Frequently Asked Questions

Tickets for any of our shows may be purchased on our website , by calling 414-286-3663, or by stopping at the Pabst or Riverside box offices during our normal operating hours. In addition, some artists may have official fanclubs that sell tickets to their fans before they go on sale to the general public. These are the only official ways to purchase tickets to Pabst Theater Group events.

When purchasing tickets in person and by phone you can discuss your seating preferences so you are able to choose from any open seats. All methods pick from the same available seats so the odds of getting tickets are the same regardless of method of purchase – for example there are no reserves held only for online purchase.

Online seat selection is determined by software that fills seats from front and center, and goes outward and then back row by row. Center sections are filled first, then side sections.

Some shows are extremely popular. These types of shows are highly anticipated, and may have literally hundreds, or even thousands of people who want to get tickets right away when they go on sale. The ticketing system processes requests in the order received, but when so many orders are submitted at the same time the difference between getting tickets and not getting them can be a fraction of a second.

When this happens a few minutes after the show first goes on sale – Some online buyers open multiple windows at the same time and select seats in each window. This temporarily “locks” those seats so no one else has access to them. These online buyers then let all the extra windows “time out” so all those seats are released for sale several minutes later. This also happens when customers do not complete their online transactions in the allotted time.

The Pabst Theater Group does not allow refunds or exchanges on purchases. Only in the event of a show being canceled will we offer a full refund.

The time limit prevents people from indefinitely blocking off seats so that no one can get the chance to purchase them. The system selects tickets in real time and holds them for you. No one else can purchase those tickets while they are held for you. The time limit is based on the normal amount of time it takes to complete a transaction, plus an extra cushion. This reasonable time limit allows others the chance to get the tickets if you let your time expire.

Some artists ask us to enforce a ticket purchase limit. However, we are often able to sell discounted tickets to larger groups. For more information please contact us at (414) 286-6200 or groups@ptglive.com.

Please check the event page for your specific event for the minimum age requirement prior to your purchase of tickets. For most events, all children who have reached their second birthday require a ticket to gain admittance to our venues. Any child who has yet to reach their second birthday does not require a ticket, however, must sit on a parent or guardian’s lap and they may not occupy their own seat.

Please note, that for certain children’s events, all children who have reached their first birthday may require a ticket.

• Our Historic Preservation Fee ($1.50 – $3.75 per ticket) is applied on most ticket orders.
• Wisconsin State Sales Tax (5.6%) is applied on the total sum of most orders.
• Some shows have an added credit card fee of 2.6%. To avoid this fee, cash purchases may be made at any of our box offices.
• When ordering tickets online or by phone you may be charged convenience ($1.50-$14.75 per ticket) and handling fees ($2.25-$6.50 per order) determined by ticket price. Tickets priced at $12 or under do not have convenience fees.
• In certain instances, all or some of the fees listed above are included in the listed ticket price. Please contact a box office representative if you wish to find the exact breakdown of ticketing fees for a particular show.

• We are your ONLY official source for tickets at our venues
• We do not encourage our tickets to be resold, and we never offer our tickets for auction. Tickets that are priced above face may not be valid.
• Many other websites try to sell tickets without our venues’ and our artists’ authorization. They’ll use our information, logos, charts, and photos of our venues to try to trick buyers into believing that they are selling actual tickets to our shows. Unfortunately many of these sellers are unscrupulous and are not even selling valid tickets.
• The Pabst Theater Group is not liable for invalid tickets purchased via third-party ticketing sites (such as Stubhub), auction sites (such as ebay), classifieds (such as craigslist), or any ticket broker.

• Tickets can ONLY be resold for face value (the price printed on the ticket) or less
• Tickets cannot be resold within 1500 feet of The Pabst, Riverside, Turner Hall Ballroom, or Colectivo Coffee
• We reserve the right to revoke any tickets sold in violation of our policies. Only a partial refund may be issued to original buyer

We often offer password protected advance purchase opportunities to our eMembers before tickets go on sale to the general public.

To become an eMember, simply enter your email address into the email address field at the bottom of this page. (We do not sell or share email addresses.) We send a unique password for each new show via email to allow advance purchase.

General Admission means that seating or standing areas are not assigned and are filled on a first-come, first-served basis (like in movie theatres).

