Frequently Asked Questions
How can we help you?
Your experience with San Francisco Ballet is important to us. Browse the topics below for answers to frequently asked questions.
TICKETS
Tickets for the 2025–2026 Season on sale now. View the season.
A variety of packages are on sale now. Choose from a 6-program series or Create Your Own series. View Packages here.
SF Ballet strongly advises against purchasing tickets from any source other than SF Ballet. The official website for tickets to all San Francisco Ballet performances at the War Memorial Opera House is sfballet.org.
If you purchase from another website, such as an unauthorized reseller, or ticket scalper, the tickets may not be valid for admission. We will not exchange, or reprint tickets purchased through an unauthorized reseller.
Tips to protect yourself
- Only buy from the official ticket source.
- On search engines, be wary of the listing marked as an AD (unless you see sfballet.org). These are paid listings and could be an unauthorized reseller.
- If the prices posted are higher than those found on sfballet.org, you are likely on an unauthorized reseller website.
- If the site only lists rows without seat numbers, that can be an indication you are on an unauthorized reseller website.
- If the performance you would like to purchase does not have any available seats on sfballet.org, call SF Ballet’s Ticket Services at 415-865-2000 to discuss your options.
Facility Fee
The ticket price for every seat in the War Memorial Opera House includes a $1 or $2 facility fee.
Ticket Exchanges
- Principal 6 Series subscribers enjoy fee-free advance exchanges. On the day of the performance, exchanges can be made until 3 hours before performance start time and incur a $25 per order fee.
- Create Your Own (CYO) and Mini Package subscribers incur a $20 per order fee after January 5, 2026, and a $25 per ticket fee when exchanging on the same day until 3 hours before performance start time.
- Single Ticket buyers incur a $20 per order fee when exchanging until 2 weeks before the performance, and a $25 per ticket fee until 24 hours before the performance. Day of show exchanges are not allowed.
Tickets cannot be exchanged 3 hours prior to the performance start time. Within the 3 hours prior to the performance, tickets may be donated for resale until the scheduled start time by calling 415-865-2000. Ticket donations do not apply toward annual giving levels or membership benefits.
If you need to exchange your tickets, please call Ticket and Patron Services at 415-865-2000.
Please note, exchanges may result in a difference in availability and ticket price. If the exchanged tickets result in a higher price the difference will need to be paid to complete the exchange. We are unable to refund the difference in cost if the exchange results in a lower price in compliance with SF Ballet’s Conditions of Use.
Single tickets: $20 per order exchange fee until two weeks before the performance. Less than two weeks, $25 per ticket exchange fee until the day of show. No exchanges day of show.
Principal 6 Series packages: Fee-free advance ticket exchange until the day of show. On the performance date, there is a $20 per order exchange fee until 3 hours before the scheduled start time. Exchanges within the 3 hours before the scheduled start time are not allowed.
Flight of Four, Mini, and Create Your Own packages: There is a $20 per order advance exchange fee until the day of show – WAIVED until January 5, 2026. Day of show exchange incurs a $25 per ticket fee until 3 hours before the scheduled start time. Exchanges within the 3 hours before the scheduled start time are not allowed.
If you are unable to use or exchange your tickets, call Ticket Services before the scheduled start time to return tickets for a tax-deductible donation receipt. Ticket donations do not apply toward annual giving levels or membership benefits. For questions, please consult your tax advisor.
Yes, we have discounted tickets on select shows. Visit our Offers page later this winter to see our latest offers and promo codes.
SEASON TICKETS
Purchase a Principal 6 Series and save up to 30% off the regular ticket price depending on seating section selected. Click here to view all Season Packages.
RUSH FOR ALL
We’re pleased to offer limited discount tickets for select performances during the Repertory Season. When offered, Rush tickets go on sale on the day of the performance starting at 10 am and go off sale the hour before curtain. Limit of 2 tickets per household.
STANDING ROOM
Standing-room-only (SRO) tickets are $10, available in person on the day of the performance at the SF Ballet Box Office at the War Memorial Opera House or by calling 415-865-2000. This ticket allows for standing at rear of the main floor and the rear of the balcony for SF Ballet performance at the Opera House. The SRO section is behind a 4’4″ wall. Cash is preferred for a quick transaction. Prices may differ for some special events.
