Broadway Grosses Week Ending Oct 18, 2026: $34M, 30 Shows
Broadway Box Office • Week Ending October 18, 2026
Broadway sold more tickets but took in slightly less money this week. For the week ending Sunday, October 18, 2026, the 30 productions on the boards grossed $33,963,816, down 3.76% from the holiday-boosted $35.3 million of the week before. Attendance, however, rose 4.29% to 259,164, the most tickets sold in any week this autumn, and capacity held at a strong 94.83%. The difference was price. With the Columbus Day long weekend over, the average paid ticket fell $10.97 to $131.05.
It was a busy week on and off the stage. Other Desert Cities officially opened to mixed reviews, Wanted sold out its first week of previews, A Few Good Men topped $1.2 million in its first full week at Lincoln Center, and Jeremy Jordan said goodbye to Just in Time with a sold-out final week. Meanwhile, Sherri Shepherd made history as the first woman to play the Genie in Aladdin. Here is the full breakdown, followed by every closing and opening over the next six weeks.
| $33.96MTotal Gross▼ 3.76% wk/wk | 259,164Attendance▲ 4.29% wk/wk | $131.05Avg Ticket▼ $10.97 wk/wk | 94.8%Capacity30 shows playing |
The Week at a Glance
The arrival of Wanted took the number of running productions to 30, the highest of the autumn so far, and 259,164 of the 273,297 available seats were filled. Nineteen shows grossed more than $1 million, one more than the holiday week before. But the post-holiday cooling was widespread: of the 29 productions that also played the previous week, 19 grossed less and only 10 grossed more.
| Metric | W/E Oct 18, 2026 | W/E Oct 11, 2026 | Same Week 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total gross | $33,963,816 | $35,292,434 | $38,189,430 |
| Attendance | 259,164 | 248,496 | ≈277,700 |
| Average ticket | $131.05 | $142.02 | $137.50 |
| Capacity | 94.8% | 94.9% | 91.1% |
| Shows playing | 30 | 29 | — |
Last-year attendance derived from the Broadway League’s reported 6.69% year-over-year decline.
One show explains most of the dip
Broadway’s total fell by $1,328,618 this week. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child alone accounted for $997,203 of that, roughly three-quarters of the drop. Its gross fell from $2,223,679 to $1,226,475, even though attendance barely changed (12,586 tickets, down just 269). The difference was price: the Lyric’s average ticket fell from $172.98 in the holiday week to $97.45, and its top ticket from $352 to $239. The production hasn’t explained the change, but the pattern points to holiday premium pricing being withdrawn and discounting returning. Without Harry Potter, Broadway’s total would have fallen by only about $331,000, less than 1% below a holiday week.
The year-over-year picture
Compared with the same week in 2025, Broadway grossed 11.06% less ($4.23 million). This time the gap is a mix of volume and price. About 18,600 fewer tickets were sold than a year ago, and the average ticket is $6.45 lower. At last year’s prices, the lost attendance accounts for roughly $2.6 million of the shortfall and the lower prices for about $1.7 million. One clear bright spot: capacity of 94.8% is well ahead of last year’s 91.1%. The theatres that are open are fuller than they were a year ago; there are simply fewer of them, and several big autumn productions are still in previews.
Top 5 Broadway Grossers This Week
| # | Show | Gross | vs Last Week | Avg Ticket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hamilton | $2,777,340 | −$313,294 | $258.86 |
| 2 | The Lion King | $2,017,873 | −$199,963 | $157.41 |
| 3 | Other Desert Cities | $1,817,584 | −$339,771 | $233.26 |
| 4 | MJ | $1,760,514 | −$125,619 | $159.25 |
| 5 | Oh, Mary! | $1,533,627 | −$58,679 | $214.79 |
Hamilton stays on top
Hamilton was again Broadway’s top grosser with $2,777,340, down $313,294 from its $3 million holiday week but still nearly $760,000 ahead of the next show. It played to 101.29% of capacity and its average ticket of $258.86 remains the highest on Broadway. The Richard Rodgers Theatre took 8.2% of all money spent on Broadway this week.
