PUBLIC FORUM - SUMMER 2026

PUBLIC FORUM returns! The Public Theater brings back its vibrant series of live conversations, debates, and performances. PUBLIC FORUM is a space where art, ideas, and action collide. Join us this summer at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

On select Monday evenings, The Delacorte opens its doors to New Yorkers, artists, thinkers, and public voices to gather under the stars and take on the questions of our time. From love and Shakespeare to immigration, democracy, and the future of American culture, Public Forum is a theater of ideas. Free. For all. Forever.

QUICK BRIGHT THINGS COME TO CONFUSION, OR WHAT WE DO FOR LOVE: Monday, June 15 at 8PM

AMERICAN SUBLIME: STORIES FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE IN III ACTS: Monday, June 22 at 8PM

CITIES UNDER SIEGE: Monday, June 29 at 8PM

DIVISION & RENEWAL: AN EVENING WITH MICHAEL SANDEL: Monday, August 10 at 8PM

SUMMER BOOK CLUB CELEBRATION WITH THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY: Monday, August 17 at 8PM

IN-PERSON DISTRIBUTION IN CENTRAL PARK

Free tickets are distributed on the day of each Forum via the free ticket lines at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

• A Public Theater Patron ID is required to receive a free ticket, and we encourage you to create or confirm your ID before arrival by visiting publictheater.org/login.
• Free tickets are distributed at 12PM (Noon) on the day of each Forum.
• Please remember that Central Park is officially closed from 1AM to 6AM. We strongly discourage forming a line outside the park overnight or before 6AM.
• If you choose to arrive before 6AM, a line should form outside the Park at Central Park West and W 81st Street. A staff member will escort the line into the park at 6AM. Please DO NOT line up outside the park on 5th Avenue (East side) prior to 6AM.
• Anyone who attempts to create a line before 6AM INSIDE the Park or on 5th Avenue will be sent to the end of any line that has formed on Central Park West.
• Seat locations are randomly distributed, not based on the position of a person in the line, and you and your group are not guaranteed to be seated together. 
• People waiting for free tickets must line up along the paths designated by The Public Theater staff and The Parks Department.
• Each person (age 5+) may receive two (2) tickets while supplies last.

• General Distribution Line
• Senior 65+ Distribution Line
  • Ticket recipients must be 65 or older on the performance date to receive tickets on this line.
  • Valid ID is required to show proof of age.
  • This line is hosted close to the theater with access to benches, shade, and restroom facilities.
  • Tickets distributed on this line offer accessible seating, including:
    • Seating that is accessed with minimal stairs.
    • Seating accessible by ramp. 
    • Wheelchair accessible locations. 
    • Wheelchair transfer accessible locations.
    • Seating to support hearing or vision loss based on proximity to the stage.
• Access for People with Disabilities Line
• Tickets are distributed to the ADA line starting at 10:00 am on a rolling basis.
  • Ticket recipients must attest to the need for accessible seating. Accessible seating options include:
    • Seating that is accessed with no stairs.
    • Seating accessible by ramp. 
    • Seating that is accessed with limited stairs.
    • Wheelchair accessible locations. 
    • Wheelchair transfer accessible locations.
    • Seating to support hearing or vision loss based on proximity to the stage.
    • Seating for guests who need extra space outside the measurements of The Delacorte seating.
  • This line is hosted outdoors and close to the theater with access to benches, shade, and restroom facilities.

IN-PERSON LOTTERY AT THE PUBLIC THEATER

On the day of each Forum, a limited number of ticket vouchers are distributed via an in-person lottery at:

• A Public Theater Patron ID is required to receive a free ticket voucher, and we encourage you to create or confirm your ID before arrival by visiting publictheater.org/login.
• We will begin taking entries for the lottery in front of The Public starting at 11AM. The lottery will be drawn at 12PM (Noon) on the day of each Forum.
• Ticket vouchers are redeemable only for that evening's Forum.
• Seat locations are distributed randomly upon redemption, not based on a person's redemption time at The Delacorte Theater Levin Ticket Office.
• All ticket vouchers must be exchanged for tickets at The Delacorte Theater Levin Ticket Office in Central Park between 5:30PM and 7:30PM.
• Ticket vouchers are only valid until 7:30PM for the performance on the day they are issued.
• Each person (age 5+) may receive up to two (2) ticket vouchers upon winning, while supplies last.
• Accessible seating is limited at The Delacorte. For assistance in acquiring accessible seating during our lottery distributions, please speak to a member of The Public Theater staff upon your arrival for the lottery.
• This lottery is hosted outdoors, with access to restrooms inside The Public.

DIGITAL LOTTERY WITH TODAYTIX

A limited number of free tickets are distributed via digital lottery on the TodayTix app on the day of each Forum.

1. Download the  TodayTix app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
2. Open the app and scroll down to find Public Forum or search for Public Forum. 
3. Enter the lottery for one or two free tickets. You may double or triple your odds on the confirmation screen by sharing your entry via Facebook and Twitter.
4. See If You Won! Monitor your phone or email at 12PM Noon to see if you have won and claim your tickets for that evening's Forum. 

• Make sure your name and email address are correct and that TodayTix push notifications are turned on, so you can receive confirmation of lottery status.
• You will be notified if you have won between noon and 3PM on the day of the Forum. 
• You must confirm your winning tickets in the TodayTix app within 30 minutes of being notified.
• All tickets must be claimed at The Delacorte Levin Ticket Office in Central Park between 5:30PM and 7:30PM with a valid ID.
• Tickets are only valid until 7:30PM for the performance on the day they are issued.
• You can enter the lottery between 12:01AM and 12:00PM (Noon) on the day of each public performance. Each winner will get two (2) tickets to that night's performance.
• There are three digital lotteries General, Senior 65+, and Wheelchair Accessible Seating Entry.
• Duplicate entries will be voided.
• You can also mail your entry to TodayTix, 1501 Broadway, Suite 1313, New York, NY, 10036. All mailed entries must be received 24 hours in advance of the Forum.

IN-PERSON STANDBY LINE IN CENTRAL PARK

After the final ticket is distributed for that day's Forum, anyone who did not obtain a ticket may begin to form a standby line at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Our standby line can be closed anytime by management for any reason. 

• A Public Theater Patron ID is required to receive a free ticket, and we encourage you to create of confirm your ID before arrival by visiting https://publictheater.org/login.
• The Public Theater staff will begin to monitor this line at 6PM.
• Tickets may be distributed to this line any time after 6PM, through the beginning of the Forum or when the staff dismisses the line.
• Pending availability, up to 2 free standby tickets per person will be distributed
• Seat locations are randomly distributed, not based on the position of a person in the line.
• People waiting for free tickets must line up along the paths designated by The Public Theater staff and The Parks Department.
• We cannot offer separate standby lines for General, 65+, or people with disabilities since all tickets received on standby are the best available at the time of their release. We will do our best to assist with requests from people with disabilities, but we cannot guarantee accommodations on the standby line.

OTHER TICKETING FAQ

• The Public Theater does not condone ticket resale. It undermines the spirit of our free programming and is unfair to those who wait in line or enter the lottery. The Public Theater reserves the right to deny tickets, now and in the future, to anyone participating on a secondary market in the selling or obtaining of tickets that The Public Theater offers for free. We reserve the right to revoke such tickets or to deny admission to anyone found in possession of such tickets. Any known activity regarding the misuse of free tickets should be reported to The Public Theater staff.
• The ticket distribution lines and the area surrounding The Delacorte Theater are monitored by video.

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