I've been trying all year to get SNL tickets, and I finally got to sit in on an episode of SNL season 49 for the first time the weekend of February 3! I was super excited for this episode of Saturday Night Live because Ayo Edebiri was the host and I'm a huge fan of The Bear. So I knew if I wanted my shot at getting an SNL standby ticket, I had to really work for it! Because of the demand, Saturday Night Live tickets in 2024 can be hard to get, which is exactly why I've laid out how I got my standby tickets and how you can get yours!
Here's exactly how you can get SNL season 50 tickets to see your favorite celebs for yourself.
How do you get tickets for Saturday Night Live?
Chloe Williams/Brit + Co
The process for getting SNL tickets isn't as complicated as you might think. Unfortunately the SNL ticket lottery closes at the end of August, but once it opens back up, all you have to do is email SNLTICKETS@NBCUNI.COM with your full name, email address, and why you want to be in the audience. Every household gets one ticket request.
If you don't receive a ticket, or you want to go multiple times, opt for the standby line! When it comes to these SNL tickets, you can use the standby portal to try and get a spot in a taping. Reservations for the Saturday Night Live virtual standby line open at 10 am EST the Thursday before a show, and it's super important to be on the page at least five minutes beforehand. As soon as the clock strikes 10 and the reservation opens up, you have to move quickly to claim a spot.
If you're successful, you'll get an email confirmation (and later your SNL standby number for the in-person line). If it sells out before you can get a ticket, you'll have to try again next week. The February 3 show was my third or fourth attempt, so don't lose hope!
How long is the wait for SNL tickets?
Chloe Williams/Brit + Co
Your wait for SNL tickets totally depends on your standby number. (I will point out that I got SNL tickets to the dress rehearsal, so my experience will be tailored towards that performance!). After confirmation emails are sent out Thursday, everyone has to be in line and checked in Friday night by 6:30 pm. This is where the waiting comes into play because they don't hand out the physical standby cards until 12:01 am on Saturday morning!
Honestly, the wait wasn't as bad as it could have been because before the online portal, you had to wait in line (without a pre-approved number) all night long! It was cold, but I was with a friend and NBC gave out tomato soup and hot chocolate, so honestly, I had a great time. I made some friends in line, and we were allowed to go into NBC studios periodically to walk around or go to the bathroom.
The last two hours were definitely the hardest, but once they started handing out SNL standby cards, it flew by! I was originally number 16, but since some people didn't show up, I got bumped up to 12. I'm super lucky that I was so close to the front; I was in a cab by 12:30 am and in bed by 1:30 am.
How many SNL standby tickets are there?
Chloe Williams/Brit + Co
In the standby line, I was surrounded by people who'd gotten SNL tickets multiple times, and it seems to be the general consensus that around the first 40 people always get in. The line for standby cards was definitely over 100 people, but I'm not sure more than 60 made it all the way through to the show. How many people get into SNL standby really depends on how many regular audience members don't show up, so the number will change.
I wore jeans, a hoodie, and sneakers to wait in line so I'd be comfortable, but for the actual dress rehearsal, I wore a sweater, purple trousers, and black Chelsea boots. I also had some fun with my makeup and added some purple eyeshadow to my bottom lash line! I ended up being a little too warm in my coat (I definitely didn't need it in the studio), so if I could change one thing, I'd have worn a lighter coat that was easier to carry.
When is the Saturday Night Live dress rehearsal?
Will Heath/NBC
For the Saturday Night Live dress rehearsal on Saturday, we had to be checked into the NBC Studios store by 6:30 pm. Once we were all lined up in numerical order, it got a little tricky because they moved us in groups of ten through security, into a room, and up the stairs. This whole process took about an hour and a half because of how many people there were. But once we got upstairs and into the elevators, it was a quick shot up into the studio and into our seats!
Another important thing I'll point out: through no fault of anyone, we ended up getting jumbled in the elevator, which meant I got pushed back to number 18 instead of number 12, and got a worse seat. It was still a good view, but it was admittedly not as good as it could have been.
What happens during the SNL dress rehearsal?
Will Heath/NBC
Once we were seated, the party began! This was definitely the coolest part of the whole experience, but not in the way I expected. I loved seeing Ayo Edebiri (especially since we could see her before she came on camera) and Jennifer Lopez, but my favorite part was how the whole crew worked together. As soon as the show had a commercial break, everyone was rearranging the sets and moving cameras.
I spent the better part of a decade doing theater, and have so much respect for all the crew members who put this show on every single week! It felt like there was a role for everything: someone held a flashlight the whole night, the hair and makeup artists made sure the cast looked perfect, and there was even a designated employee who grabbed Ayo's hand and ran her offstage for her quick change every. Single. Time.
The biggest different between SNL dress rehearsal and the live show is that we got to see about 45 minutes of extra content! The dress rehearsal is the actors' and writers' chance to see what an audience resonates with. Our version of the Weekend Update featured a lot of banter about which bits landed and which ones should have gotten more laughs, and overall, the energy in the room felt just a bit more relaxed.
The most memorable skits were the Dune 2 popcorn bucket pre-tape, where Ayo Edebiri and Marcello Hernandez sang about wanting to lose their virginity to the unfortunately-designed merch (which went viral last week), and the School Hypnotist sketch, which was the absolute best use of Ayo's stage presence. Overall, I really enjoyed getting to see the SNL dress rehearsal, and I'm definitely going to put in for more SNL tickets throughout the rest of the season!
Are you going to try for SNL tickets this year? Do you have any more questions? Ask us on Facebook!
This post has been updated.
