With the announcement of the 2018/19 season, Duke Performances made an unprecedented move by introducing a new $25 ticket price for the vast majority of shows. The idea behind the pricing is to make art more accessible and affordable; to offer greater flexibility to people who want to sample the work of unfamiliar artists; and to support a strong sense of community around the shared experience of art at a time when Durham is undergoing rapid change. It our hope that this initiative will induce patrons to attend not only more live performance, but to stretch their comfort zone.

There will be a select quantity of shows where tickets will be priced above $25; these shows feature above-the-marquee artists who we have good confidence will fill the venues at which they’re offered. Even with these more costly presentations, we believe that the pricing will still be affordable and that the performances will be extraordinary.

Frequently Asked Questions: $25 Tickets at Duke Performances

In an effort to make Duke Performances offerings accessible and affordable, the vast majority of our offerings are now available for a ticket price of $25 or less.

Are there shows on Duke Performances’ season with a price greater than $25?
- Yes, roughly ⅓ of shows in the 2019/20 season will have tickets costing more than $25. These shows often feature top-of-the-marquee artists who we have good confidence will fill the venue at the ticket prices we’ve set.
Did the Pick-4 or More 25% discount go away? What about the $20 tickets for ages 30 & under? And how about the 15% Duke employee discount?
- Yes, in an effort to increase overall accessibility (and to keep our budget balanced), we’ve done away with the Pick-4 or More 25% discount, $20 tickets for ages 30 & under, and the 15% discount for Duke employees.
For shows where tickets are $25, do I get to select my seats?
- Yes — for many of the shows for which we’re offering $25 tickets, you will be able to select your seats at the time of purchase.
Are $25 tickets confined to a single genre or style?
- Nope. There are $25 tickets for shows spanning every style and genre in which we work.
Are there no $25 tickets available for Duke Performances co-presentations with the Carolina Theatre?
- None of the shows that Duke Performances and the Carolina Theatre are co-presenting have $25 tickets on offer. This is a function of the fee and variety of show that justifies the collaboration between DP and CTD.
Are $10 Duke student tickets still available?
- Yes, thanks to a generous subsidy from the Provost of Duke University, $10 tickets remain available for Duke students to each and every Duke Performances presentation.
What sort of service fees do I pay on tickets? What about sales tax?
- All Duke Performances tickets, with the exception of those to our shows at the Carolina Theatre, are sold through the Duke University Box Office — reachable at 919-684-4444 Monday thru Friday, 11AM to 6PM. The University Box Office charges a $1.50 per ticket service charge (please note that 7.5% NC sales tax is included in the listed price of the ticket sold through the University Box Office). Tickets for all events at the Carolina Theatre are sold through the Ticketmaster platform; those tickets are subject to Ticketmaster’s service fee, and the 7.5% NC sales tax is charged on top of the listed price of the tickets.