickets may only be ordered for single events—they may not be included as part of a subscription order.
  • Gateway tickets are not subject to any additional discounts.

Email PatronServices@washingtonperformingarts.org for more information about this program.

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Washington Performing Arts will post updates to these terms and policies from time to time, and may supplement them for a particular performance. If you have any questions about our terms or policies or a ticket purchase, please call the Washington Performing Arts Patron Services office at (202) 785-9727.