The Lion King holds second
With Harry Potter‘s slide, Disney’s flagship moved up to second place with $2,017,873. Its gross fell $199,963 and capacity eased to 94.48%, a natural cooling after its big holiday rebound.
Other Desert Cities opens
The starry revival of Jon Robin Baitz’s Other Desert Cities held its official opening at the Hudson Theatre on Sunday, October 18, after seven final previews. It grossed $1,817,584 at 100% capacity. That was $339,771 less than the week before, a typical dip for an opening week, when many seats go to press and invited guests. Its average ticket of $233.26 is still second only to Hamilton, and its top price remains $799.
MJ and Oh, Mary! round out the top five
MJ grossed $1,760,514 at 99.63% capacity, up 30.4% on the same week last year. Oh, Mary!, coming off last week’s all-time Lyceum Theatre record, took $1,533,627 at 99.72% capacity. Its average ticket of $214.79 is the third highest on Broadway, and it is up 19.8% year over year as Bowen Yang’s run continues through January 17, 2027.
Other Desert Cities: What the Critics Said
Opening-night reviews of Other Desert Cities were genuinely split. BroadwayWorld’s review roundup counted 10 positive, 8 mixed and 7 negative notices. Most critics praised the individual performances while questioning whether the cast came together as an ensemble.
- The raves: Variety called it “a resounding piece of theater”, The Guardian found Julia Louis-Dreyfus “impeccable”, People called the production “truly extraordinary”, and The New York Times said it was “still grand to find her on Broadway”.
- The mixed: Time Out New York singled out Ed Harris as “superb as Lyman”, Deadline wrote “we want to follow this cast wherever it asks us to go”, and The Hollywood Reporter said the best acting came from Joe Keery, in his Broadway debut.
- The pans: USA Today felt the stars “never quite congeal as an ensemble”, the New York Post said it “fails to click”, and amNewYork concluded it “never makes a convincing case” for a return to Broadway. Several critics, including New York Theatre Guide, said John Benjamin Hickey’s direction was too loose.
For a limited run with this much star power, reviews matter less than the cast list, and the box office has been selling out since the first preview. The production runs through January 17, 2027, and should remain one of Broadway’s top grossers through the holidays.
New Arrivals: A Few Good Men and Wanted
A Few Good Men tops $1.2 million
Lincoln Center Theater’s revival of Aaron Sorkin’s A Few Good Men played its first full week of previews at the Vivian Beaumont and grossed $1,246,301 from seven performances, up $690,934 and the biggest gain on Broadway. It sold every one of its 7,721 seats (100% capacity), adding 4,412 patrons, and its average ticket of $161.42 ranks fifth on Broadway. Bradley Whitford plays Colonel Nathan Jessep and Tom Blyth makes his Broadway debut as Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee, under the direction of Tony winner Michael Arden. It opens October 29.
Wanted sells out its first week
The first new musical of the autumn season, Wanted, began previews at the James Earl Jones Theatre and sold out its entire first week. It grossed $451,014 from five previews at 99.56% capacity, an average of about $90,000 a performance. The average ticket of $86.37 reflects early-preview pricing. Solea Pfeiffer and Liisi LaFontaine star as twin sisters Mary and Martha Clarke, women passing as white in 1893 Texas, in a musical with book and lyrics by Angelica Chéri and music by Ross Baum, directed by Stevie Walker-Webb. It opens November 8, and as an open-ended run its numbers over the coming weeks will be closely watched.
860 climbs despite comps
Billy Crystal’s solo show 860 rose $94,574 to $1,268,333 from seven previews, playing to 98.36% capacity. That’s despite four heavily comped press performances ahead of its October 21 opening. Its average ticket was $157.09, and it added 562 patrons.
Jeremy Jordan’s Farewell and Other Big Movers
Just in Time: a sold-out farewell
Jeremy Jordan’s final week as Bobby Darin made Just in Time the tightest ticket on Broadway again. The musical played to 102.81% capacity, the highest of any show, and grossed $1,035,757, up $108,337, crossing $1 million for the week. Its average ticket of $182.51 ranks fourth on Broadway, with a top price of $774.50. Jordan and co-star Carrie St. Louis played their final performances on October 18. Matthew Morrison returns to the role for a three-week engagement from October 20 to November 8, after which Nicholas Christopher takes over. Whitney Leavitt joins as Sandra Dee from December 1.
