How to get ‘Saturday Night Live’ tickets for season 51: Standby line and lottery

“Saturday Night Live” season 51 is underway on NBC, broadcasting live from New York. The sketch comedy show performs in front of a studio audience inside Rockefeller Center.

Procuring a coveted seat in Studio 8H during the broadcast is something of an Olympic sport. It’s not impossible, though, and there are a few ways to do so.

Attractions Magazine did not receive any special access to “SNL.” The story below reflects the same experience anyone can have, detached from press affiliation.

First things first: Know the process

You can score tickets to “Saturday Night Live” using two different methods.

The ‘SNL’ lottery

The lottery process has concluded for “Saturday Night Live” season 51. NBC has confirmed this process will be in place again for “SNL” season 52 in 2026-2027. Good luck!

1. Anytime in August: Email NBC (at [email protected]) telling the network why you want to be in the “SNL” audience.
2. Weekly as the season progresses: NBC selects winners and notifies them of their guaranteed seat to either the dress rehearsal or the live show that week.
3. Saturday night: Show up and enjoy!

The ‘SNL’ standby line

All of these steps are explained in greater detail below.

1. Thursday morning: Reserve a spot in the standby line via this form (or simply show up on Friday and join the back of the line behind guests with reserved spots).
2. Friday night: Wait in the standby line in person at 30 Rock, in the order of your reserved, numbered spot in line. At midnight, NBC distributes standby cards in person to fill any available seating for Saturday’s show. A standby card does not guarantee entry.
3. Saturday night: Show up and hope you get lucky! You won’t know if you have a seat until just before showtime.

The standby line process requires more effort than the lottery method, but is arguably more controllable on your part. It might just take you a few tries to get the hang of it.

In both cases, “Saturday Night Live” tickets are free. Conversely, there is no way to buy your way into the “SNL” audience. NBC does not sell tickets to the show in any fashion.

Fans are welcome to try both methods. Below is a firsthand report of achieving success with both the standby line and the lottery methods.

Standby line: Firsthand report of getting ‘Saturday Night Live’ tickets

The following reflects a successful attempt of getting tickets in the “Saturday Night Live” standby line during season 49 in 2023. The process remains almost the same for season 51 in 2024-2025.

9:55 a.m. Thursday — Prep

The online form to reserve a spot in the “SNL” standby line becomes active at 10 a.m. on Thursday during each show week. Usually the form reaches capacity within seconds.

The week that I was successful in my quest for “Saturday Night Live” tickets, at 9:55 a.m. on Thursday, I opened the (not yet active) online standby line form on my laptop. On my phone, I pulled up the world clock to monitor the time. As soon as the clock struck 10:00:00, I refreshed the page. It was go time!

10 a.m. Thursday — Complete online form

Once the form was active, I selected “live show” and my desired number of tickets.

Then I typed my first name, last name, phone number, and email address. Lastly, I acknowledged the terms of the form and confirmed I’d received a covid vaccination. And that was it!

This all happened in less than a minute. I’ve attempted this step many times. Most often, I’m too slow and the form reaches capacity by the time I submit it.

12:51 p.m. Thursday — Follow-up email received

After submitting the form at 10 a.m., I immediately received an automated response confirming my submission. It was a baby step, but progress nonetheless. This meant I would receive a spot in line! I just didn’t know the number of my spot yet.

A few hours later, NBC emailed me the number of my spot: 106. Your mileage may vary, but the two times I’ve received a number, NBC sent my email at 12:51 and 1:40 p.m.

Thursday/Friday — Decision time and traveling

In the many times I’ve attempted to fill out the online form (all trying for the live show), I’ve only ever received a number twice. The first time, my number was 274. Since I don’t live in New York — and therefore deciding to hop in line would require a spontaneous travel expenses — that time, I deemed my chances too risky.

The next time, though, my spot was 106. I had a decent chance. Should I go? My number was on the fence. It wasn’t a shoe-in, but I had a chance. Even though I was assigned 106 in my email from NBC, my actual place in line would likely be lower than that once I arrived, as not everyone with a number shows up.

