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Get ready for THE AUSTIN MUSIC PROJECT!

Welcome! We’re excited to have you in the audience!

Follow these FOUR STEPS to prepare for the performance and plan your trip to the Long Center for the Performing Arts.

Then check out our “PREVIEW” info to enhance your experience at the show!

Step 1: Check Your Tickets

Check your tickets for the performance date and time!

Before you head to the theater, be sure to locate your performance tickets and confirm the date and time of your show! THE NUTCRACKER is a very popular production, and we may not be able to assist you with replacement tickets if you come to the wrong performance.

Oops, I missed my show! What are my options?

It happens to the best of us. We buy tickets to a show, forget to check the date, and show up for the wrong performance.

If it happens to you, we’re happy to sell you tickets to a subsequent performance of the same production at a 50-percent discount based on seating availability.

If you have missed the performance for which you purchased tickets we cannot offer you complimentary tickets to another show.

We can exchange* tickets for performances that have not yet taken place because those tickets still have value.

As always, be sure to check your tickets when you receive them and make note of your performance date and time so you arrive on time for the show.

*There is a $5 per order exchange fee for non-season ticket holders.

Need extra tickets or to make an exchange?

Contact Ballet Austin’s Audience Services Team if you need help purchasing extra tickets or exchanging your tickets for another performance. Our team members are available via phone at 512.476.2163weekdays (except major holidays) from noon to 6 p.m. CT. Email us anytime at boxoffice@balletaustin.org. (NOTE: There is a $5/order exchange fee for non-season ticket holders.)

On NUTCRACKER performance weekends, Audiences Services will be available to assist you via phone from noon until showtime (Saturdays until 7:30 p.m. and Sundays until 2 p.m.) at 512.476.2163.

On performance dates, Audience Services will be available in person at the Long Center Box Office 90 minutes before the performance begins and at our Austin/Ventures Studio/Theater (located in the Butler Dance Education Center | 501 W. 3rd Street) 90 minutes before showtime for productions scheduled there.

Please note: Ballet Austin does not operate a walk-up box office location in the Butler Dance Education Center. Give us a call at 512.476.2163 any time you need personal assistance!

Print-At-Home Tickets

Please have your PRINT-AT-HOME tickets printed and ready to present to ushers when you arrive at the Long Center. You may also present your tickets directly from your mobile device by displaying your print-at-home tickets on the screen of your phone.

  • Be sure the ticket you bring, whether printed or digital, includes a SCANNABLE BAR CODE. The email containing a PDF file of your tickets arrived separately from your order confirmation email. Make sure to check for both emails before arriving at the theater.
  • If your ticket is on a mobile device, TURN UP THE BRIGHTNESS LEVEL on your device to ensure the bar code scans correctly as you enter the Long Center.

Will Call and Lap Seat Tickets

If you are picking up tickets at WILL CALL, please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to showtime to pick up your tickets from the venue box office, located on the Ground Level, adjacent to the main entrances.

Complimentary LAP SEAT tickets are available for children ages 3 and younger. A lap seat ticket is required for entry and may be picked up at the box office prior to the performance.

Did you pay more than $99 for your tickets?

If the tickets you purchased are higher in price than $99–or the prices of tickets listed for sale on the Ballet Austin website (balletaustin.org), you purchased your NUTCRACKER tickets from a reseller and paid more than face value for them. If this is the case, be sure to check the e-Tickets you received for the following:

  1. Section (e.g. Orchestra, Parterre, Lower Balcony)
  2. Row
  3. Seat number(s)

If you believe your tickets are from a reseller, bring to the theater with you your e-Tickets, sales receipt, and any communications you received from the seller. This will help us locate your seating information if any issues arise with the validity of your tickets when they’re scanned at the door.

If the tickets you purchased are not valid, and we cannot locate them in our ticketing system, we can sell you replacement tickets for the performance you originally planned to attend, based on availability. 

Step 2: Arrive Early to Park Near the Long Center

Tip 1: Arrive Early

We want you to have a wonderful time, with a chance to relax and enjoy all of the fun, pre-show activities we have in store for you. Now is a good time to start planning your trip to the Long Center and where you’ll park, so you don’t feel rushed getting to the performance. Here are some important tips to help you plan ahead:

The Long Center opens 90 minutes before each performance, as does our box office. You can enjoy many family-friendly activities at the venue right until showtime. When you arrive early, traffic is typically lighter, and parking garage space is plentiful. Nearby parking garages, including the City-owned Palmer Events Center Garage, which is located just east of the Long Center, start to fill up 30 minutes before showtime, so arrive early and skip the last-minute parking stress. Don’t forget! The Trail of Lights holiday display at Zilker Park affects driving routes leading to the Long Center, so factor that into your travel plans.

