Broadway Musicians Vow To Strike If Contract Doesn’t Come Wednesday

The union representing Broadway musicians is vowing to go on strike later this week if a last-ditched effort at mediation Wednesday fails.

“The Broadway musicians represented by Local 802 AFM are going into mediation on Wednesday, Oct. 22,” said Local 802 President Bob Suttmann. “If we do not have a new contract by Thursday morning, we are prepared to strike immediately. We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement.”

Broadway musicians have been working without a contract since August 31, 2025.

In a list prepared by the union, the following commercial Broadway shows would be impacted by a strike. (Theater names in parentheses).

The announcement from the union comes just days after another Broadway union – Actors’ Equity Association, which reps stage actors and stage managers – reached a tentative agreement with the Broadway League over much of the same stumbling blocks faced by the musicians – wages, health care benefits, job security and livable working schedules.

Local 802 represents thousands of highly skilled musicians. Its members perform on Broadway, at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and Radio City, in recording studios, as teaching artists, on late-night TV shows and in other televised bands, and in hotels, clubs, festivals and venues across NYC.