The weather forecast looked favorable. I didn’t have any pressing work deadlines that weekend. I had set aside funds in my budget for this opportunity, should it ever arrive. All the stars seemed to align. There was no way to know if everything would come together this way again.

Thursday evening, I made my decision: Let’s do this.

6 p.m. Friday — Check in outside 30 Rock, form standby line

A flight later, I arrived to the big apple. Come 6 p.m. on Friday, I checked in at the standby line outside of 30 Rock by verifying my I.D. with the NBC Pages stationed outside Rockefeller Plaza.

The Pages positioned guests in order as we arrived. They arranged all dress-rehearsal guests first, then structured the live-show guests after that.

The standby lines take place on the sidewalk along 49th Street and the surrounding area. Barricades separate the standby lines from foot traffic. By my spot at #106, the line had snaked onto 6th Avenue. For the next five hours, I sat firmly planted there, just outside of Breads Bakery.

7 p.m. Friday — Standby line opens to public

Beginning at 7 p.m., the NBC Pages no longer accepted numbered arrivals. Including the entirety of the dress-rehearsal line and the people ahead of me in the live-show line, I was around the 80th person lined up. Again, there was no scientific way to determine my chances, but this still seemed OK.

The next step in the process would be receiving a new number from the NBC Pages, at midnight. I can see the dots connecting in your head. “But why,” you might ask me, “did you need to wait five hours if you were already in order in line and that order wasn’t going to change before midnight?” Because … that’s just the way the process works.

Maybe there’s something internally the NBC Pages take care of regarding our standby cards. Maybe the producers simply want us to “earn” our seat (it is free, after all). I don’t know the reason for the wait. I’m just glad it’s not overnight anymore; prior to 2023, the Pages distributed standby cards Saturday at 7 a.m., meaning guests waited outside 13 hours. Especially on a pleasant night in good company, five hours is nothing. Heck, I’ve waited three hours for a random roller coaster. Five hours for a once-in-a-lifetime experience? I think that’s fair.

As I waited, I chatted with other nearby guests. It was fun hearing everyone’s stories: a local student, a couple from Philadelphia, a traveler from Chicago, all from different walks of life and all of whom had not planned on being in this line until 33 hours ago (maximum). We now found ourselves in a little neighborhood of sorts, the commonality among us being we enjoyed comedy, theater, or both (or were perhaps fans of this week’s host and musical guest, Nate Bargatze and Foo Fighters, respectively).

I also came prepared. I brought my headphones (“Rogers: The Musical” on repeat, obviously) and some blankets to sit on. I’d hoped to bring a lawn chair, but I knew I couldn’t fly with one, and the local Target didn’t have any at the time.

12:01 a.m. Saturday — NBC Pages distribute standby cards

Time passed quicker than I anticipated. By midnight, my pod of fellow guests were excited to receive our new numbers and have a better idea of our chances. At 12:01 a.m., the NBC Pages distributed our standby cards, each assigned with a new number. This new number would be our final, ordered place in the standby line on Saturday night.

Mine? #43. Meaning, if there were 43 open seats left after cast family and lottery winners entered Studio 8H, I’d make it. I was still not guaranteed a seat, but this was (as seemed to be a recurring theme) as decent a shot as I could hope for.

Saturday — The waiting game

Killing time all day Saturday felt a bit bizarre. I didn’t want to get my hopes up because nothing was guaranteed. At the same time, if I made it inside, tonight would easily be one of the most special experiences of my life. It’s an odd headspace to be in.

I slept in, took a walk around Central Park, and visited the Met. Late afternoon, I refreshened up back at my hotel and made my way to 30 Rock. The big moment was almost here.

(If you’re attending the dress rehearsal instead of the live show, shift the remaining timestamps in this report earlier by about 3.5 hours to get an idea of your flow.)

