Best Dance Recital Ticketing Platform in New Zealand (2026)
We compared the leading event ticketing platforms for New Zealand dance shows on the things that actually decide a recital: who builds your seating chart, what families pay at checkout, and whether there is a real app for show day. Stage Stubs came first.
How We Chose
This is a buyer's guide for the New Zealand studio owner staring down a recital, not a generic events round-up. If you just want to sell recital tickets online, any of these will do it; the differences show up in the details. We weighted four things NZ studios tell us matter most.
Seating setup. Will someone build your allocated-seating plan from your venue layout, or are you placing every row yourself days before the show? The fee families see. A booking fee they can read on the ticket page beats a tidy headline price with extras bolted on at checkout.
Recital-day apps. A web-only box office is the wrong tool in the wings; studios want QR scanning and live sales from a phone. Support that knows dance. Multiple performances, overlapping casts, and per-family limits are normal for a recital and alien to platforms built for conferences. See the full pricing breakdown or browse our recital features.
The Best Dance Recital Ticketing Platforms, Ranked
Three platforms New Zealand studios actually use, scored on seating, fees, show-day apps, and dance-specific support.
Stage Stubs
Editor's ChoiceThe only platform here built solely for dance. We build your seating chart from your venue layout, the iOS and Android apps handle scanning and live sales on show day, and parents pay one $0.30 + 2.9% booking fee with nothing added late at checkout.
Pros
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White-glove seating: send a PDF, photo, or sketch of your venue and we build the chart for you -
Free for organisers, with no setup, subscription, or payout fees; only buyers pay the $0.30 + 2.9% booking fee -
Native iOS and Android apps for QR scanning at the door and live sales backstage -
Made for recitals: performer limits, multiple shows of the same cast, and dance-literate phone, email, and chat support -
Weekly payouts with no minimum, plus merchandise add-ons and discount codes
Cons
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Specialised for dance recitals, so it is not the tool for conferences or club nights -
Tickets are digital e-tickets and print-at-home, rather than collectible printed stubs
- Fees
- $0.30 + 2.9% buyer fee (free for organisers)
- Best for
- New Zealand dance studios that need a done-for-you seating chart and recital-day apps.
TryBooking
The strongest rival on this list in New Zealand: a low $0.50 buyer fee, a fair feature set, and local know-how. The trade is a 2.5% organiser processing fee and a DIY seating editor instead of done-for-you charts.
Pros
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Low buyer fee at $0.50 per ticket, and free for free events -
Australasian platform with local support and the option to pass fees on, absorb them, or split them -
Built-in reserved seating, discount codes, and merchandise add-ons -
Established community-event following with straightforward, transparent pricing
Cons
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The 2.5% processing fee lands on the organiser by default, so you absorb it or pass it to families -
Seating plans are DIY in an editor; there is no done-for-you seating chart service -
No dance specialism; funds are held until you request a transfer, which it recommends doing after the event
- Fees
- $0.50 + 2.5% (buyer fee + organiser processing)
- Best for
- Cost-first studios happy to absorb the processing fee and build their own seating plan.
Eventbrite
Wide reach and a polished checkout, but the higher New Zealand fees, lack of dance focus, and thin human support make it a costly fit for recitals specifically.
Pros
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Huge brand recognition and built-in discovery, so some buyers already trust the checkout -
Strong marketing and reporting tools, plus native iOS and Android apps with QR scanning -
Free for free events and free for organisers to list paid events -
Mature platform that handles high-volume on-sales without trouble
Cons
-
By far the most expensive option here, which hits New Zealand families hardest on lower-priced seats -
A generic events platform with no dance features, no performer limits, and no recital workflow -
Widely reported reliance on bots and limited human support; cancel and refund, and Eventbrite keeps its fees
- Fees
- 3.7% + $1.79 + 2.9% per ticket
- Best for
- Organisers who value its discovery and brand familiarity for one-off public events.
Every platform compared
The things New Zealand dance studios ask about most, side by side. Stage Stubs is highlighted.
| Stage Stubs Our pick | TryBooking | Eventbrite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buyer booking fee | $0.30 + 2.9% | $0.50 + 2.5% org. | ~6.6% + $1.79 |
| Free for organisers |
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2.5% processing |
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| Built specifically for dance |
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| Seating chart built for you |
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| Dance-specialist support |
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Swipe the table to compare every platform →
Why Studios Put Stage Stubs First
You should not have to build your own seating chart. The other platforms here hand you a blank grid. Send us your venue PDF, photo, or sketch and we build the chart for you, or walk you through it.
Recital day needs a real app. Stage Stubs has native iOS and Android apps for QR check-in at the door and live sales backstage. A web-only tab that times out in the wings is a known failure point on show day.
Popular shows need fairness controls. Families often bring several guests per dancer, and many studios run more than one performance, so popular shows sell out fast. Per-family ticket limits and priority windows stop grandparents and siblings being locked out. Read more on the Stage Stubs blog or see how we compare in our TryBooking comparison.
It is more than a checkout. Dress your listing with ready-made recital show themes, add discount codes and merchandise, and use our free studio tools, all at no cost to you.
What Families Actually Pay
On a low-priced recital seat, the booking fee is what a grandparent grumbles about. Stage Stubs charges $0.30 + 2.9% to buyers. Here is the same basket against the priciest option on this list, Eventbrite.
Eventbrite figures use its New Zealand schedule of 3.7% + $1.79 + 2.9%. TryBooking ($0.50 + 2.5%) sits between Stage Stubs and Eventbrite.
When a Rival Might Suit You Better
TryBooking wins on raw buyer cost: a $0.50 buyer fee is hard to beat on cheaper seats, provided you are happy to absorb the 2.5% processing or build your own seating plan. If you also run markets, festivals, or community events, its general-purpose approach may suit you. See the full comparison.
Eventbrite earns its place only on brand familiarity for one-off public events. For recitals specifically, the New Zealand fees and lack of dance focus make it a costly fit, as our Eventbrite comparison sets out.
What You Get With Stage Stubs
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to stop dreading the seating chart?
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