Radio City Music Hall Seating Chart

Parking, bag policy, transit and history are on the main Radio City Music Hall guide.

Which Radio City seat to buy

For most productions, buy the opening rows of the First Mezzanine, center sections. You sit high enough to see the whole stage and close enough for detail, with nothing overhead. If being near a performer matters more than seeing the full stage, as at a concert or comedy night, buy center orchestra instead, from the middle of the floor forward.

Every ticket reads as a level plus a section number. Seating guides split each of the four levels (Orchestra, First, Second and Third Mezzanine) into sections 1–7 across the width of the hall. Section 4 is the middle, and one guide calls sections 3–5 the ones centered on the stage; 1 and 7 are the outer sides.

• The number tells you left, right or middle, never how high. A 4 on the floor and a 4 in the top mezzanine are both dead center, worlds apart in distance.
• Side sections are more angled than they look. The house fans out toward a stage 144 feet wide.
• "Mezzanine" alone is not enough. Confirm which of the three a listing means.

Orchestra rows: the letter trap

Two seating guides agree on how the floor is lettered. Doubled letters (AA, BB and so on) start at the stage; plain letters (A, B, C) pick up after them. One guide lists Orchestra 4 as BB through ZZ, then A through W. So row C is not the third row; every doubled row is in front of it.

The floor has a gentle rake (slope), and guides note the seats are slightly staggered row to row to help sightlines. The rise is modest and the stage is high, which creates two weak zones:

• The first double-letter rows: you look up steeply, losing the back of the stage and its scenery, worst from the side sections.
• The last single-letter rows: the First Mezzanine overhangs you and cuts off the upper part of the proscenium (the arch that frames the stage) and whatever is projected or hung up there.

The sweet spot is mid-floor in sections 3–5, where the doubled letters end and the plain letters begin. Many buyers chase the lowest letter they can find; the middle orchestra actually shows more of the stage.

Three mezzanines, three different jobs

All three balconies are shallow. They reach over the back of the orchestra but not far toward the stage, and guides note a step between mezzanine rows that lifts you above the head in front. That is why sightlines stay good at every height.

• First Mezzanine: its front rows sit ahead of the balcony above, so the view of the arch and ceiling is unbroken. The Rockettes' seat map singles it out for a great view of the Great Stage. Best all-round level.
• Second Mezzanine: takes in the entire stage from above, which is ideal for dance formations and big staging. The front center rows are often easier to get than the First Mezzanine and keep a straight-on view.
• Third Mezzanine: farthest, but square to the stage. Strong for spectacle and projections, weaker for a solo acoustic set where faces carry the show.

On any level, center usually wins over height. A center section one level higher tends to beat section 1 or 7 one level lower, because the angle across a 144-foot stage is severe.

Radio City seats by type of show

Christmas Spectacular and staged productions

These shows use the whole proscenium stage, filling it with sets, projected images and dozens of performers at once, and they are built to be seen whole. The Rockettes' own seat map matches each level to a purpose: orchestra seats to be near the dancers, Second Mezzanine seats to take in the kick-line patterns from above, and Third Mezzanine seats to see the full choreography plus the projections overhead.

Concerts

The seating plan does not change for most concerts; the act simply works the front of the stage. When a pit goes in ahead of the orchestra, as two seating guides show for certain concerts, nothing in the hall is closer. After the pit, buy center orchestra or center First Mezzanine.

Comedy and talks

Facial expressions carry the night. Stay low and central, on the floor or in the First Mezzanine's opening rows, and pass on cheaper seats higher up.

Award shows and TV tapings

TV cameras and production desks claim chunks of the floor, so stick to listings that spell out the exact section and row.

Where Radio City seats fall short

• Deep rear orchestra. The balcony above slices off the upper stage, a real loss at the Christmas Spectacular.
• Front rows of sections 1 and 7 on the floor. A steep upward angle combined with a sideways one.
• Seats right behind the mixing position at concerts. Guides flag the rear center orchestra behind the sound desk as partly blocked.
• Outer sections of any mezzanine for a production. Scenery at the near side of the stage can be lost.

Few seats in the hall are truly obstructed; most problems are angle and overhang. Reserved Seat orders include a 100% guarantee.

Accessible seats and elevators

Three accessible seat types are available: spaces for wheelchair users, companion seats, and aisle-transfer seats (an aisle seat whose armrest lifts so you can slide over from your chair). If a standard seat is too snug, ask for a chair with movable arms or one of the wider armless chairs the hall keeps for that purpose.

• Lifts: take the Grand Foyer elevators near 51st Street to any mezzanine, or down to the Grand Lounge.
• Escorts and storage: ask and an usher will take you to your seat by wheelchair at no charge; staff can also keep your walker, cane or chair until the final bow and return it to you.
• Listening help: FM assistive listening receivers cost nothing; you leave an ID or a card as a deposit.

Accessible tickets go through the venue's Accessibility Services Department; see the Radio City accessibility services page before you buy, since procedures can change by event.

Sources

• Radio City Music Hall: Accessibility Services
• Rockettes: Christmas Spectacular seat map
• RateYourSeats: Radio City Music Hall sections
• RateYourSeats: Orchestra 4
• TickPick: Radio City Music Hall seating chart
• Wikipedia: Radio City Music Hall