Will Broadway go on strike? Here's a list of the affected shows
22, Jul 2026The lights of Broadway could soon be dimming if ongoing contract negotiations fall through.
New York City’s Theater District is usually jam-packed with locals and tourists alike stepping out for a night on the town. But the musicians behind all your favorite Broadway productions are considering going on strike in the near future.
What are musicians seeking in a new contract and when could a potential strike occur? Here’s all the essential info.
Will Broadway go on strike?
Local 802 AFM is the union that represents thousands of professional musicians in New York City, including Broadway performers.
On Oct. 21, the union posted an update on its website announcing Broadway musicians’ “intent to ‘strike immediately’” if their efforts to obtain a new contract are not achieved by the morning of Thursday, Oct. 23.
In a statement, Local 802 President Bob Suttmann offered the following thoughts on the looming strike.
“The Broadway musicians represented by Local 802 AFM are going into mediation on Wednesday, Oct. 22. If we do not have a new contract by Thursday morning, we are prepared to strike immediately. We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement,” he said.
The last major Broadway strike occurred in 2007 and was prompted by the stagehand union. The strike lasted 19 days.
Why are Broadway musicians striking?
According to AFM Local 802, members of the union have been working without a contract since Aug. 31, 2025.
On Oct. 13, the union announced that Broadway members “overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike if needed.” More specifically, 98% of members voted for a strike if their requests are not met.
The union is seeking several improvements to its prior contract, including the following:
- Fair wages
- Stable health coverage
- Employment and income security (ie. not eliminating current Broadway jobs)
On Oct. 1, the musicians sent a letter with their requests to the Broadway League, the national trade association for the Broadway industry. It was signed by nearly all 1,200 Broadway musicians.
The union says that the Broadway League “continues to demand unacceptable wages and reduced jobs and benefits in the current contract talks.”
Suttmann elaborated on the fears many union members have in a statement.
“On the heels of the most successful season(s) in history, the Broadway League wants the working musicians and artists who fueled that very success to accept wage cuts, threats to healthcare benefits, and potential job losses. Faced with such an egregious erosion of their working conditions, Local 802 Broadway musicians and other artists are ready to leverage every ounce of their collective power, up to and including a strike. Committing to anything less would mean sacrificing far too many hard-won gains,” he said.
The Broadway League reacted to contract negotiations in the following statement, shared with TODAY: “Good-faith negotiations happen at the bargaining table, not in the press. We value our musicians and we are committed to working in good faith to get a fair contract done.”
What shows would be affected?
If Broadway musicians do go on strike on Thursday, Oct. 23, many musicals will be affected. AFM Local 802 shared a list on its website of the shows and the theaters.
- “& Juliet” (Sondheim)
- “Aladdin” (New Amsterdam)
- “Beetlejuice” (Palace)
- “Book of Mormon” (O’Neil)
- “Buena Vista Social Club” (Schoenfeld)
- “Chess” (Imperial)
- “Chicago” (Ambassador)
- “Death Becomes Her” (Lunt Fontanne)
- “The Great Gatsby” (Broadway)
- “Hadestown” (Kerr)
- “Hamilton” (Rogers)
- “Hells Kitchen” (Shubert)
- “Just in Time” (Circle in the Square)
- “Lion King” (Minskoff)
- “Mamma Mia” (Wintergarden)
- “Maybe Happy Ending” (Belasco)
- “Operation Mincemeat” (Golden)
- “MJ” (Neil Simon)
- “Moulin Rouge” (Hirshfeld)
- “Outsiders” (Jacob’s)
- “Queen of Versailles” (St. James)
- “Six” (Atkinson)
- “Wicked” (Gershwin)
