Mark Peikert

Getting seats to the best Broadway shows usually requires quite a bit of advance planning. But what if you haven't planned, and you urgently need to see a show tomorrow or even tonight? Don't panic: There are plenty of options for last-minute tickets, especially if you’re willing to put in some legwork. It partly depends on what you're willing to pay and how much risk you're willing to take—and, of course, on plain old luck. If everything goes your way, you might even luck into cheap Broadway tickets, great seats or a chance to see hit shows that you would never have been able to get into earlier. Here is our insider guide to buying last-minute Broadway tickets. The day before the show: Enter the digital lottery Many Broadway shows—including Aladdin, The Book of Mormon and Hadestown—conduct digital lotteries for cheap tickets on the day before each performance. In most cases, you enter the lottery online, then wait until later the same day to find out by email if you've won; if you do, you'll need to reply to the ticket offer within an hour or you'll lose your chance. A few shows, such as Wicked, do their drawings on the morning of the show itself; others have drawings once a week, notably the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child $40 ticket lottery and the $10 Hamilton lottery, both of which happen on Fridays and cover the week ahead. For a full list of shows that offer lotteries, consult Broadway on a Budget or Playbill's Broadway and Off Broadway listings. The morning of the s

Attention proud nerds: Anime After Dark is about to tip nerd culture into a deliriously playful burlesque fantasia at The Slipper Room. Expect a high-gloss collision of cosplay and cabaret as performers bring JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Spy x Family, Pokémon, Cowboy Bebop, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Ghost in the Shell and Sailor Moon to life with wit, heat, and precision. Featuring Lychee Mynx, Happy Bun Bun, Storm Psycho 6, Mae B. Koi and more. 

Tap your toes and enjoy the music at the 15th Annual Blue Note Jazz Festival, with performances running from June 1 through July 1. The festival pops up at major venues across NYC, including Sony Hall, Blue Note Jazz Club and SummerStage in Central Park. This year's performances include Ledisi, Durand Bernarr, Big Freedia, UMI, Bestin Conrad, Shabaka Hutchins, Kokoroko, Cymande, Take 6, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Jose James, BLK ODYSSY Louie Vega: Elements of Life and more. Here's the full lineup with ticketing info. 

Erstwhile podcast host and comic about town Marc Maron has been branching out into live music lately. He’ll bring both the laughs and the melodies with his Marc Maron Band for one night only this April 13 at Lodge Room. Joining him on the bill will be special guest comedians Blair Socci and Lara Beitz. 

Whether you’re excited about or terrified by artificial intelligence, it seems to be here to stay. Creatives can learn how to work with AI at RenderCon—which offers a deep dive into the future of media, art and technology as it relates to AI. Hosted by the Render Network, the conference hosts artists—including L.A.-based Refik Anadol, the mind behind soon-to-open Dataland—developers and industry leaders for two days of talks, panels and hands-on workshops focused on real-world AI production workflows. Expect practical insights, demos of cutting-edge new tools and networking opportunities.

The Sierra Club has organized this inaugural Earth Day concert, dubbed Sierra Sessions. Hosted by KCRW DJ Novena Carmel, the night will feature performances by eco-conscious songwriters and storytellers, including Hurray for the Riff Raff, Irene Diaz, Dr. Lyla June, Rising Appalachia, Rozzi and more. Each artist will perform a few songs in the intimacy of Village Studios and share reflections on nature and life on Earth. If you can’t make it in person, the concert will be streamed on YouTube on Earth Day, when the various chapters of the Sierra Club will also host watch parties. If you can make it to the show, stick around afterward for an after-party.

Timed to the United States’ 250th anniversary, the American Folk Art Museum's Folk Nation: Crafting Patriotism in the United States exhibition explores how vernacular art has shaped national identity. Using the museum’s collection, the show delves into the meanings of “folk,” “nation” and “patriotism” at the 2 Lincoln Square gallery. It offers a thought-provoking look at who is represented in American stories and how those stories change. The show runs April 10–September 13, then reopens October 8 and runs through February 28, 2027.

Feast your eyes upon the best selection of contemporary and vintage jewelry designers at the NYC Spring Jewelry and Object Show. Held from Friday, April 24 through Sunday, April 26 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea (125 W. 18th St.), the showcase provides a platform for jewelry collectors and enthusiasts to buy and check out unique and historic jewelry pieces all in one place.