9:15ish p.m. Saturday — Check in at NBC Store inside 30 Rock

I checked in with the NBC Pages at the NBC Studio Store inside 30 Rock around 9:15 p.m. The retail location is on the main entry floor and easy to find. With the walls lined with “SNL” merch and historic photos of five decades’ worth of iconic television moments, the weight of everything started to settle in. No matter what happened, being in this building was special.

Like the night before, we all lined up in our established order (mine being #43). I reunited with my line neighbors from the night before. We were here! It was getting real.

9:45 p.m. Saturday — Seating

9:45 p.m. was the cut-off time for Saturday arrivals. The dress-rehearsal audience emerged from upstairs and spilled into the NBC Studio Store around 10:15 p.m. I tried to tune out their excited chatter; no spoilers!

Around 10:30 p.m., NBC Pages began filing guests from the standby line into a stairwell in groups of 10. With each wave of people, I simultaneously became more excited and nervous.

A Page called our pod forward. This was it! Except, it wasn’t. We quickly learned each step of the process — every new leg of the journey — was never a guarantee that we’d made it inside. Until we were in an elevator making our way to Studio 8H, we could be turned away.

In the stairwell, we passed through a security checkpoint. We waited here maybe 10 more minutes.

Following this, we entered the NBC Lounge. This space is very reminiscent of the pre-show area for Race Through New York starring Jimmy Fallon, an attraction at Universal Studios Florida. That makes sense, because that ride takes place in this very building, 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

I barely had a chance to take in my surroundings in the NBC Lounge when the Pages quickly moved all of us forward, gave each guest a paper bracelet, and ushered us into … the elevator! I couldn’t believe it; neither could any of my line neighbors. We’d made it!!

We felt as if we’d won a football game or something, despite the achievement having nothing to do with any skills of our own, beyond our swiftness at our computer two days prior.

At around 11 p.m., we entered Studio 8H, where the room was already electric with the sound of the jazz band playing onstage as people filed inside. I was instructed to occupy a seat in the far corner on the first row of the elevated bleachers. NBC Pages continued to bring guests inside right up until showtime. There were probably around a dozen or so guests behind me who got seats; meaning, after my #43, the cut-off that night was probably around #55.

11:30 p.m. Saturday — Showtime

Being inside Studio 8H during a “Saturday Night Live” broadcast was surreal, hypnotic, and fascinating. (Read our follow-up report detailing what goes on behind the scenes in the room during “SNL” that you don’t see from home.)

1 a.m. Sunday — Exit through the gift shop

Following the broadcast, guests exited — of course —through the gift shop. NBC Pages gave everyone a 10% coupon for any items in the NBC Studio Store. I gladly picked up an “SNL” t-shirt with tonight’s date printed on the back. Many of the items available in the store are also sold online.

And thus concluded my whirlwind of a weekend. I stepped out of 30 Rock and into the night, still glowing with a “I can’t believe that just happened” feeling.

Lottery: Firsthand report of getting ‘Saturday Night Live’ tickets

The following describes a successful attempt of winning the lottery for “Saturday Night Live” season 49.

The lottery process has concluded for “Saturday Night Live” season 51. NBC has confirmed this process will be in place again for “SNL” season 52 in 2026-2027. Good luck!

August — Enter the ‘SNL’ lottery

During the month of August, NBC accepts submissions into the “Saturday Night Live” lottery.

On Aug. 29, 2023, I sent an email NBC ([email protected]) sharing why I love “SNL” and why I wanted to be in the audience. There is no word count minimum or maximum. Mine was about two paragraphs. I have no idea if NBC randomly selects lottery ticket winners, or handpicks people based on their email response.

I received an automated confirmation reply email, and then didn’t hear anything from NBC for a few months. Within that time, I attempted to retrieve “Saturday Night Live” tickets via the standby line (see above), and succeeded. This had no effect on my chances in the lottery.

Three months later

On Dec. 5, 2023 (a Tuesday), I received an email from NBC congratulating me on winning the lottery for two “Saturday Night Live” dress rehearsal tickets for Dec. 10 (as in, four days later)! I don’t know if the timeframe is always on such short notice, but that was my experience.

