Frequently Asked Questions

Spoleto Festival Ticket Kiosk will be open daily beginning May 18, from 10:00am to 4:00pm, offering full ticketing services and merchandise sales. The kiosk location will be announced closer to the Festival dates.

Each Festival venue has an on-site Box Office that opens 1 hour and 30 minutes before performance time and operates only on performance days.

Ticket agents can be reached by phone Monday–Friday, 10:00am–4:00pm, daily during the Festival. 

There are two easy ways to begin planning your visit:

• Decide which shows and performers you’d like to see.

• Determine when you’ll be in Charleston during the Festival.

   

The 2026 Festival takes place over 17 days beginning Memorial Day weekend, from Friday, May 22, through Sunday, June 7. Performances and events are scheduled every day, with the busiest schedules typically on weekends. Some productions run throughout the Festival, while others are one-night-only, so be sure to check individual dates for anything you don’t want to miss.

If you have questions about specific performances, please call (843) 579-3100 to speak with a Box Office representative.

Most Festival venues are located in downtown Charleston, within easy walking distance of one another. If you plan to attend multiple events in a single day, we recommend checking performance lengths and allowing enough time to walk or travel between venues.

Yes, if tickets are still available, you can purchase them at the venue. Each Festival venue has an on-site Box Office that opens 1 hour and 30 minutes before performance time and operates only on performance days.

In addition, the Spoleto Festival Ticket Kiosk will be open daily beginning May 18, from 10:00am to 4:00pm, offering full ticketing services. The kiosk location will be announced closer to the Festival.

Yes, for performances with reserved seating (not general admission), you may choose your own seats online or with the assistance of a ticket agent by phone.

Performances or sections with general admission seating are first-come, first-served at the venue.

We recommend parking in one of the numerous public parking garages conveniently located near Festival venues. We've listed some of the garages close to Festival venues below.

There are also metered spaces available on most Downtown streets. Find additional City of Charleston parking information HERE.

Charleston Gaillard Center:                                                

Gaillard Garage, 33 Alexander St.  

Aquarium Garage, 24 Calhoun St. 

Charleston Music Hall:

Camden Garage, 35 John St.  

College of Charleston Cistern Yard:

George Street Garage, 34 St. Philip St.  

St. Philip Garage, 89 St. Philip St.  

College of Charleston Emmett Robinson Theatre and Recital Hall:

George Street Garage, 34 St. Philip St.  

College of Charleston Sottile Theatre:

George Street Garage, 34 St. Philip St.  

St. Philip Garage, 89 St. Philip St.  

Dock Street Theatre:

Cumberland Street Garage, 90 Cumberland St. 

Liberty Center Garage, 21 Horlbeck Alley 

Festival Hall:

Majestic Square Garage, entrance at 151 Market St.  

St. Matthew's Lutheran Church:

Francis Marion Garage, 399 King St.  

TD Arena:

Francis Marion Garage, 399 King St.  

George Street Garage, 34 St. Philip St. 

In accordance with ADA regulations, Festival venues offer designated wheelchair-accessible seating reserved for guests who need these accommodations. Accessible seating and Companion seating can be purchased online or by calling the Box Office. If you need help selecting seats without stairs or other accommodations, please call the box office.

For more details about accessibility at the Festival, please visit the Festival Venues & Accessibility

Ticket sales cover only about half the cost of producing and presenting over 100 world-class performances each year at Spoleto Festival USA.

A $9.00 processing fee is applied to each ticket to help offset the costs associated with ticket sales, including:

• Wages for Box Office staff

• Credit card fees and security

• Maintenance and replacement of Box Office equipment, such as ticket printers

• Licensing fees for our ticketing software

   

Every ticket, whether purchased in person, over the phone, or online, is processed by a Spoleto Festival USA Box Office staff member. Because of this, processing fees are applied to in-person purchases as well. Processing fees are waived for Chamber Subscribers.

For performances at certain venues, a per-ticket facility surcharge may apply as required by venue rental agreements. This surcharge cannot be waived and the amount is set by the venue.

A $5.00 per order printing fee is applied to all orders requesting printed tickets, whether they are mailed or held at Will Call.

We don’t want cost to turn you away. There are lots of ways to save at Spoleto.

Weekly Offers 

Join our Insiders List to receive weekly offers. We extend a range of offers, including flash sales, BOGO promotions, and more — only announced and available by email. 

Spoleto Savings Events 

Save on select shows during three special weekends. Sign-up for email updates so you don’t miss your invitation to these unique savings events. Dates announced by email. 

Locals Weekend 

Just for our neighbors that make Charleston home. Dates announced via email. 

Sponsored by The Post & Courier 

Bank of America Chamber Series Subscriptions

Choose from six different Chamber Music subscription packages and save up to 30%!

Group Sales 

Groups of 10 or more receive a 20% discount on full-price tickets for selected performances. Call (843) 720-1116 or email [email protected]. Perfect for corporate outings, book clubs, or just you and 9 friends! 

Military, Teacher, & Student Discounts 

Veteran and active-duty military, students, and teachers receive a 10% discount on selected performances. Valid ID is required. 

Open Stage Door 

Community-based organizations, social service agencies, and other nonprofit groups serving the region are invited to request complimentary tickets to a variety of Festival performances. 

Pay What You Will 

Access selected performances at a price that fits your budget. Visit our website for more information about our 2026 Pay What You Will program.

Each of these offers and promotions may include restrictions not listed here; consult the formal offer for details. 

Yes, groups of 10 or more individuals are eligible to receive a discount on most Festival performances. Please visit our Group Sales page for more information.