On April 18, 19, and 25 at the Broadway Comedy Club, veteran magicians Jim Vines and Carl Mercurio perform a comedic set of tricks and illusions that is especially tailored to delight young audiences—though the rest of the family is likely to enjoy it, too. And at just $25 a ticket, this is a surprisingly affordable Times Square outing for a larger group.

The inaugural Downtown NYC JazzFest brings five nights of live music to Lower Manhattan from April 22–26, taking over The Django, Roxy Bar and Club Room at Soho Grand. Expect a mix of rising talent and marquee acts, including Shayna Steele, Mark G. Meadows and Brian Newman, all celebrating downtown’s long-standing jazz legacy, where tradition meets experimentation in some of the city’s most atmospheric spaces. Tickets vary in price based on venue, from free Saturday and Sunday afternoon sets at Roxy Bar to $40 performances at The Django.

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of MoMA PS1 with a free Block Party on Saturday, April 18. Running from 10am until 6pm at the Queens location, the event will feature artists, musicians and local companies coming together to party across the plaza, courtyard, and galleries in honor of five decades of modern art. The event is free, but "A Mural Workshop with Lady Pink" and "Red Canary Song Presents Fly in Power" require additional RSVPs.

The Met Gala? In this economy? The Debt Gala provides an inclusive alternative to the Met's annual satorial spectacle—all to raise money for Americans in medical debt.  The annual Debt Gala comes to Williamsburg's Music Hall on Sunday, May 3, with the theme "Body of Werrrk." The tongue-in-cheek event swaps formality for fun, reshaping the traditional gala experience into an open celebration for all. The theme is meant to encourage guests to design fashionable riffs on the human form.  In addition to throwing a great party, the event also centers economic justice and the struggle to afford rising costs of care. In its first two years, the Debt Gala has helped eliminate over $4 million in medical debt for struggling families. This year, proceeds from the Debt Gala will support Undue Medical Debt and Point of Pride. The red carpet begins at 4pm, followed by a 6pm show and an 8pm dance party. 

Discover new global perspectives at the inaugural CONDUCTOR Art Fair of the Global Majority, a boutique event spotlighting artists and galleries from historically underrepresented regions. Running April 30 to May 3 at Brooklyn's Powerhouse Arts (322 3rd Ave.), the fair brings together work from across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Oceania and Indigenous nations. Curated by Adriana Farietta in collaboration with Powerhouse Arts, expect a showcase that challenges traditional art market narratives while celebrating the richness and diversity of global contemporary art. 

If you looked up at the sky and thought Miami seemed a little sepia-toned, you're not imagining things. A fresh plume of Saharan dust has drifted thousands of miles across the Atlantic and settled over South Florida, giving the city hazy skies, vivid sunsets and a temporary dip in air quality. The annual event tends to generate plenty of dramatic headlines, but the reality is less alarming than it sounds. Here's what Miamians need to know. What is Saharan dust? Every summer, powerful winds lift millions of tons of dust from the Sahara Desert in North Africa into the atmosphere. That dry, dusty air mass is known as the Saharan Air Layer and travels west across the Atlantic, often reaching the Caribbean, Florida, Texas and even parts of the Gulf Coast. Why is Saharan dust in Miami? As The Weather Channel points out, this is actually a normal part of South Florida's summer weather. Saharan dust season generally runs from late spring through August, with the biggest plumes arriving in June and July as easterly trade winds carry them across the Atlantic. What will Saharan dust do? For most people, the biggest changes are visual. Expect hazy skies and especially colorful sunrises and sunsets as the tiny dust particles scatter sunlight. (A bonus!) The dry air can also suppress afternoon thunderstorms, making for hotter, less humid-feeling days than Miami typically experiences. The downside is air quality. Fine particles can aggravate asthma, allergies and other respiratory condition

Good news, urban commuters: NYC unveils sweeping plan to speed up buses across 50 major corridors. And this time, they mean it. If you've ever watched your bus crawl through Midtown traffic or spent longer waiting at a red light than an Angeleno, you'll probably welcome New York City's latest transportation proposal. RECOMMENDED: This new transit app shows NYC's subway, bus and rail systems together in real time Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled "Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service," an ambitious city-state plan that aims to make New York's notoriously slow bus network significantly faster over the next few years. The initiative targets 50 priority bus corridors across all five boroughs, focusing on some of the city's slowest and most delay-prone routes. Officials say a combination of new bus lanes, traffic signal improvements, redesigned streets and expanded enforcement against vehicles blocking bus lanes could reduce travel times by as much as 20 percent. Improvements on some corridors are expected to begin later this year. Among the plan's biggest promises is the creation of five next-generation rapid bus routes, including a revamped Flatbush Avenue corridor scheduled to open by 2030. The city says the redesigned service could shave up to six minutes off individual trips, while offering more reliable service for thousands of daily riders. The proposal also goes beyond making buses move faster. Hundreds of bus stops are slated to receive new shelters