GROUP TICKETS
Interested in seeing ballet with all your friends and family? We offer discounted prices for groups of 20 or more. Call 415-865-2000 for details.
We hold your Will Call tickets at the SF Ballet Box Office located in the Main Lobby of the War Memorial Opera House (301 Van Ness Avenue at Grove Street) where performances take place. The Ballet Box Office is open only on performance days, starting four hours before the performance. We suggest arriving at least 45 minutes prior to the performance because the lines can get long and you want to be in your seat before the lights dim. Parking, traffic, and transportation delays are unpredictable, so plan to arrive early as latecomers will not be seated until intermission during Repertory Season.
You can print your tickets at home. Simply login to your account at sfballet.org, select the Tickets & Performances tab and reprint your tickets. Please note, reprinting your tickets will invalidate any previous versions. Call Ticket Services at 415-865-2000 for assistance.
Standing-room-only tickets are $10, available in person on the day of the performance at SF Ballet’s Box Office at the War Memorial Opera House, or by calling 415-865-2000. This ticket allows for standing at rear of the main floor and the rear of the balcony for SF Ballet performance at the Opera House. The SRO section is behind a 4’4″ wall. Cash is preferred for a quick transaction. Prices may differ for some special events.
Every body entering the Opera House, regardless of age, must have a ticket, and children must occupy their own seat next to an accompanying adult. No lap sitting.
We do not allow children under 3 in the auditorium, including babes in arms.
Consider selecting an aisle seat when bringing your children in case a quick exit is needed for an unavoidable visit to the restroom, or for a talkative or restless child. Please be aware that if you leave your seat, it is unlikely that you will be able to return to it while the performance is in progress.
Anyone (of any age) creating a disturbance will be asked to leave the auditorium and these tickets will not be refunded.
Full-length ballets are evening-length works typically with two or three acts. Some full-length works are called story ballets because they follow a narrative and are often based on classic tales from literature or opera such as Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Romeo & Juliet. Some full-length ballets like Jewels and Shostakovich Trilogy are abstract.
A mixed-bill ballet program has something for everyone, featuring a selection of two to four unrelated short works that make up an evening of entertainment. The individual works may be based on a story, or they may be more abstract—the works may be classical or contemporary. A mixed-bill program can be an excellent introduction to ballet, providing a variety of complementary dances, choreographers, and styles.
These definitions are general and there may be exceptions to the rule.
TICKET EXCHANGE
If you need to exchange your tickets, please call Ticket and Patron Services at 415-865-2000.
Please note, exchanges may result in a difference in availability and ticket price. If the exchanged tickets result in a higher price the difference will need to be paid to complete the exchange. We are unable to refund the difference in cost if the exchange results in a lower price in compliance with SF Ballet’s Conditions of Use.
Single tickets: $20 per order exchange fee until two weeks before the performance. Less than two weeks, $25 per ticket exchange fee until the day of show. No exchanges day of show.
Principal 6 Series packages: Fee-free advance ticket exchange until the day of show. On the performance date, there is a $20 per order exchange fee until 3 hours before the scheduled start time. Exchanges within the 3 hours before the scheduled start time are not allowed.
Flight of Four, Mini, and Create Your Own packages: There is a $20 per order advance exchange fee until the day of show – WAIVED until January 5, 2026. Day of show exchange incurs a $25 per ticket fee until 3 hours before the scheduled start time. Exchanges within the 3 hours before the scheduled start time are not allowed.
If you are unable to use or exchange your tickets, call Ticket Services before the scheduled start time to return tickets for a tax-deductible donation receipt. Ticket donations do not apply toward annual giving levels or membership benefits. For questions, please consult your tax advisor.
All sales are final. Tickets are non-refundable. No cancellations.
Please consider donating them to SF Ballet for resale. Call Ticket Services at 415-865-2000 any time prior to your performance to donate your tickets for a tax-deductible donation. Ticket donations do not apply toward membership benefits.
