The Apollo Theater Announces New Dates For Amateur Night At The Apollo

WHAT: The non-profit Apollo Theater, home to America’s longest running talent show, Amateur Night, announced a return to its weekly format for its live and in-person competitions every Wednesday. Known for its notoriously tough “Be Good or Be Gone” audience who “cheer” or “boo” each contestant, attendees are crucial in determining which participants will go on to compete for the chance to win this year’s champion title and grand prize of $20,000. Since its inception in 1934, Amateur Night has played a major role in the cultivation of artists who have gone on to influence genres across the musical spectrum, win numerous Grammy Awards, and perform to sold-out crowds.

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Tickets, starting at $28, are on sale now at www.ApolloTheater.org for all performances, including the grand finale on Wednesday, November 23. Harlem residents, employees, business owners, and students can save 50% on tickets through Apollo’s Half off for Harlem program at www.ApolloTheater.org/half-off-for-harlem.

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The Apollo’s original, large-scale talent competition is hosted by comedian and Bronx native Capone (NY Kings of Comedy, Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam) and features perennial favorites including C.P. Lacey in the role of the “Executioner” (in charge of ushering off eliminated contestants); Greginald Spencer, the “Set It Off Man”; and the Apollo’s Amateur Night house band led by music director, Michael Mitchell (MJ The Musical).

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For more than 80 years, Amateur Night has been a coveted testing ground for up-and-coming artists who have gone on to become some of the biggest artists in the world, including H.E.R., D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Machine Gun Kelly, and Ella Fitzgerald – who won the very first year. Amateur Night at the Apollo is produced by Marion J. Caffey along with coordinator Kathy Jordan Sharpton.

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WHEN: Every Wednesday at 7:30pm EST
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WHERE: Live and in-person at the Apollo Theater
253 W. 125th Street between Frederick Douglas Blvd and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd.
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TICKETS AND INFORMATION

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Tickets for Amateur Night at the Apollo are available now at www.ApolloTheater.org and in-person at the Apollo box office (253 W. 125th Street). Harlem residents, employees, business owners, and students can save 50% on tickets through Apollo’s Half off for Harlem program at www.ApolloTheater.org/half-off-for-harlem.
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COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

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The health and safety of our audiences, artists, and staff is the Apollo’s top priority. Please note that all attendees must present a government-issued picture ID prior to entry. Photo ID for children under 12 will not be required if they are accompanied by parents/guardians with government-issued photo ID. All attendees are required to wear masks inside the theater, and there is no eating or drinking allowed. For a complete list of the Apollo’s COVID-19 safety protocols, please visit www.ApolloTheater.org.
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ACCESIBILITY

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The Apollo is wheelchair accessible throughout the building and offers assisted listening devices. For more information on accessibility or to request special assistance, please visit apollotheater.org/accessibility or contact the Apollo Box office at access@apollotheater.org or (212) 531-5305.
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SPONSORS

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Amateur Night at the Apollo is made possible by leadership support from Coca-Cola. Public support for the Apollo Theater is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

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ABOUT THE APOLLO

The legendary Apollo—the soul of American culture—plays a vital role in cultivating emerging artists and launching legends. Since its founding, The Apollo has served as a center of innovation and a creative catalyst for Harlem, the city of New York, and the world. In 2024, The Apollo opened The Apollo Stages at the Victoria Theater, marking the first ever expansion and renovation of The Apollo in its nearly 90-year history. The Apollo also has plans to renovate its Historic Theater. For more information about The Apollo, visit www.ApolloTheater.org.

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With music at its core, The Apollo’s programming extends to dance, theater, spoken word, and more. This includes the world premiere of the theatrical adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World and Me and the New York premiere of the opera We Shall Not Be Moved; special programs such as the blockbuster concert Bruno Mars Live at the Apollo; 100: The Apollo Celebrates Ella; and the annual Africa Now! Festival. The non-profit Apollo is a performing arts presenter, commissioner, and collaborator that also produces festivals, large-scale dance and musical works organized around a set of core initiatives that celebrate and extend The Apollo’s legacy through a contemporary lens, including the Women of the World (WOW) Festival as well as other multidisciplinary collaborations with partner organizations.

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Since introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, The Apollo has served as a testing ground for new artists working across a variety of art forms and has ushered in the emergence of many new musical genres—including jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul, and hip-hop. Among the countless legendary performers who launched their careers at The Apollo are Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, H.E.R. D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Jazmine Sullivan, Machine Gun Kelly, and Miri Ben Ari; and The Apollo’s forward-looking artistic vision continues to build on this legacy. For more information about The Apollo, visit www.ApolloTheater.org.

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