East Williamsburg has no shortage of cocktail bars, but few are built around the idea that Japanese and Latin cultures have more in common than you might think. Now open at 160 Havemeyer Street, dokidoki is a new standing-room cocktail bar that draws inspiration from Japan's tachinomi: casual bars where patrons gather over drinks without lingering at tables. But dokidoki goes for extra credit by weaving in Latin American flavors, music and hospitality to create a neighborhood hangout that swaps booze-heavy cocktails for lighter drinks designed to keep the good times going. RECOMMENDED: The best cocktail bars in NYC The bar is the first collaboration between veteran bartenders A-K Hada and Christian Suzuki-Orellana, better known as Suzu. Between them, the pair have worked at some of the country's most respected cocktail destinations, including PDT and Existing Conditions in New York, while Suzu also built a following in San Francisco before appearing as a semifinalist on Netflix's Drink Masters. Photograph: Shannon SturgisFood at dokidoki The name "dokidoki" is a Japanese expression for the sound of a fast-beating heart, and that's exactly the atmosphere the owners are hoping to cultivate. Rather than focusing on hushed cocktail-bar etiquette, the space leans into lively playlists, standing-room mingling and an easygoing approach to drinking. The menu reflects that adrenalized philosophy. Nearly every cocktail clocks in at a lower alcohol content than your typical martini or

Hip-hop icon 50 Cent is bringing his catalog of chart-topping hits to Brooklyn this fall for what promises to be one of the biggest nightlife events of the season. On Saturday, October 10, the Grammy Award-winning rapper will headline a one-night-only event at Pacha New York, the city's buzzy new nightclub, as part of a special collaboration with Mamacita, the global Latin urban party brand. The performance marks another major booking for Pacha's inaugural New York season, which has already attracted an eclectic mix of DJs and live performers to its sprawling Brooklyn dance floor. RECOMMENDED: See inside Pacha, the new open-air club that took over the former Brooklyn Mirage space If you've ever wanted to hear "In Da Club," "Candy Shop," "P.I.M.P.," "Many Men" and "21 Questions" in a packed club instead of through your headphones, this may be your chance. While organizers haven't revealed exactly what the night's performance will look like, fans can expect plenty of the songs that helped make 50 Cent one of the defining artists of the early 2000s—and one of hip-hop's most enduring stars. The event is being presented by Mamacita, which has built an international following by blending reggaeton, hip-hop and Latin urban music into high-energy club nights. For 50 Cent, the brand has enlisted street artist TVBOY to create the event's visual identity. The booking also shows Pacha New York's willingness to move beyond its electro roots. While the Ibiza-born nightlife brand has spent

Jon Bon Jovi may not be able to pose for a selfie with every fan packing Madison Square Garden this month, but technology has come up with a cheat. Fans attending the rock icon's nine-show Forever Tour residency at the Garden can now step into the first-ever concert venue hologram selfie experience, courtesy of Superfan.Live, Proto Hologram and HIFI Labs. The immersive activation lets concertgoers "meet" a hyperrealistic, life-size hologram of Jon Bon Jovi (or even the whole band) and snap a digital selfie to download and keep. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Proto Hologram (@protohologram) According to the companies behind the experience, it's the first time Proto's Selfie technology has been used at a live concert venue and the first time the hologram platform has appeared inside Madison Square Garden. Rather than simply standing next to a cardboard cutout, fans interact with a lifelike holographic version of Bon Jovi designed to recreate the feeling of meeting the singer in person before posing for a photo. While holograms have become increasingly common in everything from museums to airports, they've also started creeping into the live entertainment world. Bon Jovi himself has previously appeared as a Proto hologram during his 2024 MusicCares Person of the Year tribute concert and at his Nashville restaurant, JBJ's, but this marks the technology's biggest concert rollout yet. "We're honored to work with SUPER on this first-of-its-kind expe