If tickets are no longer available online, the performance may be sold out or temporarily off sale. If additional tickets become available, they will appear online immediately unless a waitlist is in place. Waitlists are reserved for donors at the Associate level and above ($1,000+).

For the most up-to-date information, we recommend calling the Box Office at 843.579.3100.

Yes, gift certificates are available for purchase in any amount online or by phone at 843.579.3100.

Will Call is the term used for tickets that have been ordered in advance but still need to be picked up at the venue prior to the performance.

Tickets held at Will Call are available for pickup at the venue’s onsite box office up to 1 hour and 30 minutes prior to performance start time. To claim tickets being held at Will Call, please present your photo ID and confirmation number to the ticket agent on duty. There will be signs at the box office directing patrons to the Will Call area.

A $5.00 per order ticket printing fee will be applied to all orders requesting printed tickets, which includes those held at Will Call.

All sales are final. No refunds.  

All ticket purchases are subject to the Festival’s Ticket Purchase Policy.

• Single ticket buyers and Festival Circle Donors may exchange tickets for a $5 fee per performance up to 72 hours before performance time.  

• Spoleto Society donors, Board Members, and Chamber Subscribers may exchange tickets free of charge up to 72 hours before performance time.  

All exchange requests are subject to availability. If exchanging for a higher priced seat you must pay the additional cost.  Refunds will not be given for exchanges into lower-priced seats. 

Please verify all dates, times, and seat selections prior to completing your purchase. 

Tickets may be returned as a tax-deductible contribution to the Festival up to 30 minutes prior to the start of the performance. You will be sent a receipt for your tax-deductible gift once the Festival has concluded.   

Tickets may not be returned for account credit. Ticket exchanges or contributions must take place in the same transaction as the ticket return.   

Spoleto Festival USA does not guarantee the authenticity of tickets purchased from any third-party seller. Tickets purchased from a source other than Spoleto Festival USA may be lost, stolen, or counterfeit and may not be honored.

Note to third-party ticket resellers: The resale or attempted resale of a ticket for admission to an event at a price more than $1.00 above face value is a violation of South Carolina state law. Any order identified as having been purchased with the intent to resell for above face value will be cancelled and refunded to the original form of payment.

Call the Box Office. We will gladly reprint them or resend them electronically. We may ask for your order number of full name to locate the order.

Latecomers are seated at the discretion of house management at the first appropriate seating break that allows for the least disruption for performers and seated audience members.

In some cases, no late seating will be allowed. Check your tickets for specific details.

If an outdoor event must be moved indoors due to inclement weather, all ticket holders will be notified via email with the new venue location, no later than 3 hours prior to showtime. In the event of a venue change, previously reserved seat locations can not be guaranteed. The rain site for all Cistern Yard performances is the College of Charleston TD Arena at 301 Meeting St. 

If an outdoor event must be postponed due to inclement weather (lightning) all ticket holders will be notified via email with updates and instructions.  

If a performance is cancelled or rescheduled, ticket holders will be contacted via email with new event information or ticket return instructions. Unless otherwise noted, your tickets will be valid for the new event date.  

No, there is no official dress code for Festival performances or venues. We want you to be comfortable and enjoy the Festival!

As a rule, outdoor venues can be very warm, and it is advisable to bring insect repellent. Indoor venues are air conditioned, and therefore can sometimes be chilly. Casual wear is fine for most performances, and attire may range from shorts and flip-flops to a suit and tie.

Sorry, no. All Piccolo Spoleto tickets are sold by Piccolo Spoleto, organized by the city of Charleston as a companion festival to Spoleto Festival USA. Piccolo Spoleto presents local and regional performing and visual artists in hundreds of performances at venues throughout Charleston.

In some cases, Festival performance descriptions include age recommendations, or children’s ticket prices. If not, and if you are unclear about the suitability of a performance, box office staff are standing by at 843.579.3100 to answer these questions.

In order to maintain capacity limits for safety, everyone who enters the venue is required to hold a ticket. Sorry, no babies-in-arms or children sitting in laps.

Children and adults who become disruptive will be asked to leave the venue.

Federal copyright laws prohibit video and photography during most Festival performances. This includes cell phone photography and videography. If you aren't sure, ask an usher at the performance. 

Front Row performances at Cistern Yard are more relaxed and you may take cell phone pictures without a flash and may record short videos with your phone.

We ask that you please silence your cell phone and refrain from talking, texting, or other use during performances. Please be courteous to your fellow patrons and be aware that if at any time your cell phone/camera use becomes a distraction to others, an usher may ask you to stop. 

Cell phones are allowed in Festival venues, but as a courtesy to artists and other patrons, we ask that you please silence your cell phone and refrain from talking, texting, or other use during performances. Please be courteous to your fellow patrons and be aware that if at any time your cell phone use becomes a distraction to others, an usher may ask you to stop. Repeated requests may result in you being asked to leave the performance. 

Take a look at our Hospitality page for a list of several hotels and restaurants in the area. Then head over to Explore Charleston for information about visiting Charleston, including accommodations, transportation information, and links to area attractions.

Yes. You can use a balance in your Spoleto account for tickets or contributions. For online purchases, the account balance will appear after you have added tickets or items to your cart and have proceeded to checkout - just before you enter credit card information. For purchases made in-person or over the phone ask the ticket agent to apply your balance to the purchase.

Yes. In many of our venues, the seating is arranged with even-numbered seats on one side and odd-numbered seats on the other. So if your seat numbers are consecutive even or odd numbers, all your seats are together.