Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Contacts:
Diana Roth | Senior Communications Manager
roth@trustarts.org | 412-471-8717
Derek Scalzott | Senior Director Strategic Communications & Special Advisor to President
scalzott@trustarts.org | 412-471-8715
Media Assets HERE
https://trustarts.canto.com/b/OCV5S
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh
Announces
Tickets for Disney’s The Lion King Go On Sale
For Second and Third Week Performances
At the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh on Friday, May 15, 2026
Performances Begin on September 9 and Play for Three Weeks
Through September 27, 2026 at the Benedum Center
(Pittsburgh, PA) (May 12, 2026)- Disney Theatrical Group and Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announce that single tickets for the second-and third-week performances (September 16-27, 2026) of the long-awaited return engagement of Disney’s The Lion King will go on sale to the public beginning Friday, May 15, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET. A special matinee performance on Thursday, September 10th at 1:00 p.m. will also be on sale.
Pittsburgh’s most eagerly awaited return of The Lion King will once again leap onto the Benedum Center stage on Wednesday, September 9 for a limited engagement of three weeks through Sunday, September 27, 2026. In Pittsburgh, The Lion King will play Tuesdays through Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, September 10 at 1 p.m., Saturdays at 2:00 & 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 1:00 & 6:30 p.m. Extra Magic Packages, which include an excellent seat in the theater and show merchandise, are also available.
Please note, tickets for week one performances of The Lion Kingare currently only on sale as part of the 2026-2027 PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh subscription series and single tickets for week one performances will go on sale later this summer.
Beginning on Friday, May 15, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.ET for weeks two and three performances (September 16-27, 2026) and special matinee performance on Thursday, September 10 at 1:00 p.m., single tickets will be available at these Pittsburgh Cultural Trust official ticket sources: online at TrustArts.org; in person at Theater Square Box Office, 655 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222; or by calling PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh Series information at 412-456-4800. More information about Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and Cultural District events, call 412-456-6666, visit TrustArts.org and in person at Theater Square Box Office.
Orders for groups of 10+ tickets or more may be placed by calling 412-471-6930, email groupsales@trustarts.org, or submit a group ticket reservation online at TrustArts.org/groupsales. For information about a subscription to the PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh Series, visit TrustArts.org/Broadway or call 412-456-1390.
Ticket buyers are reminded that Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s official ticket sources as noted are the only official retail ticket outlets for all performances at the Benedum Center, 237 7th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Ticket buyers who purchase tickets from a ticket broker or any third party should be aware that the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is unable to reprint or replace lost or stolen tickets and is unable to contact patrons with information regarding time changes or other pertinent updates regarding the performance.
The Lion King has been touring North America for more than 24 years, and during that time has welcomed over 28 million theatergoers, making it North America’s longest-running and most-attended Broadway tour. Having already played more than 10,000 performances in over 90 cities across North America, The Lion King now proudly returns to Pittsburgh at the Benedum Center.
ABOUT THE LION KING
Approaching 30 landmark years on Broadway, The Lion King continues ascendant as one of the most popular stage musicals of all time. Since its premiere on November 13, 1997, 30 global productions have been seen by over 130 million people. Produced by Disney Theatrical Group, under the direction of Andrew Flatt and Anne Quart, The Lion King has made theatrical history with two productions worldwide running 20 or more years and three others running 25 or more years.
Performed over its lifetime in nine different languages (English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin and Portuguese), there are currently eight productions of The Lion King around the world: Broadway, London, Paris, Hamburg, Madrid, Tokyo, Mexico City and on tour across North America. The Lion King has played over 100 cities in 24 countries on every continent except Antarctica. Its worldwide gross exceeds that of any film, Broadway show or other entertainment title in box office history.
The Lion King won six 1998 Tony Awards®: Best Musical, Best Scenic Design (Richard Hudson), Best Costume Design (Julie Taymor), Best Lighting Design (Donald Holder), Best Choreography (Garth Fagan) and Best Direction of a Musical (Julie Taymor). The Lion King has also earned more than 70 major arts awards including the 1998 NY Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, the 1999 Grammy® for Best Musical Show Album, the 1999 Evening Standard Award for Theatrical Event of the Year and the 1999 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Choreography and Best Costume Design.
