Subscription FAQ

Why should I subscribe?

The number one reason to subscribe is to get the best seats at the best price. There is a subscriber-exclusive booking period which means you’re accessing seats before the public can purchase them. Another key reason is convenience of getting the whole year booked in one go, so you won’t miss out.

How long will it take to get my subscription tickets?

Your tickets are processed in 2 working days and sent via NZ Post. You should receive your subscription tickets within 10 working days. For a faster and more secure delivery, you can also choose to receive your tickets by courier for $10.

Our Box Office is closed for the summer holiday season so we won’t be processing subscriptions or posting tickets between 20 Dec – 6 Jan.

Please note, all booking forms are processed in the order they are received.

What if I lose my tickets?

In most cases, subscription tickets can be replaced free of charge. Call us on the VIP Concierge service line for subscribers 09 309 3395 and we’ll make sure replacement tickets are waiting for you at the venue or we can immediately send these to your email.

If I already have tickets for Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, am I still allowed to buy a Season Pass, Theatre Club or Snap a Seat?

Many subscribers will already have tickets to Murder on the Orient Express. If you do, simply renew your Season Pass, Theatre Club or Snap A Seat and don't add the bonus show.

 

How do I gift someone a subscription?

There are two ways you can gift the joy of theatre to someone very lucky:

1. Buy a gift voucher of any value. Consider that a full Season Pass in Premium is $525 (+ Bonus Show $115) and a Design Your Own for three plays starts at $192.

2. Buy a subscription and create a new account in their name (tip: use your email until you’ve actually given it to them). Don’t worry, if the dates you choose for them don't work they can exchange their dates with no transfer fees.

You will receive a subscription confirmation email upon purchase. Use this email if you need something to print out and ‘gift’ immediately.

Choose the postal address for the tickets to be sent to during account creation. We use NZ Post to send out subscription tickets, please allow approximately 10 working days to receive them.

When the gift receiver has their wonderful gift, they call us on the VIP Concierge service line for subscribers 09 309 3395 to change their account details like postal address and email. The account must have been created in their name; we cannot transfer a subscription from your account to a new account.

What does unlimited free exchanges for subscribers mean?

All subscribers, of any subscription type, can change their tickets into another performance of the same play. There is no exchange fee to do this and you can exchange as many times as you need.

Subscriber tickets are immune to dynamic pricing applied to standard tickets, which means as standard tickets increase in price, subscribers can move into that performance and if you sit in the same reserve as your original booking you won’t pay any ticket difference.

If you upgrade your reserve (for example move from A Reserve into Premium) you will only pay the difference to upgrade to a subscriber Premium ticket, not a standard Premium ticket.

If you’re moving from Preview into Standard performances you will only pay the difference to upgrade to a subscriber ticket within the Standard season.

If you move into a performance where your reserve is unavailable and you are seated into seats of a lesser reserve, you will not be refunded for the difference in ticket price.

Please refer to Subscription Terms & Conditions for full details.

How do I exchange my subscription tickets for another performance date?

Use our handy ticket exchange form or call us on the VIP Concierge service line for subscribers 09 309 3395 to exchange your tickets.

Please refer to Terms & Conditions for details. Exchanges made within forty-eight hours of the original performance are at the sole discretion of Auckland Theatre Company and may be subject to handling fees. 

Please refer to Subscription Terms & Conditions for full details.

What if I have friends who want to attend a show with me but are not subscribers themselves?

You can book additional tickets at any time, for anyone, at a discounted price. This special subscriber price for additional tickets is immune to dynamic pricing applied to standard tickets, which means as standard tickets increase in price, subscribers can buy additional tickets at a fixed price so the discount benefit (and bragging rights) increases.

You can also exchange your existing subscription tickets to ensure you can all sit together.

Subscribers can book their additional tickets online using the same account that they purchased their subscription with. The prices will automatically update to the special subscriber price.

How can I pay off my subscription in instalments?

On the final cart page, after you've contributed a donation amount (if any) but before you enter your credit card details, there is an option for you to select "Pay by Instalments" and this will split the cost of your subscription (and add-ons) over three instalments. If you've made a donation (thank you) this will be taken in full as part of your first instalment.

The first instalment will be paid upon check out and the remaining instalments will be automatically charged fortnightly.

What is Premium Seating?

All seats in the ASB Waterfront Theatre offer excellent sightline and audio volume to ensure you have a quality theatre experience. Premium seating offers you a view of the action from the very best seats in the house. For more information on ASB Waterfront Theatre seat maps please download our 2023 Season Booking Guide.

What are Preview performances?
Production seasons are made of two preview performances prior to opening night, available at a bargain price, and the rest of the season is standard pricing. There is no longer premiere week pricing.

Please consider booking your subscription earlier in the season as we love starting the season with our most loyal and friendly faces in the audience.

Why are there booking fees?

We pride ourselves on offering outstanding customer service and experiences for our audiences. The performing arts is not immune to the rising costs exhibited across all industries. We appreciate your support and understanding that it takes more for us to process your subscription form or phone booking and to offer this personalised service we charge a $10 fee per order.

What's the difference between purchasing a subscription and just buying tickets at other times during the season?

A subscription will save you money and time, secure the best seats and offer you flexibility to make going to the theatre with your friends and whānau easier.

Subscribers are the lifeblood of our theatre and we thank you for your loyalty and the support you give to this artform and our industry.

Just like airlines, our prices start low and rise the busier a performance gets. If you leave purchasing tickets to the last minute, you could pay over $600 to see five shows in 2025. Subscribing enables us to take creative risks and secure to our financial sustainability, that means we can offer the same value and discount subscription tickets by up to 40%.

Here’s some clever ways to save even more when you subscribe to Auckland Theatre Company.

Preview The Shows
The first two performances of a show season, before opening night, are called Previews. All tickets to Preview performances are at a heavily reduced price to encourage you to see it first and spread the word. A Snap A Seat subscription lets you choose your seats in preview performances and starts from as little as $300.

Go in a group

Make your own theatre club of six or more people and your tickets can be as low as $57 each per performance. Theatre Club is the cheapest way enjoy a year of theatre.
Hint: Save even more by taking your Theatre Club on Preview nights for a 20% discount

Pick B Reserve
Our website lets you pick the seat you want. We have 3 reserves: Premium, A and B Reserve. All our seats are great, but B Reserve is a great save too. You can get a Season Pass, which is five shows, for as little as $375 in B Reserve.

For the young ones
If you’re 30 or under, you can score a seat for a sweet $30 each per performance. Purchase a Design Your Own and pick the plays you most want to see. A and B Reserve only.