Tickets are numbered for General Admission events, but the numbers are only for inventory and do not denote any actual seating or standing locations. Having a ticket for a general admission event guarantees that you’ll be able to attend the event, but it does not guarantee that there will be a seat.

Due to fire code and capacity restrictions, different levels/areas at each venue may close after the maximum number of patrons have entered those levels/areas.

Patrons who arrive closer to door time, rather than start time, for a performance will have a better chance of gaining access to areas closer to the stage and first floor levels.

Latecomers will be seated but may be asked to wait in the lobby until the house manager and/or ushers deem it’s an appropriate time to enter the theater.

If you have any seating questions or concerns during the performance, please talk to an usher or member of the box office.

We reserve sections for patrons with accessibility needs – these sections can have seats removed to fit wheelchairs. When the ADA seats are not needed for a show, they are released as Flex Seating. You’re guaranteed seats within that section, but we can’t tell you exactly which row you’ll end up in based on the ADA needs of other patrons.

If you are selecting seats and you see the locations are labeled as obstructed, it means the production and stage setup for every show can be different. We often don’t know ahead of time the size or placement of the speakers. In these situations we label the seats as obstructed because there is a potential that there could be sightline issues that won’t be confirmed until the night of the show. However, in most cases these seats are not obstructed.

If a show is postponed or cancelled we contact all purchasers who gave us contact information. In the event of a postponement all tickets purchased will be valid for the new date – no exchange required. If a show is cancelled those who purchased tickets through our official channels are entitled to refunds. Those who paid with charge cards will get the refunds processed automatically to the card used for purchase – there is no need to contact us. Those who paid with cash must present a photo ID at one of our box offices to claim their refunds.

Mailed Tickets

• Mailed tickets are sent to any Wisconsin state address or any address in Northern Illinois within two weeks of your purchase.
• We will not mail any tickets out of state except to Northern Illinois.
• Express shipping is also available. Express orders are shipped on the first business day after purchase and typically arrive within two business days

Will Call

• Will call tickets are held at the box office. A photo ID is required to pick up your tickets.
• If you have a Wisconsin or Northern Illinois ID, you may pick up your will call tickets during regular box office hours or beginning 2 hours before showtime.
• Out-of-area buyers (those outside of Wisconsin and Northern Illinois) may only pick up their tickets on the day of the performance
• We DO NOT allow third party exchanges. Only the original purchaser may pick up the tickets
• If you purchased tickets through Groupon or Living Social, your will call order will only be ready 1 hour prior to the show. Advanced pickup is not available for these tickets

Print@Home

• Print@Home tickets allow you to print your tickets out on your home printer. A confirmation email will be sent to you after you make your online purchase that includes a link to print out your tickets.
• Print@Home is not an option for out-of-state orders

If you ordered tickets through an official channel such as our website, phone lines, or box office and are eligible to have the tickets mailed or to pick them up ahead of time we can reprint your tickets at any time. Give us a call at (414) 286-3205 or stop by a box office with the photo ID of the purchaser and the charge card used to make the purchase.

We can answer general questions about any of our shows, but if you have a specific question regarding a ticket order placed through the fan club or artist page, you will need to go through the point of purchase. Most Fan Club ticket orders are only available to pick up at our box office on the night of the show, with a photo ID.

Unless there’s a specific ticket type involving a meet and greet for sale, we can’t guarantee whether a performer will choose to greet fans before or after a performance. Feel free to contact the box office to inquire about a ticketed meet and greet.

Yes, you will need to display your parking pass on your dash for the duration of the time you are parked in the structure.

You can return your parking pass to us, either at the box office or by mail (144 E Wells Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202) for a refund of your money.

No; we don’t have any agreement in place with the parking structure beneath our building.
Our vouchers cover parking within the structures at MAC Structure at 777 N. Milwaukee St. (for Pabst Theater shows), Gimbels Structure at 555 N. Plankinton Ave (for Riverside Theater shows), Edison Lot at 1301 N. Edison Street (for Turner Hall shows) and US Bank – Farwell Lot at 2303 N. Farwell Ave (for Colectivo shows).