Julie Taymor, who conceived and directed the production and is its costume designer and mask co-designer, was the first woman to win a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. She remains actively involved in the show, launching new productions and maintaining the flagship Broadway production.
The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice’s songs from the Lion King animated film along with three new songs by John and Rice; additional musical material by South African Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor and Hans Zimmer; and music from "Rhythm of the Pride Lands," an album inspired by the original music in the film, written by Lebo M, Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer. The resulting sound of The Lion King is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, ranging from the Academy Award®-winning song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” to Lebo M’s rich choral numbers.
Elton John, Lebo M and Hans Zimmer all collaborated on the 2019 version of the film, executive produced by Julie Taymor and Thomas Schumacher, which has gone onto extraordinary worldwide success.
The book has been adapted by Roger Allers, who co-directed the animated The Lion King feature, and Irene Mecchi, who co-wrote the film’s screenplay. The stage production was originally produced by Peter Schneider and Thomas Schumacher. Other members of the creative team include: Michael Curry, who designed the masks and puppets with Taymor, Steve Canyon Kennedy (sound design), Michael Ward (hair and makeup design), David Kreppel and Sean Mayes (music supervisors), Anthony Lyn (associate director), Marey Griffith (associate choreographer), Lisa Dawn Cave (production supervisor), Thomas Schlenk (general manager), Robert Elhai (associate music producer), Michael Keller (music coordinator), Robert Elhai and David Metzger (orchestrators), Rick Sordelet (fight director) and ARC/Mark Brandon, CSA (casting).
For more information worldwide, visit LionKing.com, www.facebook.com/thelionkingusa and www.instagram.com/thelionking.
The Pittsburgh engagement of Disney’s The Lion King is presented by arrangement with Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and is a subscription offering of the 2026-2027 PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh Series. TrustArts.org
# # #
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is one of the nation’s premier arts presenters and a major catalytic influence in Pittsburgh, having overseen one of the city’s most historic transformations: turning a red-light district into a magnet destination for arts-lovers, residents, visitors, and business owners. Founded in 1984, the Cultural Trust presents an array of quality performing and visual arts, provides comprehensive educational experiences, and stewards Pittsburgh’s Cultural District as a national model of economic revitalization through the arts. Lauded as “the single greatest creative force in Pittsburgh,” the Cultural Trust has worked to make Pittsburgh a place where the arts can flourish. The 14-block Cultural District, a project of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, has become a vibrant center for culture, art, food, and community in the city’s downtown neighborhood, providing a home for a broad range of performance groups and resident companies. More than one million people visit the Cultural District each year, generating more than $175M in economic impact for the region. | TrustArts.org | Facebook · Instagram · TikTok
PNC joins the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust in bringing the best of Broadway to entertain, enlighten, and complement the rich experiences that add to the region’s exceptional quality of life. The eight season presentations and three season options in the 2026-2027 PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh Series contribute to the city’s reputation as a major destination for the arts, culture, and world-class entertainment.
Broadway Across America (BAA) is part of the John Gore Organization family of companies, which includes Broadway.com, The Broadway Channel, BroadwayBox.com, Group Sales Box Office, and Broadway Brands. Led by 25-time Tony Award winner John Gore (Owner & CEO), Broadway Across America pioneered the Broadway subscription touring model and is a leading presenter of the first-class productions across more than 45 North American markets. Since inception, Broadway Across America has produced and/or invested in hundreds of Broadway, touring Broadway, and international productions that have won countless Tony awards and introduced millions of fans to the power of live theater.
The John Gore Organization is a leading presenter, distributor, and marketer of Broadway theater worldwide. Under the leadership of 25-time Tony-winner and owner John Gore, its family of companies includes Broadway Across America, Broadway.com, The Broadway Channel, BroadwayBox.com, Group Sales Box Office and Broadway Brands. The company presents shows in over 45 cities across North America as well as on Broadway, Off-Broadway, London’s West End, Japan, and China. It has won Tony Awards in every producing category as well as numerous other Drama League, Drama Desk, and Olivier Awards. The John Gore Organization is committed to supporting theater access and education programs that introduce Broadway to the next generation of audiences and theater professionals.