Good news: America is getting nine new stores to line up outside for tote bags. Yep, Trader Joe's is opening nine new stores in eight states in the coming months, according to People. Navigating the parking lots will likely never get easier, but at least more Americans will have the chance to try. RECOMMENDED: These 9 U.S. grocery stores are attractions any tourist should add to their trip The cult-favorite grocery chain's nine additional stores come as the latest phase of an expansion that will bring 21 new Trader Joe's locations to the U.S. over the next six months. Earlier this year, the company also revealed another 18 planned stores, several of which have already opened.  Opening dates haven't been announced, but the cities all fit into Trader Joe's established pattern of analyzing a combination of population density and traffic patterns and calculating how well a city fits into shipping routes.  The chain's appeal has only grown in recent years. Once a quirky California grocery store known for affordable wine and Hawaiian-shirt-clad employees, Trader Joe's has become a social media darling thanks to limited-time products, favorites like Everything but the Bagel seasoning and those mini tote bags—not to mention inadvertent viral moments like those new gummy worms. Today, the retailer operates more than 600 stores nationwide and continues to draw loyal shoppers with an ever-evolving selection of mostly private-label products.  The expansion is especially welcome news for

Chicago has world-class museums, Michelin-starred restaurants and Wrigley. But ask most locals where they feel at home and they'll probably point you toward a neighborhood dive bar. RECOMMENDED: Old Town Ale House Is Chicago's Premier Dive Bar That's the inspiration behind "Cash Only: An Ode to Dive Bars," a new group exhibition opening July 10 at Art City in Lincoln Park. Running through August 14, the show pays tribute to the neon signs, battered bar stools, sticky floors and colorful regulars that have long made Chicago's corner taverns some of the city's most important (and memorable) gathering places. Photograph: Courtesy Taaron Silvers"Cocktails" The exhibition arrives at a moment when "third spaces"—the places outside home and work where communities naturally form—are disappearing across the country. Through paintings, photography, sculpture, neon works and immersive installations, local artists explore why dive bars remain one of the last places where conversations happen face-to-face instead of through a screen. "We love Chicago's dive bar culture," NEW Gallery founder Joe Sikora said in a statement. "There is something special about a place where people can step out of their daily routines, their 9-to-5s, and let loose." That sentiment is echoed by participating artist Lexi Alvarado, who notes that the bars themselves, not the booze, keep her coming back. "I'm not even a drinker, but I'm a regular at many Chicago dive bars," Alvarado said in a statement. "It's not

One of NYC's most beloved metal bars is making a comeback in Brooklyn. For more than a decade, Saint Vitus wasn't just a bar: it was a pilgrimage for metalheads. Now, after two years in limbo, the legendary venue is officially coming back. RECOMMENDED: This Brooklyn brewery is hosting one-night pop-ups from some of NYC's most iconic spots Saint Vitus in an Instagram post July 3 that it will reopen this fall at 428 Troutman Street in Bushwick, taking over the former home of Brooklyn Made. The news marks the long-awaited return of one of New York's most influential underground music venues after its dramatic 2024 closure. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Saint Vitus Bar (@saintvitusbar) If you ever squeezed into its black-walled Greenpoint space, you know Saint Vitus punched well above its size. After opening in 2011, the 250-capacity venue became a bucket-list stop for heavy music fans, hosting everyone from local hardcore bands to surprise sets by major acts including members of Nirvana, Blink-182, Megadeth and Anthrax. It also earned a reputation as one of the best places in the country to discover the next great metal band. Its abrupt shutdown in February 2024 stunned the city's music scene. The Department of Buildings closed the venue during a hardcore show after determining it lacked the proper permits to operate as a live music venue. Months later, owners announced the Greenpoint location was gone for good—but promised Saint Vitus would

The days of scrappy lookalike contests might be coming to an end, the death knell sounded by a Bazooka Joe contest that comes with a side of fashion.  RECOMMENDED: See pictures of the fabulous new 64-seat pedestrian plaza on Fifth Avenue On Thursday, July 9, candy brand Bazooka and downtown fashion label Siegelman Stable kick off a new collaboration with a Bazooka Joe lookalike contest in Lower Manhattan, celebrating the mascot's New York roots and introducing a limited-edition capsule collection. Designed by Siegelman Stable founder Max Siegelman, the collection includes a T-shirt modeled after Bazooka Joe's signature outfit and a cap in the brand's classic red-and-blue color scheme, with a tiny pocket to stash your next piece of Bazooka bubble gum. “Bazooka Joe is one of the great American characters — a guy with a story you found inside every piece of gum,” said Max Siegelman, founder of Siegelman Stable, in a statement. “We’ve always built Siegelman Stable around New York storytelling, so when the question was will you embrace Bazooka Joe, the answer was easy: of course we will. This new hat design is the story of Bazooka Joe, retold through fashion, culture and sport — and in the city he was born in and will always belong to.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bazooka Joe (@therealbazookajoe) For Bazooka, the collaboration is about more than selling gum. The brand is leaning into the collectible culture it arguably helped create decades ago

Subtlety has no place in Times Square, which may be why a 65-foot hot dog is returning there later this month. Beginning July 21, "Hot Dog: The Second Serving" will once again stretch across Duffy Square as part of Times Square Arts. Brooklyn artists Jen Catron and Paul Outlaw's giant frankfurter installation runs through August 8, and yes, the weiner will point straight into the air and blast off confetti every day again, too. RECOMMENDED: You won’t believe how many parking spaces in NYC will be converted into trash bin sites by 2031 The original sculpture debuted in 2024 as an oversized love letter—and side-eye—to New York, consumer culture and the American Dream. The new version keeps the familiar ingredients (bun, pink hot dog, mustard, and hydraulically powered showers of confetti) but leaves a darker aftertaste. “The hot dog returns in an altered form to reflect an altered nation," Catron and Outlaw said in a statement. "As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, we found ourselves returning to questions that animated the original project: spectacle, patriotism, celebration, and power. Symbols persist. Myths persist. Their meanings shift. Two years after its initial appearance, the sculpture returns to a country that is both familiar and changed, revealing new tensions within a symbol that once seemed self-evident."  If that sounds like a lot to ask of a hot dog, well, it is Times Square, a neighborhood that practically invented turning commerce into performance

Gas prices have surged across the country this year, and the only thing scarier for travelers might be the prospect of being at the mercy of airlines during vacation. Is it any wonder that a new survey finds road trips still reign supreme, with many travelers willing to spend more than 10 hours behind the wheel this summer? After all, what’s 10 hours in a car compared to being stuck in airport limbo? (Or your entire airline disappearing?) RECOMMENDED: Here are the best summer destinations for a reading-focused vacation in the U.S. According to a report from AAA, a record 72.2 million Americans are expected to travel over the Fourth of July holiday, with about 61.4 million of them driving. And that doesn’t look likely to change anytime soon. A survey from Turo found that 51 percent of Americans planning summer travel expect to take a road trip, while nearly half of those travelers anticipate spending more than 10 hours on the road. Thus, “Are we there yet?” amid backseat squabbles lives on for at least another generation.  The survey, which polled 2,005 Americans, makes clear that travelers still value the freedom to make detours, blast their own playlists and pull over whenever they spot a sign for a two-headed snake or a slice of homemade pie. Flexibility and traveling on your own schedule rank among the biggest reasons people continue to choose road trips over other forms of transportation, though it’s hard not to believe that avoiding travel with strangers doesn’t also ran

There are tasting menus, and there are backyard barbecues. And then there’s Beefsteak, the annual carnivorous free-for-all that questions the very concept of moderation. On Saturday, August 29 at 7pm, Redbird and Vibiana host the 11th edition of the beloved event, turning Downtown’s landmark former cathedral into a celebration of steak, strong pours and communal excess. This year’s feast also coincides with the 150th anniversary of the historic Vibiana building, giving diners another reason to loosen their belts (and their wallets). RECOMMENDED: L.A. landed six slots on the best burgers in the world list The biggest draw, however, is the arrival of legendary Italian butcher Dario Cecchini, whose Tuscan butcher shop has made him one of the world’s most recognizable champions of whole-animal butchery. VIP guests will get exclusive bites prepared by Cecchini, whose larger-than-life personality is nearly as famous as his beef. Photograph: Andrea D'AgostoBeefsteak Chef Neal Fraser will once again lead the evening alongside acclaimed chef Mary Sue Milliken and cohosts Matt Selman, Cort Cass, Eric Wareheim and Billy Harris. Expect towering platters of expertly cooked steak passed from diner to diner, surprise dishes, wine and cocktails, live entertainment and gleefully chaotic vibes. The tradition draws inspiration from the lavish beef feasts popular in Florence and New York in the late 19th century, where mountains of meat were served family-style in communal halls. Redbird’s ver