Know Before You Go!  

  • Box Office:  On the day of a show, the Box Office will open at two hours before showtime.  However, if you need help or have any questions, please email boxoffice@gardearts.org and someone will get back to you.
  • Arrival: The Garde lobbies open one hour before showtimes. Please arrive in New London one to two hours early, especially if dining downtown, to ensure you have adequate time to get to the theater.
  • Entry Requirements (COVID Protocol):  Please show your vaccination card or proof of negative PCR test or Antigen test to the usher outside the theater.  To enter the building you must wear a mask, whether or not you are vaccinated, per the City of New London mandate.  You may lower the mask when actively eating or drinking.
  • Seating: Please check your tickets carefully for your seating location. The orchestra seating is on the main floor, and the loge and balcony entrances are upstairs on the mezzanine level.  Every seat with a 3-digit number is in the center section.  The right side of the theater is even-numbered, and the left side is odd-numbered.
  • NEW! Contactless Concessions Ordering Payment with the Noble App
    Enjoy Garde Arts Center refreshments with Noble, a free app that will allow you to skip the lines at our concessions stands.  You can order and pay for your concessions on your mobile phone as early as 60 minutes prior to show time before picking them up at a dedicated Noble express location in our lobbies.  Download the Noble App…..or Purchase Online
  • Parking: Available on all public streets, behind the State Courthouse(free) across from the Garde at the rear entrance at Cottage Street off of Broad Street; at the Governor Winthrop Blvd Garage(pay; opens 4 pm) located the back of the theater across from Holiday Inn;  at the municipal surface parking lots on Eugene O’Neill Drive, and the municipal Water Street garage.
  • Restaurants are primarily located on State Street and Bank Street.  For certain restaurants, reservations a day or more in advance are strongly recommended for downtown dining. Popular pre-show restaurants include these closest to the Garde: Two Wives Brick Oven + Eatery, La Luna Ristorante, Tony D’s, and, across from the Garde, Draft Choice,  which is offering a 10% discount off the bill for concertgoers! Check our Area Dining Guide for more options.
COVID Precautions:
  • Masks are currently required for all Garde patrons within the venue, except when eating or drinking, until further notice.
  • To enter the Garde you must provide proof of full vaccination OR proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the performance start time,  or a negative antigen test taken within 48 hours prior to start time. 
  • All Garde staff and volunteers are vaccinated and will remain masked during Garde events.
“SAFE-GARDE”:  is a layered health protection approach

The Garde Arts Center is one of the safest indoor theaters in Connecticut.

In January of 2021, an independent firm, Sustainable Engineering Solutions, completed an analysis of the air handling systems for all Garde-owned properties which confirmed the quality of our heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems. Our recently installed state-of-the-art rooftop units meet or exceed recommended standards.

In the auditorium, for example, within a 20-minute period, the air is completely replaced with outside air. The theater system has double filtration and MERV 14 filters, which, along with the theater’s extremely high ceiling and large volume, make the Garde especially safe for audiences.

In the lobbies, the air is replaced with outside air every 7 minutes and the HVAC systems have been augmented with additional filtration and ultraviolet sterilization.  There are touchless amenities and hand sanitizer stations throughout the lobbies.

VACCINATION INFORMATION

Before entry into the lobby, every audience member will be asked to show documentation indicating full vaccination.  A patron is considered “fully vaccinated” against COVID-19 by a two-dose mRNA vaccine (such as Moderna and Pfizer), or a single dose vaccine (such as Johnson & Johnson), two weeks after the final dose of vaccine (the second dose for a two-dose regimen, or the single dose for a single-dose regimen). Please keep your documentation handy.

Acceptable proof of full vaccination include:

  • Vaccination card (which includes the name of the person vaccinated, type of vaccine provided, and date of the last dose administered) OR
  • a photo of a vaccination card as a separate document OR
  • a photo of the attendee’s vaccine card stored on a phone or electronic device OR documentation of vaccination from a healthcare provider electronic health record or state Immunization Information System record.

Those individuals unable to be fully vaccinated, including children under 12, must present before entry into the lobby proof of a negative Covid PCR test (taken within 72 hours of performance) or a negative antigen test taken within 48 hours prior to start time.  Acceptable proof of a negative COVID-19 test result include:

  • Printed document (from the test provider or laboratory) OR
  • an email or text message displayed on a phone or electronic device from the test provider or laboratory.
  • The information provided should include the name of the person tested, the type of test performed, and the date of the negative test result (date of negative PCR test result must be within prior 72 hours).
COVID Policies and Precautions for future events

Patrons will be notified on a regular basis as to the protocol which may be in place for any particular event, which could include, masks, or proof of full vaccination, or a negative Covid test.

There will be no mandated social distancing, though sales limits may be in place for select events.  For details on the projected capacity for any particular event, please contact the box office.

The Garde will honor all tickets purchased for future shows for the same seat if the show is rescheduled.

Thank you for your cooperation.

First Concert since Shutdown

The first concert at the Garde since being shut down in March 2020,  was attended by 900 fans of Melissa Etheridge on Sunday, September 5.  You can read the Day review here.

Vax cards and masks were required for the two-hour-long concert. There was no intermission in order to reduce congestion in the lobby.

Other new amenities introduced to minimize congestion include a Digital Playbill, and, concessions pre-ordering from your phone to avoid long lines at the bars.

A post-show survey rated how well the Garde succeeded in making people feel safe: 59% said “very well” and 30% said, “exceeded all expectations.”

The audience scored the sound quality and Garde staff at 95%.

There were numerous suggestions for improvements from the survey which we will take into consideration as we continue to reopen.

Recent Schedule Changes

Ticket buyers will be notified by email or may contact the Garde Box office at boxoffice@gardearts.org or by calling 860-444-7373 ext 1 Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm