How to get tickets to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Fans of the Daily Show:

Ever thought of going in to watch them tape the show?
I just went yesterday, June 14th, and it was awesome. I was trying to research online how to go about the process of getting tickets and was appalled by 1) the amount of misinformation out there b) How old the info posted was (the most recent guide i could find was 8 months old) III) absurd conflicts between different peoples descriptions of the process. I decided my blog was a nice place to post a guide.

WHAT SHOULD I DO FIRST:

go to http://www.thedailyshow.com/tickets It will probably tell you: Unfortunately, there are no tickets available to see The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at this time. Check back soon to secure your tickets or sign-up below to receive e-mails letting you know when new dates open up.

Now, don't get discouraged. That happened to me, too. I kept trying. I had given up on the website and was on my way to get in line even without a ticket to get on the standby list when i popped into starbucks and jumped online and decided to try one last time. It was about 10:15am. I got a ticket. You have to fill out your name and email.

AFTER YOU REGISTER FOR YOUR TICKETS:

They send you an email that you should print out. You won't get a physical ticket until you check in around 3pm. However, your tickets aren't actually confirmed until you click on the link in the email. Be careful, there are two clickable links, one is to cancel your reservation the other is to confirm.

WHERE IS THE STUDIO AT?

New York City

West side of Manhattan. 11th ave. Between 51st and 52nd streets. (Subway: Columbus Circle on the A\C\E train is pretty close, you just have to walk for about ten minutes.)

WHEN SHOULD I SHOW UP WITH MY EMAIL TO GET A TICKET?

I showed up at 1:40pm and there were three girls in front of me. I have no clue when they got there. By 2pm there were 40 people behind us. By 3pm there were a lot more. At three they started passing out tickets to people who had signed up online and they confirmed your identity by asking you for your name, they had a list. If you signed up online your name was on the list then you got a ticket with a number that corresponded to your number in the line. If you don't check in by 4pm, they give your ticket to someone else (people who show up without having got tickets online - I heard through the grapevine that a few of these people usually make it in, but I've never done it myself)

They overbook the show. So people always get sent away. I don't mind standing in line. If you're like me. I'd recommend showing up good and early. I got ticket number four and an incredible seat (right in the front).

There are also V.I.P. tickets. Where these come from and how to get them, I don't know.

Once you have your ticket they let you leave and tell you to be back by 4:45. This is the time that they let you in.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD I EXPECT?

You'll be seated in the theater in the order that you got your tickets. A low number means good seats. You can't have your Cellphone on from the time you go into the studio, if they see it on, they take it. If you have a backpack or manpurse they take that too, and you pick it up after the show. You must have a govt. issued ID. No pictures are allowed in the studio. No asking for autographs. The show doesn't use a laugh track, it falls to the attending audience to laugh at the jokes. That's easy enough, though.

IS IT WORTH IT?

Yes. Jon Stewart is so hilarious. Before him there was a warm up comic, also funny. Jon interacts with the audience a ton. He takes questions and is a real cool customer. Beyond any doubt if you love the show you should see it live.

Oh....

....and did I mention.....

It's free.