Saturday Night Live is one of the most popular comedy shows in the world. It has the most Emmy nominations in television history and since 1975 has made audiences laugh with its satirical sketch comedy and hilarious take on contemporary culture.
There are two ways to get tickets:
The SNL Ticket Lottery
Each August, Saturday Night Live holds a ticket lottery for the upcoming season. To enter the ticket lottery send an email with all of your contact information to snltickets@nbcuni.com. If you are selected, you will be notified and sent two tickets for a random show in the upcoming season.
Unfortunately you are not able to select a certain date, entering the lottery does not guarantee tickets and you must be at least sixteen years old. You must bring photo ID.
How to Get SNL Tickets on Stand By:
If you are in New York City you can attempt to get stand-by tickets. I say attempt because it is very difficult - they are distributed on the 48th Street side of 30 Rock at 7am on the morning of a taping. However you will need to get there the evening before and stay in the queue all need to get a ticket - even then you are not guaranteed admission even if you are given a ticket. There have been stories of people waiting since 6pm the night before (so 13 hours in a line), getting ticket number 13 and then they only take tickets 1-10.
People waiting in line for stand-by tickets
- must stay in line at all times (unless you need a bathroom, food break)
- are given one per person on a first-come, first-served basis.
- will need to have a current photo ID with you.
- guests selected for stand-by ticket clearance may choose which they’d like to attend - the dress reheresal or the live show.
- apparently there is a comradery between those in the line but make sure you bring a friend to hold your place in the queue and make the time go quicker.
- bring warm clothes, blankets etc - New York is cold during the season time of SNL and you will be sleeping on the pavement.
- You must bring photo ID.
Dress Rehearsal vs the Live Show?
Stand-by tickets are available for both the dress rehearsal at 8pm or the live taping at 11:30pm. If you get tickets you will need to be at the studio before 7:15 pm for the dress rehearsal or before 10:45 pm for the live show.
It has been considered by many that the dress rehearsal is often even better than the live show. It is more relaxed and spontaneous and some of the best skits are not included in the live show, as they are too inappropriate to be aired. I would suggest this as people with VIP tickets often choose the Live Show, so there is more chance of you being able to get in. Plus, you get to enjoy the show twice, the rehearsal you saw and the eventual Live show on TV.
SNL Trivia
There is a 'Five Timers Club' of those who have hosted at least five times. My king Alex Baldwin holds the title for the most time hosting:
Alec Baldwin (17)
Steve Martin (15)
John Goodman (13)
Buck Henry (10)
Tom Hanks (9)
Chevy Chase (8)
Christopher Walken (7)
Elliott Gould (6)
Danny DeVito (6)
Drew Barrymore (6)
Tina Fey (5)
Candice Bergen (5)
Ben Affleck (5)
Scarlett Johansson (5)
Dwayne Johnson (5)
Melissa McCarthy (5)
Bill Murray (5)
Justin Timberlake (5)
Paul Simon (4)