Broadway Bares goes undercover for its most seductive theme yet
Broadway Bares is going undercover this year — and, as always, it won’t stay that way for long.
The long-running, anything-goes fundraiser has revealed its 2026 theme, Broadway Bares: License to Strip, a spy-inspired spectacle that leans into intrigue, fantasy, and a whole lot of skin. Think secret agents and double identities, staged with out-of-this-world choreography that’s made the event a staple of New York’s queer scene.
The event takes over NYC’s Hammerstein Ballroom on June 21, with more than 200 dancers moving through high-concept numbers that play with espionage tropes — from slick undercover moments to full-throttle reveals. Performances take place at 9:30 p.m. and midnight.
From these first images, the vibe is spycraft turbocharged with high-glam fantasy: a red telephone booth centerpiece, leather harnesses, thigh-high boots, and characters pulled straight out of pop culture’s spy canon — and then pushed into something much less buttoned-up.
Tickets start at $75, with VIP options that include premium seating, backstage access, and even a private cocktail party hosted by Jerry Mitchell, the Tony-winning creative force behind Kinky Boots, Hairspray , and of course, Broadway Bares.
Behind the spectacle, Broadway Bares continues its decades-long mission. Produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the annual event raises critical funds for people living with HIV and other serious illnesses. It has raised more than $31 million to date.
*Take a look at the first images from Broadway Bares: License to Strip below. And get tickets atbroadwaycares.org/bares*.
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