What do I wear? When do I clap? Find answers to some of our most frequently asked questions, and discover how to make the most of your concert experience.
What should I wear?
When do I applaud?
May I take photos?
What am I hearing tonight?
How can I learn more about the program?
What was that encore?
Will I be able to have a snack and a drink?
Can I have a post-concert drink?
How can I connect with fellow audience members?
How do I learn about Carnegie Hall history?
Can I take a tour of Carnegie Hall?
Carnegie Hall has no specific dress code—the most important thing is that you are comfortable. Wearing business attire on weeknights or more casual outfits are just the thing! We also offer a coat check with a $2-per-item charge.
Participating in a rousing ovation at the concert’s end is thrilling, but sharing your excitement between movements of a classical work might distract the artists. If you are unsure about when to applaud, a good rule of thumb is to follow the lead of other audience members.
Who wouldn’t want to keep a visual memory of a visit to Carnegie Hall? However, please remember that photos can only be taken with handheld devices when the performance isn’t in progress. Photographic, sound, or video recording of any performance without the written permission of Carnegie Hall is strictly prohibited. Unauthorized photographs, video, or other recordings may be deleted at Carnegie Hall’s discretion.
A great way to learn about the music you are going to hear begins with a visit to the specific event’s webpage for Carnegie Hall Presents concerts. There you can find a list of the works being performed, program notes about the music, artist biographies, and even audio samples. It’s the best way to get a head start on your Carnegie Hall visit.
Selected Carnegie Hall presentations begin with pre-concert talks to guide you through the music you are about to hear, providing an entertaining and enlightening look at the repertoire and composers before the performances even begin. Arrive one hour early for these talks—free for all ticket holders—and visit our website for speaker updates and additions to the season’s offerings.
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Satisfy your curiosity and find out what was performed at the conclusion of your Carnegie Hall Presents concert by visiting the specific event’s webpage. If there was an encore, it will be listed there within a few days after the concert.
Before concerts and during intermissions, enjoy delectable nibbles and drinks from Constellation Culinary Group at the Cafe in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, the Parterre Bar in Zankel Hall, and the Jacobs Room in Weill Recital Hall. You are also welcome to bring your own food and beverages. Please note that food and beverages are permitted in concession areas within the Hall’s lobby spaces, but not inside its seating areas. For Carnegie Hall Presents concerts in Zankel Hall that start at 9 PM or later, arrive up to one hour before the performance—the first 200 concertgoers receive a voucher for a free drink!
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After Carnegie Hall Presents events in Weill Recital Hall, join us in the Jacobs Room for a free drink, where you can meet people who love music—and love to discuss it—as much as you do. You may also get to chat with the evening’s musicians, who drop by from time to time.
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The concert is over, the applause is finished, and you want to talk about it with others. Join us immediately after concerts in the Mix and Mingle series for a 45-minute meet up at Zankel Hall’s Parterre Bar. Enjoy a free drink and other refreshments, conversation, and perhaps a visit from the performers.
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From Ella Fitzgerald’s eyeglasses to Benny Goodman’s clarinet, more than 400 items are on display in the Rose Museum as part of The History of Carnegie Hall, a comprehensive exhibit that looks back on the outstanding music and events since the Hall’s opening in 1891. Located on the second floor of Carnegie Hall, the Rose Museum is free to the public and open daily, 11 AM–4:30 PM. It is also accessible before concerts and during intermissions of events in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage.
Enjoy an insider’s view as knowledgeable and friendly tour guides share more than 127 years of Carnegie Hall history. During the 60–75 minute tour, visitors will see the famous Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage from various points of view, walk through Composers Alley, hear the stories behind many of the famous signed photographs of performers hanging on the walls, and much more.
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