How to Get FREE Tickets to Saturday Night Live

The big 50th Anniversary season of Saturday Night Live ended on May 17th, so it’s time to start planning for tickets to the 51st season of shows, which begins in September.

It’s not easy to get a FREE ticket to the late night shows taped in NYC, including to shows starring Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and Jimmy Fallon, but it can be done if you know how.

Here’s how to get FREE tickets to Saturday Night Live and other late night shows taped in NYC.

How to get FREE tickets to Saturday Night Live (SNL)_nyctravelguru — NBC photo

Tickets for this popular late night TV show taped in NYC are by lottery only, and accepted only August 1-31, by email.

Tickets for the current season, which ends in May, are no longer available. But you can sign up in August for the 2025/26 season, which starts in September.

Any requests received before August 1st or after August 31 are “disregarded”, in NBC’s words.

The start time for applications is midnight, August 1. Cut-off date and time for the 2025/26 season lottery is 11:59pm EST on August 31, 2025.

“Disregarded” is the the word NBC uses for “held for future use”, so there’s a slight chance you could get a ticket even if you break the August 1-31 rules to request tickets. Repeat – slight chance.

Also, you can not request tickets for a particular date, so do not make any travel plans around expecting to get tickets for a particular weekend.

If you are lucky enough to win the lottery, you will receive two tickets.

How to Get FREE Tickets to Stephen Colbert

How to Get FREE Tickets to Jimmy Fallon

How to Get FREE Tickets to Jon Stewart

How to Get FREE Tickets to Seth Meyer

How to Get Free Tickets to SNL

Email SNL ticket requests via to SNLTICKETS@NBCUNI.COM.

Only one ticket request per household is permitted.

ecoXplorer tip – If your family has multiple emails, send one request from each.

Make sure to include your full name, email address, and why you would like to be a part of SNL‘s studio audience.

Entering the lottery does not guarantee tickets. If chosen, you’ll be notified of the show date and time for your ticket.

SNL Standby Ticket on Day of Show

An SNL standby reservation puts you on a waitlist for a possible open spot in the audience.

The only way to request a standby card is to follow this SNL standby reservation link, which goes live at 10 a.m. on the Thursday before a show day.

You can request up to four standby spots, with the option to reserve for either the 8pm dress rehearsal or the 11:30 live show.

ecoXplorer tip – You are more likely to get a standby ticket for the dress rehearsal than the live show.

Provide your full name, email address, and the number of people in your party.

Once you’ve entered your reservation, you’ll receive a confirmation email with your reservation number if there is space.

Due to high demand, this may take a couple of hours, but know that reservations are issued on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you do receive confirmation, your entire party must check in to the in-person standby line at between 6-7pm on the Friday before show day.

Yes, Friday – it’s a two-day ordeal to get and use a standby ticket, so plan accordingly.

Photo I.D. is required.
Take your numerically-assigned place in line and wait on line until Midnight.
Standby cards are handed out at approximately 12:01am on Saturday morning.
Note that a standby card doesn’t guarantee admission until you’re in that seat.
Read the complete requirements for standby

ecoXplorer Insider Tips:

Anybody trying to sell you tickets to a late night TV show is scamming you.
The earlier you arrive for the scheduled show start, the closer you will be to getting a seat near the front of the audience.
Dress appropriately, since you might be on TV yourself during audience shots.
As a former TV News reporter (for WABC-TV Eyewitness News in NYC), ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter knows that that TV studios are normally kept cold, between 55 and 65 degrees, to compensate for the hot lights.
So this word of advice – bring a sweater or light jacket with you in warm weather.

All shows reserve the right to deny you admission, even with a ticket, if you are dressed inappropriately for TV or appear to be “under the influence”.

That means no t-shirts or caps with printed corporate logos or political statements, even if it supports the political views of the host.

Expect airport-like security for some shows, including showing a valid photo ID with proof of age.

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 25+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and author of guidebooks and smartphone apps – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.