Sherri Shepherd makes Aladdin history
Aladdin grossed $1,195,405 at 91.68% capacity. More notable is who was on stage. Talk show host Sherri Shepherd, previously seen on Broadway as the Stepmother in Cinderella, began playing the Genie on October 16, becoming the first woman to play the role in the Broadway production. She played three performances this week and begins her first full eight-show week now. Her run continues through January 3, 2027, with Caleb A. Barnett staying on as the Genie standby.
Shows that held their holiday gains
A handful of shows actually grossed more than in the holiday week: Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) rose $32,558 to $640,859 as it heads toward its November 29 closing; Paranormal Activity added $23,498 to reach $1,049,808 at 98.56% capacity; Buena Vista Social Club rose $14,338 to $880,286; The Rocky Horror Show held above $1 million at $1,043,655 as Halloween approaches; and Chicago edged up to $1,171,488 at 101.3% capacity, up a remarkable 77.9% on the same week last year, the biggest annual gain on Broadway.
Year-over-year winners
| Show | This Week | Same Week 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $1,171,488 | $658,440 | +77.9% |
| MJ | $1,760,514 | $1,349,578 | +30.4% |
| Oh, Mary! | $1,533,627 | $1,280,116 | +19.8% |
| Hadestown | $1,050,478 | $902,141 | +16.4% |
| & Juliet | $918,177 | $794,542 | +15.6% |
Ticket Prices and Capacity
| Highest Avg Ticket | Price | Lowest Avg Ticket | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton | $258.86 | Stranger Things: The First Shadow | $80.44 |
| Other Desert Cities | $233.26 | The Imaginary Invalid | $80.88 |
| Oh, Mary! | $214.79 | School Girls | $88.87 |
| Just in Time | $182.51 | Aladdin | $94.38 |
| A Few Good Men | $161.42 | Two Strangers | $94.98 |
Six shows played to 100% capacity or more: Just in Time (102.81%), Hamilton (101.29%), Chicago (101.30%), Hadestown (100.39%) and both new plays, Other Desert Cities and A Few Good Men (100%). In all, 19 of the 30 productions played to 95% or better.
The softest houses belonged to Stranger Things: The First Shadow (74.45%, down 4.58 points), Two Strangers (80.55%), SIX (85.48%), Maybe Happy Ending (90.13%) and The Imaginary Invalid (90.14%). Stranger Things and SIX both close on January 3, 2027, and Two Strangers closes on November 29.
Every Broadway Show: Full Results
The complete Broadway box office results for the week ending October 18, 2026, ranked by gross:
| # | Show | Gross | Change | Avg Tkt | Cap % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hamilton Richard Rodgers | $2,777,340 | −$313,294 | $258.86 | 101.29% |
| 2 | The Lion King Minskoff | $2,017,872 | −$199,962 | $157.41 | 94.48% |
| 3 | Other Desert Cities Hudson | $1,817,584 | −$339,771 | $233.26 | 100.00% |
| 4 | MJ Neil Simon | $1,760,514 | −$125,619 | $159.25 | 99.63% |
| 5 | Oh, Mary! Lyceum | $1,533,627 | −$58,679 | $214.79 | 99.72% |
| 6 | Wicked Gershwin | $1,425,323 | −$57,783 | $104.02 | 94.79% |
| 7 | The Lost Boys Palace | $1,295,449 | −$66,914 | $107.60 | 93.75% |
| 8 | 860 Imperial | $1,268,334 | +$94,574 | $157.09 | 98.36% |
| 9 | A Few Good Men Vivian Beaumont | $1,246,301 | +$690,934 | $161.42 | 100.00% |
| 10 | Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Lyric | $1,226,475 | −$997,203 | $97.45 | 96.99% |
| 11 | Aladdin New Amsterdam | $1,195,405 | −$58,545 | $94.38 | 91.68% |
| 12 | Chicago Ambassador | $1,171,488 | +$7,827 | $133.85 | 101.30% |
| 13 | The Great Gatsby Broadway | $1,156,917 | −$22,567 | $104.89 | 92.85% |
