How To Get ‘SNL’ Tickets 2018: NBC’s Lottery Is Now Open

“Saturday Night Live” fans have to plan ahead if they want a seat in the famed Studio 8H. To get tickets for any show during “SNL” Season 44, they’ll have to take action in the month of August.

The “SNL” ticket lottery is officially open. NBC is accepting emails until the end of the month from fans who want tickets. However, it isn’t just an email. Prospective audience members must also explain why they want to see the show in the room where it happens. “Please tell us why YOU would like to be a part of our studio audience!” the NBC website demands.

If you have a good reason to want “SNL” tickets, send it in an email to Snltickets@nbcuni.com before 11:59 p.m. EDT on Aug. 31. All audience members have to be at least 16 years old. Each person can only enter once, but each winner will receive two tickets. Those selected will be the only ones who get a response from NBC.

Though many people want to attend when their favorite celebrities are hosting or performing as the musical guest, the “SNL” ticket lottery doesn’t allow audience members to choose their dates. Those who win the lottery will be assigned a random date and time to attend the show.

Of course, as previously reported, even those who don’t win the lottery still have a chance at being a “Saturday Night Live” audience member. There’s a standby line for every show. Fans will start lining up on Friday afternoons, sometimes even earlier in the week, to get a chance at standby tickets. The passes are distributed at 7 a.m. EDT on the mornings of the show on the 48th Street side of 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Standby tickets, however, are given out one per person, so if you’re bringing a friend, that person needs to be in line as well. The website warns that only “minimal breaks” may be taken from the line (food and bathroom breaks). If you’re heading to the standby line, you might want to plan to do it when the season kicks off in September or October rather than the typically freezing months like January or February.

“SNL” Season 44 still does not have a premiere date.