How to see the most theatre in one day in New York City

There are live entertainment options at all times of the day to fit anyone's schedule, and New York Theatre Guide's editor planned a six-show day to prove it.

If you're coming into New York for a short time only, you might try to pack as much in as you can. Most famous museums, landmarks, shops, and other attractions give you flexibility; you can visit at almost any point during the day. Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, however, mostly start at the same few times and thus aren't as accommodating. Or are they?

There is actually a much wider range of options for theatre showtimes than you might think. As an experiment, I set out to see how many shows I could possibly fit into a day, and I managed to plan six. Beginning at 9:30 a.m. and ending past 11:30 p.m. on October 19, 2024, my quest proved there are live entertainment options at nearly all times, with something to fit anyone's schedule.

Of course, there are some caveats: This six-show day was only feasible on a Saturday, as most shows' weekday performances overlap. Some shows I attended had limited engagements, but you could substitute another show with a similar run time or location if you want to embark on your own theatre marathon.

And even if you don't go to the six-show extreme, use the below sample schedule, guide, and pro tips to help you find Broadway and Off-Broadway show options to make a theatre-filled NYC trip work for you.

Early and mid-morning: Family-friendly theatre

Show 1: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show (9:30 a.m.; 50 min.)
Show 2: Gazillion Bubble Show (11 a.m.; 70 min.)

Most shows don't have morning performances, but the exception is shows designed for children to accommodate their early wake-up and bedtimes. I kicked off my day by waking up earlier than usual for The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which has a 9:30 a.m. performance on weekends.

That specific show has a limited run, but there's other children's theatre running year-round. The New Victory Theater specializes in children's shows, and the long-running bubble-and-light show Gazillion Bubble Show, at New World Stages, plays its earliest Saturday performance at 11 a.m. Both those venues are conveniently located in the heart of the Theatre District.

Seasonally, another family-friendly option is the Big Apple Circus, which has 11 a.m. and noon performances on weekends during its annual limited run during the holidays.

Pro tips

• Children's shows tend to run very short: 90 minutes max, but often under an hour to accommodate kids' short attention spans. That allows plenty of time for your family to see a show and do other activities during your day out.
• Some events allow very young children to sit on a paying adult's lap for free or a large discount. Policies vary by show.

Mid-afternoon: Broadway matinee of choice

Show 3: Yellow Face (2 p.m.; 105 min.)

A majority of shows both on and off Broadway have matinee performances on weekends, starting between 1 and 3 p.m. If this window works for your schedule, you can sub in basically any show here. Since my 11 a.m. show got out just after noon, I also had plenty of time in between to grab lunch in the Theatre District.

Find out the matinee times of all Broadway shows and get tickets.

Pro tips

• The most common matinee start time is 2 p.m., but longer shows may start earlier (1 or 1:30) and shorter shows later (2:30 or 3).
• If you plan on visiting other shows or attractions afterward, perhaps opt for a shorter matinee to allow more time for dinner and travel to your next stop. (I, for example, chose Yellow Face because it runs under 2 hours with no intermission.)
• If you are attending the theatre with children, note that Broadway venues do not admit children younger than 4. The policy for Off-Broadway varies by venue and by show, so you can still bring children to a 2 p.m. matinee at a different theatre.

Early evening: Off-Broadway hit

Show 4: Blue Man Group (5 p.m.; 90 min.)

This show was the first one on my schedule located outside the Theatre District. But it only took 15 minutes to reach the Astor Place Theatre, in Manhattan's East Village, by subway, so I still had time to a grab a quick coffee to beat the midway slump.

There are two wildly different reasons a show might have a late-afternoon performance: It's the day's last performance of a kid's show, or it's the day's first performance of a show aimed at an adult crowd. For example, Titanique, a bawdy parody musical adaptation of the Titanic film, would make a great start to a girls' night out.

Current NYC shows with late-afternoon (4-5 p.m.) performances include:

• Blue Man Group (all ages)
• Gazillion Bubble Show (all ages)
• Titanique (13+)
• The Big Gay Jamboree (13+)
• Oh, Mary! (14+)

Pro tips

• Most shows with 5 p.m. start times are located outside the Theatre District. If you want to minimize travel time while still booking multiple shows, consider nearby Off-Broadway options for your afternoon and evening shows.
• Most shows in this time slot tend to have short run times, often under 2 hours with no intermission.

Evening: Broadway show of choice

Show 5: Back to the Future (8 p.m.; 2 hr. 50 min.)

This is the most popular of all showtimes — your standard option for a night out at the theatre. Similar to the mid-afternoon matinee, you'll have the most options in this window, so you can sub in just about any show here.

Blue Man Group finished around 6:30 p.m., so I had plenty of time to make my way back up to the Theatre District, even stopping in a couple shops near Union Square along the way.

Pro tips

• Evening shows start at 7, 7:30, or 8 p.m. The start time depends on the length of the show and the matinee time (shows with 1 p.m. matinees might start their evening shows at 7, while shows with 2 or 3 p.m. matinees will likely have a 7:30 or 8 p.m. matinee).
• If a show forgoes a traditional matinee in favor of a 5 p.m. show, the evening performance may start closer to 9 p.m. on two-show days.
• Select restaurants in the Theatre District offer a pre-show prix fixe menu or happy hour in the evening, and some also have post-show food and drink specials later at night.

Late night: Comedy show or cabaret

Show 6: Stand-up at the New York Comedy Club in Midtown (11:30 p.m.; 60 min.)

Traditional theatre tends to wrap up after primetime — but 21+ night owls don't have to stop the fun. For example, at its three locations, New York Comedy Club offers shows at 10:30 (East Village), 10:45 (Upper West Side), and 11:30 p.m. (Midtown East, which I opted for). There are early evening comedy sets, too, closer to a standard showtime.

Other forms of performance — like live music, cabaret, and drag — are also abundant at the city's many bars and clubs, especially on weekends. It's not "theatre," per se, but it's live entertainment, and often in the most intimate setting you can find. Performers will often interact with and move among the audience in a small venue.

Pro tip

• Cabaret and comedy shows often have a food and beverage minimum over and above the ticket price. Similarly, if you're attending a performance at a bar (such as a drag show or a band's set), you should expect to pay a cover, purchase drinks, and/or tip the performers.

Get tickets to NYC shows

By the time the comedy show wrapped up around 1 a.m., I was exhausted. My theatre marathon was complete — and I'd gotten a whirlwind taste of the city's many kinds of entertainment.

I was surprised by how much wiggle room I had between shows — not enough to fit in a whole other event, but enough to get from venue to venue, and even make pit stops, without feeling rushed. Most venues within the Theatre District are within 20 minutes of each other, and since Times Square is a transportation hub, it's easy to subway to theatres in most other Manhattan neighborhoods from there.

Though Midtown, much less all of Manhattan, may feel massive and daunting to an NYC newcomer, know that it's possible to pack in all your must-see sights. And that arts, culture, and theatre are around every corner.

Browse tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows on New York Theatre Guide.