| 14 | Hadestown Walter Kerr | $1,050,478 | −$78,494 | $142.48 | 100.39% |
| 15 | Paranormal Activity August Wilson | $1,049,808 | +$23,498 | $112.74 | 98.56% |
| 16 | The Rocky Horror Show Studio 54 | $1,043,655 | +$9,621 | $136.68 | 96.41% |
| 17 | Schmigadoon! Nederlander | $1,036,672 | −$69,231 | $120.60 | 92.87% |
| 18 | Just in Time Circle in the Square | $1,035,757 | +$108,337 | $182.51 | 102.81% |
| 19 | The Outsiders Bernard B. Jacobs | $1,000,018 | −$103,866 | $126.14 | 96.78% |
| 20 | The Book of Mormon Eugene O’Neill | $936,115 | −$35,156 | $112.12 | 97.90% |
| 21 | & Juliet Stephen Sondheim | $918,177 | −$89,944 | $116.31 | 96.17% |
| 22 | Buena Vista Social Club Gerald Schoenfeld | $880,286 | +$14,338 | $106.64 | 98.37% |
| 23 | Operation Mincemeat John Golden | $818,243 | +$2,360 | $130.56 | 99.16% |
| 24 | SIX: The Musical Lena Horne | $790,118 | −$42,043 | $112.07 | 85.48% |
| 25 | Maybe Happy Ending Belasco | $788,296 | −$41,067 | $112.36 | 90.13% |
| 26 | Stranger Things: The First Shadow Marquis | $763,674 | −$62,738 | $80.44 | 74.45% |
| 27 | Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) Longacre | $640,859 | +$32,558 | $94.98 | 80.55% |
| 28 | Wanted James Earl Jones | $451,014 | —* | $86.37 | 99.56% |
| 29 | School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play Samuel J. Friedman | $439,922 | +$968 | $88.87 | 96.23% |
| 30 | The Imaginary Invalid Todd Haimes | $428,094 | −$1,769 | $80.88 | 90.14% |
| TOTAL (30 shows) | $33,963,816 | −$1,328,618 | $131.05 | 94.83% |
* Wanted played its first five previews this week, so it has no prior-week comparison. Figures from The Broadway League via Playbill and BroadwayWorld. Capacity can exceed 100% thanks to standing-room sales.
Broadway Shows Closing and Departures in the Next Six Weeks
| Date | Show / Event | Theatre |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 8 | Matthew Morrison ends his return engagement in Just in Time; Nicholas Christopher takes over | Circle in the Square |
| Nov 15 | School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play closes | Samuel J. Friedman |
| Nov 15 | Reece Weaver’s final performance as Roxie Hart in Chicago | Ambassador |
| Nov 22 | The Imaginary Invalid closes | Todd Haimes |
| Nov 29 | Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) closes | Longacre |
School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, Jocelyn Bioh’s comedy directed by Whitney White, grossed $439,922 at 96.23% capacity and has less than four weeks left. The Imaginary Invalid took $428,094 at 90.14% in its final week of previews. Bill Irwin’s Molière adaptation opens October 22 for a one-month run. Two Strangers, the eight-time Tony nominee, will have played 21 previews and 428 performances when it closes on November 29, ahead of a national tour from Providence, Rhode Island, next year.
At Chicago, Reece Weaver’s run as Roxie Hart, which helped make the revival Broadway’s biggest year-over-year gainer, was extended for a final time to November 15. She originally planned to leave on October 18.
Looking ahead: January 3, 2027
Just beyond our six-week window, January 3 remains a major closing date: & Juliet (1,723 performances and more than $175 million in grosses), SIX (2,178 performances), Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Billy Crystal’s 860 and several holiday attractions all play their final performances that day. Sherri Shepherd’s run as the Genie also ends then. Paranormal Activity has been extended to February 28, 2027.