Nearby Parking Options

Tip 2: Consider One Texas Center if the Palmer Event Center Garage Adjacent to the Long Center is Full

Located off of Haywood Avenue near the southeast corner of S. 1st Street & Barton Springs Road, this garage is only a four-minute walk to the Long Center. The price is $8 per vehicle ($10 for special events). You can avoid the traffic–and traffic circle–on Riverside Drive by parking here. (Garage entrance is pictured left.) NOTE: This garage is not staffed at all times; you must pay via credit card at the automated gate upon exit.

Tip 3: Valet Park Early!

If you arrive an hour early, enjoy extra pampering by letting valet parking professionals park your vehicle for you ($18/vehicle). Just step out and head straight to the pre-show fun waiting for you in the lobbies and lounges. Valet Parking will close 15 minutes prior to show time (evenings at 7:15 p.m., matinees at 1:45 p.m.), so valet park only if you are arriving early. If you’re running late, skip the valet line and head straight to one of the garages. 

The entrance to Valet Parking is off of Riverside Drive as you head east toward the intersection of Riverside Drive and S. 1st Street. The Valet entrance will be the first of two driveways on the right side of the street. The second drive on the right leads to the entrance of the Palmer Garage.

Tip 4: Rideshare Drop-off & Pick-up

If using a rideshare service to travel to the Long Center, instruct your driver to drop you off using the LEFT Valet Parking Lane. This is the same area where rideshare drivers can easily pick you up following the performance.

Look for directional signage on Riverside Drive (heading east) as you approach the Long Center’s main driveway for additional drop-off/pick-up guidance.

Step 3: Find Your Way Around The Long Center

The Long Center

Ballet Austin’s performance home is the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Center for the Performing Arts. Our productions are staged in Michael & Susan Dell Hall, which for Ballet Austin performances can accommodate approximately 2,300 guests. You’ll enjoy great views throughout this concert hall, and the information below will help you identify the right seating section for you based on preference and price.

Learn More

Step 4: Check Out the FREE Audience Activities

Activities Schedule

Join us for the FREE pre-show activities planned before the performance, including our BALLET-O-MANIA! Interactive Discovery Lounge, which features new exhibits every show, and FOOTLIGHTS pre-show information sessions. Food and beverage stations are open on every floor serving cocktails, refreshments, and snacks for purchase before the show and during intermissions.

Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. CT; weekend matinees begin at 2 p.m.

Time Event
12:30pm Matinees, 6pm Evenings Box Office and Doors Open
12:30pm Matinees, 6pm Evenings BALLET-O-MANIA! Interactive Discovery Lounge open through Intermission at the Kodosky Lounge – Mezzanine (2nd Floor)
2pm Matinees, 7:30pm Evenings The Nutcracker Act I – Dell Hall, All Levels (45 Minutes)
1:00pm Matinees, 6:30pm Evenings Footlights | Pre-Show Info Session. Mezzanine (2nd Floor), Entrances 23 & 24. Approximately 25 minutes.
2:45pm Matinees, 8:15pm Evenings Intermission (20 Minutes)
3:05pm Matinees, 8:35pm Evenings The Nutcracker Act II – Dell Hall, All Levels (45 Minutes)
3:50pm Matinees, 9:20pm Evenings Program Concludes – Long Center, All Levels

Preview the Audience Activities Map

1st Floor - Orchestra Level

2nd Floor - Orchestra Level

Preview BALLET-O-MANIA! Interactive Discovery Lounge

Ballet-O-Mania!

Be in the know before the show with our interactive discovery lounge, BALLET-O-MANIA!, located on the 2nd Floor-Mezzanine Level in the Kodosky Lounge.

Learn More

Preview FOOTLIGHTS Pre-Show Discussion

Footlights

FOOTLIGHTS

Enhance your experience at the ballet with FOOTLIGHTS, a pre-show lecture and Q&A for all ages.

One hour prior to each performance, Ballet Austin’s Community Education staff provide a short, informal, interactive presentation on the historical, creative, and technical elements of the production. See the last-minute preparations unfold in the background as you relax and gain a unique understanding of the performance you are about to see.

DETAILS

  • One hour before showtime
  • Approximately 25 minutes
  • FREE for ticket holders
  • Located in Dell Hall | 2nd Floor-Mezzanine Level | Use Entrances 23 & 24

Preview THE AUSTIN MUSIC PROJECT Cast

THE AUSTIN MUSIC PROJECT Cast

Coming Soon!

Nearby Dining & Hotel Options

There are lots of options for nearby dining & hotels

Nearby Dining Nearby Hotels

THE AUSTIN MUSIC PROJECT SPONSORS

Presenting Sponsor

Production Sponsor

Production Sponsor

Production Sponsor

Endowed in part by the generosity of the Kuglen Foundation – Dr. and Mrs. Craig Kuglen through the Ballet Austin Foundation

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