IN THE OPERA HOUSE
Transportation, traffic, and parking can be unpredictable, so make your outing stress-free by allowing extra time to assure an early arrival at the Opera House. The Opera House lobby opens one hour before the performance begins and serves as a wonderful backdrop for selfies and enjoying food and beverage. If your tickets are at Will Call, it’s best to be at the Box Office at least 45 minutes early because the lines to pick up the tickets can be long.
We sympathize with you, but for the sake of the performers and other audience members, there is no late seating while the performance is in progress during the Repertory Season. Latecomers, as well as those who leave the theater during the performance, can stand in Standing Room, or watch on a monitor. During Nutcracker, the same late seating and re-entry rules apply though there may be times of late seating at the discretion of house management.
Transportation, traffic, and parking are unpredictable, so allow extra time to arrive and get to your seats well before the scheduled start time. Make your outing stress-free by arriving early to visit a favorite shop or restaurant in Hayes Valley or to enjoy dinner and drinks in the Opera House.
You should wear whatever you like and what makes you comfortable. You will see some people in gowns, and you’ll see others in jeans. If you are looking for an opportunity to wear that new cocktail dress or suit, this is a great opportunity to do so. If you prefer to dress more casually, then, by all means, come as you are. However, we do ask that if you choose to wear a hat, please remove it once indoors.
Opera glasses are available for rent for $5 at the North coat check on the main lobby. Cash only.
Yes. Seats on the left side of the theater are odd-numbered and seats on the right side are even-numbered, with a few exceptions. Seats in the center section of Grand Tier Center and Balcony Circle are numbered consecutively from seats 101-114. Center Boxes are consecutively numbered 1-8, with three seats in the first row, three seats in the second row, and two seats in the third row.
Don’t worry. Simply show your ticket to an usher and they will help you find your seat. Or, view our Seat Maps.
Drinks purchased inside the Opera House and in a cup with lid may be brought inside the auditorium. Food is not allowed in the auditorium.
SF Ballet performs at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco.
War Memorial Opera House
301 Van Ness Avenue
At Grove Street in the Civic Center neighborhood.
The Opera House is within walking distance of MUNI, BART, and other transit systems.
Yes. The Opera House has accessible seating on the Orchestra and Dress Circle levels. Call 415-865-2000 for more information and to purchase accessible seating.
Persons with wheelchairs may enter and exit the Opera House through the front doors (Van Ness Avenue), Taxi Ramp (Grove Street), and Carriage Entrance (north side).
Accessible restrooms are located on all floors except the Orchestra and Balcony levels.
Accessible drinking fountains are located on all floors except the 5th floor Balcony level.
PUBLIC INFORMATION REGARDING PATRON WHEELCHAIR ASSISTANCE GUIDELINES
- SF Ballet is unable to provide patrons with a wheelchair or personal assistance to navigate around the Opera House.
- If you will be arriving to the Opera House in a wheelchair, and require assistance with activities of daily living, including transferring to a seat, your caregiver will be granted un-ticketed entry to assist you and then wait in the lobby for the performance to conclude.
- Only in the case of unforeseen medical needs can our house EMTs provide medical assistance and/or transport.
Yes. Lost & Found is located at the north coat check room on the Main Lobby level of the Opera House.
Following performances and events in the Opera House, unclaimed items are taken to the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center (WMPAC) main office at 401 Van Ness, Room 110. Please email wmpac-lostandfound@sfgov.org or leave a voicemail message at 415-621-6600 to see if your lost item has been found. Walk-in inquiries are not possible.
While WMPAC makes every effort to reunite you with your property as quickly as possible, please note that it can take 3 days or more for items from our venues to be brought to the Main Office, sorted, and catalogued. Lost items are retained for a period of 30 days from the date they are found, after which they are donated to local charities.
If located, your items will be returned by USPS mail or may be picked up by appointment only. Please do not send multiple emails or leave duplicate voicemail messages. These slow efforts to provide efficient services to you and other guests.
All bags are subject to search upon arrival. Currently, clear bags are not required.
Patrons may bring bags into the auditorium, but they must fit under the seat or on the patron’s lap (approximately 14x14x6).
Patrons with large items, inclusive of, but not limited to large backpacks, luggage, shopping bags, and other large packages that will not fit comfortably at the seat will be asked to check those items at coat check.
