The spirit of the Broadway community shined bright through stormy conditions on September 27, 2026, as the Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction moved from the bustling streets of NYC’s Theater District into the Hammerstein Ballroom. Rain or shine, Broadway’s biggest treasure hunt united theater fans for an uplifting celebration that made a lifesaving impact.

The 40th annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction raised $1,487,927.

As a nor’easter swept across Manhattan with rain and winds, the theater community came together to ensure the beloved tradition could continue as scheduled. Inside Hammerstein Ballroom, fans celebrated the shows and artists they love. 

“We couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who helped us turn a daunting day into such a successful one, despite everything the weather threw our way,” Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Executive Director Danny Whitman said. “The day was a reminder of what theater people do best: show up for each other. That generosity stretches far beyond this one remarkable day. In the months ahead, it will translate into meals, medication, healthcare and hope for people who need them most.”

Sixty tables were filled to the brim with posters, stage-used props, costumes, set pieces, vintage Playbills and other one-of-a-kind keepsakes from Broadway past and present. One fan who traveled from Arizona claimed a larger-than-life pawn from the set of Chess, while Cats: The Jellicle Ball enthusiasts clacked their fans and celebrated the beloved revival with custom-made signs used onstage to cheer on the fierce felines. Lucky Moulin Rouge! The Musical fans took home pieces of the show’s golden proscenium, while Veronica’s croquet mallet from Heathers: The Musical found a new home outside Westerburg High.

Straight from Tulsa ‘67, fans of The Outsiders were surprised by special appearances by cast members Dan Berry, Caleb Mathura, Nicholas McDonough, Noah Pacht, Emma Pittman and SeQuoiia, who led impromptu auctions of stage-worn jeans, jackets and sneakers from the show. Gianna Harris rocked out at the & Juliet table, Emmet Smith charmed fans at the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child table and Amanda Jill Robinson brought smiles to the Operation Mincemeat enthusiasts.  The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee cast showed off their S-P-I-R-I-T as Leana Rae Concepcion, Jon Cryer and Alex Newell stopped by to support the Bee. Sam Gravitte, Martin Landry and Hannah Solow made an appearance at the Oh, Mary! table, chatting with fans, while Ann Harada and Maulik Pancholy brought the magic of Schmigadoon! townsfolk to their show’s table.

Eighteen Broadway and Off-Broadway shows hosted tables at this year’s event: & Juliet, Aladdin, Hadestown, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Just in Time, The Lion King, Little Shop of Horrors, The Lost Boys, Maybe Happy Ending, Oh, Mary!, Operation Mincemeat, The Outsiders, Schmigadoon!, Six, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) and Wicked. A special Curtain Call table offered unique mementos from shows that recently ended their runs, including Death Becomes Her, Dog Day Afternoon and Titaníque.

Together, the 60 tables raised $685,124. The Lost Boys set a record for an individual table hitting $104,376.

The Top 10 tables were: 

The Lost Boys	$104,376
Hadestown	$59,972
The Outsiders	$57,576
Association of Theatrical Press Agents & Managers	$44,999
Operation Mincemeat	$43,035
Curtain Call	$24,054
Oh, Mary!	$20,119
Maybe Happy Ending	$17,199
Just In Time	$16,881

The all-day event concluded with the electrifying live auction, which raised a record-breaking $562,300.

The highest-raising lot was a luxurious adventure to London, complete with three pairs of tickets to West End shows and roundtrip business class flights on United, that went for $30,000. A killer meet-and-greet experience with the cast of The Lost Boys followed at $22,000, while the chance to shadow a stage manager at Wicked brought $20,000. Auctioneer Nick Nicholson and host Bryan Batt led the bidding with exhilarating charisma and charm. 

The day’s 156 silent auction lots raised $206,450. Among the highest bids were items from two recently closed shows: Ricky Rojas’ acoustic guitar signed by Rojas, Danny Burstein, Aaron Tveit and additional Moulin Rouge! The Musical cast members went for $15,500. Satine’s swing from the show brought $9,000. Chess also proved to be a favorite, with the knight set piece signed by Nicholas Christopher, Lea Michele, Bryce Pinkham and Aaron Tveit going for $6,300 and an opening night Playbill signed by the cast for $6,200. The silent auction was hosted by Todd Buonopane, Michael Goddard and Kimberly Marable, with auctioneer Dan Perry.

Thirty-nine Broadway performers greeted fans at the Autograph Table & Photo Booth, including Shoshana Bean, LJ Benet, Danny Burstein, Sara Chase, Max Clayton, Shannon Cochran, Lorna Courtney, Ayana Cymone, Jennifer Duka, Claybourne Elder, Barrett Foa, Ann Harada, Gianna Harris, Amber Iman, Troy Iwata, Eva Kaminsky, Jessi Kirtley, Julia Knitel, Bianca Leigh, Ariana Madix, Kevin McHale, Paul Alexander Nolan, Bernadette Peters, Zachary Noah Piser, Emma Pittman, Christiani Pitts, Ryann Redmond, Amanda Jill Robinson, Victor de Paula Rocha, Reg Rogers, George Salazar, Jennifer Simard, Hannah Solow, Carrie St. Louis, Sam Tutty, Valentina, Donald Webber Jr., Betsy Wolfe and Kara Young.

Fans across the country joined Broadway’s biggest treasure hunt online through FleaBay, a limited-edition feature in the Broadway Cares eBay store offering one-of-a-kind and handcrafted collectibles for bidding. Items from shows including John Proctor is the Villain, The Lost Boys, Moulin Rouge! The Musical and more helped FleaBay raise a record $34,053.

The Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction is one of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ longest-running traditions. The event had its humble beginnings four decades ago with two tables set up by cast members and stage managers of A Chorus Line outside their stage door in Shubert Alley. Now, the cherished community event has grown into one of the most anticipated events of the season for theater lovers to unite.

Each treasure discovered, each auction lot won and each poster signed directly supports a safety net of essential services for those in the performing arts community and provides lifesaving medication, healthy meals, counseling, housing and hope to people nationwide living with HIV/AIDS and other critical illnesses.

The Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction is supported by corporate sponsor The New York Times.

Photos by Angela of York, Michael Hull, Rebecca J. Michelson
Video by Josh Drake, Edlyn González and Víctor Rodríguez; Video editing by Josh Drake

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