Helpful Tips

There isn’t a bad seat in the house! Some audience members prefer to sit closer to the stage, in the orchestra sections, so they can be closer to the performers and see them more clearly, while others sit in the balcony where they can see the entire orchestra or ballet company at once.  Many of our guests also enjoy the experience on the lawn to picnic or spread out with family and friends.  

There is no dress code at SPAC! Feel like wearing jeans and a tee shirt? Awesome! How about a suit and tie or a cocktail dress? Great! You will see a variety in the way audience members dress. 

There’s no need to study before you attend a performance, just come and enjoy! However, some concertgoers do find the performance to be more enjoyable if they do a little preparation beforehand.   This can be as simple as visiting the performance page on our website for details about the program or reading the program notes found in the house program when you arrive for the show. It’s entirely up to you, but the performance will speak for itself!   

Most classical concerts and ballets last approximately 2 hours with one or two 20 minute intermission(s). Select productions are 90 minutes with no intermission. Run times are also listed on our website and this house program. 

For orchestral performances, the concert will begin with the Concertmaster coming onstage. The audience claps as a welcome, and as a sign of appreciation to all the musicians. After the orchestra tunes, the conductor (and sometimes a soloist!) will come onstage and everyone will clap to welcome them, too. 

A symphony or large orchestral piece may be comprised of multiple movements (they will be listed in your program). The audience will applaud at the conclusion of the entire piece and tries to avoid clapping in between movements so as not break the concentration of the performers. When in doubt, it’s always safe to wait and follow what the rest of the audience does. If you do applaud between movements, don’t worry, what’s most important is you enjoyed the performance! 

For ballet performances with live music, the audience will clap when the conductor first appears. Similar to movements of orchestral pieces, ballets have separate sections. However, unlike the orchestra, audiences will applaud at the end of each section and the ballet as a whole, or even when a dancer does something impressive. 

If you are a seasoned concert-goer, it’s important to recognize guests around you may be less familiar with concert behavior. Thank you for helping us create a welcoming environment. We want to make sure that first timers are excited to come back.

Before the performance begins, we welcome photography and video of your SPAC experience– feel free to tag us on social media (Facebook/Instagram) and we may share it to our stories!    

Once the curtain rises, please silence your electronic devices and refrain from using them until intermission or the end of the performance. The use of flash photography or any kind of recording devices are prohibited. 

Listen for the chimes, which will sound approximately five minutes before the show. If you are sitting in the amphitheater, please stay seated until intermission. Latecomers will be seated with discretion of the ushers until there is a pause in the program.

Did you know? Kids under 12 are free on the lawn and receive 50% off seats in the amphitheater for performances of the New York City Ballet, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and Saratoga Jazz Festival! Bringing the whole family? See full details on our Ways To Save page! 

In addition, we host family friendly programming including our film nights with The Philadelphia Orchestra and our NYCB On and Off Stage productions.  

To learn more about family workshops and interactive classes as part of our education program, visit spacschool.org.  

We have medical staff onsite and readily available. If there is an emergency, please call the Saratoga Spa State Park police : (518) 584-2004. 

Golf carts are available to assist guests with disabilities from the entrance to their seats. 

Please see our Accessibility page for more details.