I decided to make the trip to NYC, persuaded by the guarantee of a seat. Unlike the standby line process, if you win the “SNL” lottery, you don’t have to camp out for a possible chance of maybe getting in the audience. If you win lottery tickets, you’re in. My show’s lineup: host Adam Driver and musical guest Olivia Rodrigo!

NBC gives you 24 hours to accept your tickets. The week a show is happening, make sure you’re checking your spam email folder!

Friday

Not wanting to roll the dice with any travel delays beyond my control, I arrived in NYC on Friday. Bonus: It was Christmastime, my first holiday season in New York!

6 p.m. Saturday

As NBC instructed, I arrived to 30 Rock shortly before 6 p.m. and checked in with the NBC Pages. They directed me upstairs, where I went through a security check and received my coveted wristband, granting me access into Studio 8H!

This all happened pretty quickly; according to my photo timestamps, I checked in at 5:53 p.m., I was upstairs by 5:56 p.m., and I was enjoying refreshments and music in the NBC Lounge by 6:09 p.m. During this time, the NBC Lounge takes on a party atmosphere and guests are welcome to relax on couches, dance to the DJ’s music, use the bathroom, etc. etc. etc. There is no formal line during this time, nor will standing closer to the exit get you a better seat; NBC already determined your seating area before you arrived, and it correlates with your wristband color. So enjoy yourself!

In addition to lottery winners, I assume other people populating this room may have been invited guests of NBC or friends/family of the crew.

Who’s not in the room? Everyone from the standby line, who’s still waiting downstairs in the NBC Store hoping they make it inside. (See full process above.)

~7:15 p.m. Saturday

About 45 minutes prior to showtime, NBC Pages began calling guests to file into the auditorium, one wristband color at a time. Mine was the last group called. Remember, if you’ve won the “SNL” lottery, you are guaranteed a seat, so don’t stress if you’re one of the last people left in the lounge. You’re definitely going to be in the audience!

My seat ended up being in the back row, technically on a cushioned bench fixed to the back wall of the balcony.

After all of the lottery ticket holders filed into Studio 8H, NBC Pages then began admitting fans from the standby line to fill any remaining seats.

8 p.m. Saturday

Live from New York, it’s Saturday night! Well, kinda. It will be, in a few hours, but you wouldn’t know it’s not the real thing just by watching the show unfold in Studio 8H. All of the sketches and songs are fully performed — including a few that the live show will inevitably not have time to air. This means your laughter (or lack thereof) during the dress rehearsal is particularly important; your response helps determine which sketches make the cut.

Which is better: Dress rehearsal or the live show?

This question is subjective, and different people will have different perspectives on it. After being in the “SNL” audience on separate weeks for both a dress rehearsal and a live show, I personally enjoyed the dress rehearsal more. For starters, the show was about 30 minutes longer (clocking in at over two hours)!

Since getting “Saturday Night Live” tickets is such a rare experience (by all accounts, a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I somehow managed to experience twice), being inside Studio 8H longer gives you more bang for your buck. If I traveled all this way, I’d like to see a longer show, if I can. Plus, watching the live show on TV later that night, it was neat to compare what had changed and try to guess why. (In total, four sketches were cut between the dress rehearsal and the live show that night. Additionally, some sketches were in a different order, some jokes were slightly tweaked, and some characters were even portrayed by different cast members. I found all of that fascinating.)

Some fans swear by the live show because of the “energy.” During the dress rehearsal, I didn’t notice any lack of energy from the cast or the audience in comparison to the live show.

In the standby process, you can choose during the online registration (see process above) if you’re trying to get “Saturday Night Live” tickets for the dress rehearsal of the live show. In the lottery process, NBC will tell you which show you’ll be in the audience for.

Read NBC’s official rules for the “SNL” lottery and standby line, as well as other shows filmed inside 30 Rock, here.

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