Broadway Openings in the Next Six Weeks
Eleven more productions are scheduled to open between now and late November, according to the Broadway League’s official calendar:
| Opens | Show | Theatre | Runs Through |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 21 | 860 | Imperial | Jan 3, 2027 |
| Oct 22 | The Imaginary Invalid | Todd Haimes | Nov 22, 2026 |
| Oct 29 | A Few Good Men | Vivian Beaumont | Jan 10, 2027 |
| Nov 8 | Wanted | James Earl Jones | Open-ended |
| Nov 9 | Here There Are Blueberries | Ethel Barrymore | Jan 10, 2027 |
| Nov 11 | Now You See Me Live | Al Hirschfeld | Jan 3, 2027 |
| Nov 15 | Downstate | Booth | Jan 10, 2027 |
| Nov 16 | The Fantasticks | Hayes | Feb 7, 2027 |
| Nov 17 | Blue Man Group: A New Holiday Surprise | Lunt-Fontanne | Jan 3, 2027 |
| Nov 18 | It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play | Broadhurst | Jan 3, 2027 |
| Nov 19 | Much Ado About Nothing | Winter Garden | Jan 10, 2027 |
This week’s openings
Billy Crystal’s 860, directed by Scott Ellis and inspired by the Pacific Palisades home he lost in the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, opens at the Imperial on October 21. Roundabout’s The Imaginary Invalid follows on October 22: Bill Irwin’s Molière adaptation, directed by Brandon J. Dirden, with Rachel Bloom and Brooks Ashmanskas. A Few Good Men opens a week later, on October 29.
November’s dramas
Bruce Norris’s Downstate, directed by Joe Mantello, is now in previews at the Booth ahead of a November 15 opening. Moisés Kaufman and Tectonic Theater Project’s Pulitzer finalist Here There Are Blueberries begins previews at the Barrymore on November 2 and opens November 9.
The Fantasticks and Much Ado About Nothing
The world’s longest-running musical, The Fantasticks, begins its first Broadway previews at the Hayes on October 22, directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli. Jamie Lloyd’s Much Ado About Nothing, with Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell, begins previews at the Winter Garden on October 31 for a strict 10-week run. Judging by the prices Other Desert Cities is commanding, it could be the biggest-grossing play of the season.
Holiday attractions and December arrivals
Three seasonal shows open in mid-November: Now You See Me Live (November 11), Blue Man Group: A New Holiday Surprise (November 17) and It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (November 18), starring Andrew Rannells, Megan Hilty and Tituss Burgess. On November 10, two more major productions start previews: Rosamund Pike’s Broadway debut in Inter Alia at the Music Box (opening December 1) and Raúl Esparza in the new musical Galileo at the Shubert (opening December 6).
What to Watch Next Week
- Just in Time after Jordan. Matthew Morrison’s first week back as Bobby Darin will show how much of the show’s recent sell-out business was driven by Jordan.
- Sherri Shepherd’s first full week. Her first eight-show week as the Genie should give Aladdin a lift.
- Harry Potter’s pricing. Will the Lyric’s average ticket recover from $97, or is this the new baseline for the autumn?
- Openings for 860 and The Imaginary Invalid. Reviews arrive for both this week.
- Wanted’s second week. Can the new musical keep selling out as it moves toward a full schedule?
- Halloween. Paranormal Activity and The Rocky Horror Show head into their peak week.
The Bottom Line
The week ending October 18, 2026 showed Broadway settling back to normal after its holiday peak. Grosses dipped 3.76% to $34 million, but attendance rose to 259,164, the highest of the autumn, and capacity stayed near 95%. Most of the dip came from one show, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, while the new arrivals were strong. Other Desert Cities opened to mixed reviews but sold-out houses, A Few Good Men topped $1.2 million in its first full week, and Wanted sold out its first previews. With 11 more openings on the way, including Much Ado About Nothing, Broadway’s roster and its grosses should keep growing into the holiday season.
Theatregold will be back next week with full results for the week ending October 25.
Sources: Box office figures are from The Broadway League as reported by Playbill and BroadwayWorld (week ending October 18, 2026). Review quotes from BroadwayWorld’s Other Desert Cities review roundup and amNewYork. Additional reporting: TheaterMania (Sherri Shepherd in Aladdin), Playbill’s Last Chance closing schedule (updated October 19, 2026), Broadway.com and the Broadway League Opening Night Calendar. Dates are subject to change; check with box offices before booking.