To add parking to an existing ticket order, please call our box office directly at 414-286-3205. Alternately, in advance of the show, you can click here to buy a parking pass for the date and venue of your event. Display this on your dashboard when parking.

Unfortunately, unlike misplaced tickets, replacement parking passes are only available by purchase; If you’ve misplaced your voucher, feel free to email us at tickets@ptglive.com in advance of the show and we’ll have replacements available for you to purchase at will call.

No. You will need to display your parking pass on your dashboard upon entry of the structure for the duration of the time you are parked.

The Pabst, Riverside, Turner and Colectivo box offices are closed, but open on show days. 

Yes – please email us at lostandfound@ptglive.com along with your name, item details, and the show/venue it was lost at and we will try to reunite you with your belongings. Lost items will be held for no longer than 30 days. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items.

Video cameras, monopods, tripods, audio recording devices and cameras with telephoto or zoom lenses, including SLR’s, are not permitted inside Pabst/Riverside/Turner Hall/Colectivo Coffee at any time. This policy will be strictly enforced. You may use a camera phone or small, point and shoot device, however, cameras of any type may be prohibited from some events altogether.

Flash Photography inside Pabst/Riverside/Turner Hall/Colectivo Coffee is prohibited at all times. Flash photography is not only distracting to the performers, but to your fellow patrons as well.

Small purses (13″W x 4″D x 9″H and smaller) are allowed into the theater and are subject to search. All other bags including backpacks and oversize purses are strictly prohibited. The Pabst Theater, Riverside Theater, Turner Hall Ballroom, and Colectivo Coffee do not provide an area to check bags. We are not responsible for any personal property that is lost, stolen, or damaged.

We ask all guests to arrive early and travel light as you may be subject to search. We ask that our guests avoid

bringing unnecessary items. Pabst/Riverside/Turner Hall/Colectivo Coffee will utilize bag searches. Bags that have passed inspection must fit comfortably under your seat.

 

Weapons, laser pens, signs, banners, backpacks, oversized bags, electronic smoking devices (vapes, Juuls, etc.), outside food and beverages including water, cans, bottles, alcohol, illegal substances, iPads/tablets, selfie sticks, laptops, professional audio recording devices (unless approved by artist), and any professional photography equipment.

 

Our bars at the Pabst, Riverside and Turner Hall begin serving when doors open at any given show. Drinks are sold throughout performances. And yes, you can bring your drink in to the theater with you. We do not serve food on premise.

The Pabst Theater Group aims to provide comfortable and accessible seating for all of our guests. Please visit our ADA overview page or call the box office directly (414-286-3205) for assistance with accessibility needs (please leave a message on our voicemail if no one answers. We will return your call within one business day).

We’re able to accommodate disabled patrons at all of our shows. All three of our venues have accessible entrances and accessible seating, as well as elevators. Call the box office or send an email to ada@ptglive.com, and someone on our staff will happily explain to you what we’ll do to assist you.

No refunds. No exchanges. We reserve the right to change the method of delivery to Will Call (pick-up at the box office) at any time after purchase. If we make this change the ticket(s) may be picked up within 2 hours of the show’s start time and a photo ID and the charge card used for the purchase will be required to claim the ticket.

Tickets may not be resold for any amount above face value. If the ticket is found to be offered for resale we may invalidate the barcode, refund the ticket price less a restocking charge, and the purchaser will forfeit all fees. The ticket may not be resold within 1500 feet of the venue.

All performances, performers, dates, and times are subject to change without notice.

Everyone, regardless of age, must have a ticket to be admitted into the venue.

Ticketholders are admitted subject to the following stipulations:

1. This is a revocable license for admittance
2. The venue and/or promoter may be the exclusive owner of the copyright for this performance
3. All attendees grant unrestricted rights & licenses for use of their likenesses in any form of public broadcast or reproduction
4. We reserve the right to search all persons, packages, and bags entering the premises
5. We reserve the right to refuse admission or eject anyone from the premises due to disorderly behavior without issuing a refund
6. Only the venue may determine which is the valid ticket if multiple copies are found.
7. All venue policies and procedures are subject to change without notice.

WARNING! You are at YOUR OWN RISK with respect to the dangers incidental to the event.

No weapons of any kind are allowed in any of our venues, whether concealed or carried openly.

Enjoy the show!