It is hard to believe that several years have passed since the first tickets went on sale for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I remember being at my desk in the office, along with several others, in a virtual queue waiting for a five-digit number to tick down to 0 – letting me book a ticket to arguably one of the biggest theatrical events so far of this century.
Fortunately, those mammoth queues aren’t so much of an issue anymore. Instead, although there are still some pricier options available for those who want to enjoy the best seats and a few nifty perks – combined with the shortening of the production down to a single session – there are now more affordable options to enjoy Harry Potter and the Cursed Child than before.
Some of these options include:
1The Victorian Entertainment Program
How does 25% cashback on your ticket sound? For a limited time, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child ticket holders are eligible to claim 25% cashback on their purchases, up to a total of $125.00 AUD through the Victorian Government’s Victorian Entertainment Program. The steps to claim the cashback is as follows:
- Book your tickets to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child via ticketek.com.au
- Visit the Victorian Entertainment Program website
- Claim your saving by submitting your receipt, contact information, bank details, date of purchase and total bill amount
2Midweek Tickets
Let’s be honest, in terms of families at least, weekends are likely to be the most in-demand sessions. But if you can make it into Melbourne for a mid-week evening performance (Tuesday-Thursday), you can access seats starting at $56.90 AUD! Not a bad option if you are travelling from interstate for holidays! For those keen on a matinee weekday session, three 1.00pm afternoon sessions have been added for 19 October, 2 November and 14 December 2022.
3Four Ticket Packages
At least in my experience, theatre is best enjoyed with friends and family. Like many performing arts producers and venues across the country, buying tickets in bulk can net you some decent discounts. Groups of four or more are eligible to save approximately $20.00 per ticket across Level 1 and 2 seating on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday evenings.
4TodayTix Lottery Program
Popular within the performing arts industry nowadays, a selection of good tickets are held at every performance of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which are made available via a lottery program through TodayTix. Known as the ‘Friday Forty’, 40 tickets in “some of the very best seats” are available for each performance of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child during the following week for only $40 a ticket. While probably not worth booking a whole trip around the possibility, if you are a local looking to nab yourself some great and very affordable tickets… may be worth keeping an eye on this program.
5Treat Yourself to a VIP Package
Fortunately there are not multiple VIP packages as was the case when Harry Potter and the Cursed Child first launched, with only the ‘Marriner Group VIP Experience’ available. With this you gain access to the following perks:
- Premium seating at Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
- Souvenir program per couple
- Premium chocolates per person
- 1 beverage + 1 ice cream voucher per person
- Priority queuing at theatre bars
Considerations on this package are available via the Ticketek website. These tickets are in limited supply, and are made available six weeks ahead of each selected performance.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in my opinion is a must-see pilgrimage to Melbourne for any Harry Potter fan or lover of theatre, and the producers have confirmed many times in the past that the production will not be touring to any other Australian state.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is being presented in Australia exclusively at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre. The production is presented by Michael Cassel Group, Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions.
