If you are feeling the blues about the end of the Dancing With the Stars season, we’ve got you covered with all the insider information you need to tide you over until Season 33 — especially if you want to see the show in person! The good news about watching the long-running series in-person is that the tickets won’t cost you a thing. Yes, we are talking F-R-E-E! However, they are usually handed out less than a week before the show, so it’s helpful if you live in the Southern California area or can fly on a whim to the West Coast.

How to Get Tickets
The company that handles the tickets for Dancing With the Stars is On Camera Audiences. Just click on the tab for the show on the home page and hit the “Join Waitlist” button. It will take you to a tab that will ask you to fill out simple information like your name, email, phone number, and date of birth (children need to be 12 and over to attend a taping). Be sure to click the newsletter button at the bottom to get the scoop each week for ticket availability in the fall.

More: Meet the real-life partners of the Dancing With the Stars judges

Wardrobe
Now that you’ve secured your tickets, what should you wear to the show? Believe it or not, Dancing With the Stars gives you loose guidelines on how you should dress because you might be on TV. This is the time to dust off your sparkly dress or favorite suit because they prefer you to look ballroom best. Skip anything with a logo, dress warmly because it’s chilly in the studio, and don’t you dare try and break in a new pair of shoes at the show — go for comfort because you will be standing more than sitting before and during the taping.

Season 32 Dancing With the Stars champions: Xochitl Gomez and pro Val Chmerkovskiy.

Credit: Disney/Eric McCandless

Swag
While there isn’t a fancy gift shop to buy any souvenirs at Dancing With the Stars, you might get lucky and win a T-shirt while you are there. The show has an audience warm-up comedian who will let you know when you need to sit, stand, or clap — and yes, he’s the one who encourages the guests to boo Carrie Ann Inaba when she enforces her “Lift Police” rules.

Seating
The studio will probably look smaller to you in person because the camera lens makes the space look huge. However, it’s a pretty big soundstage for TV (you would be shocked to see how tiny Saturday Night Live‘s studios are). You could be seated on the main floor, on the first balcony, or high up in the rafters on the second balcony. While there isn’t a bad seat in the house, consider yourself extra lucky if you find yourself on the main floor which is usually reserved for the pros and contestants’ family and friends — and you might see a former contestant back for a visit, too. If you are seated behind the judges, get ready for your close up because everyone at home will recognize you.

More: Cheryl Burke admits she’s lost friends since her exit

Group Numbers
Did you know the big dance numbers are pre-taped? There’s just not enough time at the top of the show for quick costume changes, so you will likely watch the pros dance the opening number one or two times, along with the opening introduction. Fun fact: The Len Goodman tribute number was only taped once — and the standing ovation afterwards ran far longer than what the viewers at home saw last season. This is also a great reminder to watch the show at home later on Hulu or Disney +. It’s sometimes hard to hear the hosts and judges over the crowds and music — and the video monitors are at a strange angle, so watching the packages ahead of the dances are sometimes tricky.

Cell Phones
Back in the day, they used to collect cell phones ahead of the show and didn’t allow you to capture any photos inside the studio. The last few seasons, photography before the show and after the show is permitted. So, grab that souvenir snapshot with the mirror ball hanging from the ceiling, and if you are lucky enough, you might be able to get a selfie with someone from the show. Just a word of caution, they will call you out very publicly if you try to record while the show is live. Please be a courteous Dancing With the Stars fan so we don’t lose that privilege!

Dancing With the Stars pros hit the dance floor during Season 32.

Credit: Disney/Eric McCandless

More: Julianne Hough reveals a major change

After the Show
Longtime fans know that Mixology was the place to hang out after the show for over a decade, but the restaurant sadly closed during the pandemic (RIP!). It’s a little harder to catch the cast out in the wild these days, but sometimes you will find a pro and their families having dinner at The Grove next door. Just remember to be courteous and wait until they’ve finished their meal to ask for a photo. Those dancers are hungry after a long day, and they deserve a dinner without interruption. (And by the way, you will be hungry too — it’s a long afternoon of taping that doesn’t usually wrap until a little after 7 p.m. PT.)

Hopefully, these tips will get you dusting off those dance shoes and waltzing into a seat next season. But before you go, find out who we think are the frontrunners for the Season 33 cast of Dancing With the Stars. 

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