Blue Man Group's Astor Place Run to End in February 2025

The Blue Man Group's long-standing residency at the Astor Place Theatre is coming to an end in February 2025, a shocking development after more than 35 years of entertaining audiences on the Lower East Side.

For those unfamiliar, the Blue Man Group is known for its quirky, non-verbal performances featuring three blue-painted men. The show is a blend of music, audience interaction, and absurd humor. One of the show’s memorable moments is a six-minute song in the bathroom, repeating the line, “Bathroom. Bathroom. Bathroom. It’s the bathroom, in the Blue Man lobby.”

This offbeat humor has become synonymous with the area, but ticket sales have been less than stellar in recent months. As of December 2, 2024, more than 60% of the theater’s 281 seats were empty for upcoming performances. The most full show had 25 empty seats, while some shows still had 246 seats available.

Despite the impending closure, many still have time to secure tickets before the show ends. Sales data for previous years is scarce, but it’s reported that more than 50 million people have attended Blue Man Group shows worldwide, not all of them in New York.

The closure, while understandable due to dwindling ticket sales, raises questions about timing. Cirque du Soleil, which owns the Blue Man Group since 2017, has remained tight-lipped about the reasons behind the closure. Selena Audrey, a dedicated Cirque fan, expressed disappointment, noting that Cirque’s lack of transparency regarding closures is a pattern.

The New York production isn't the only one to close soon—its Chicago counterpart will end on January 5, 2025. Speculation suggests these closures may be tied to the launch of new Cirque du Soleil shows such as Auana, Alizé, and Ludõ. The closure could free up funds to support these new productions and a possible relaunch of the Blue Man Group in Orlando.

The Orlando venue, where Blue Man Group performed from 2007 until its closure in 2021 due to the pandemic, will now move to a smaller venue at ICON Park. Despite its smaller scale compared to Universal Studios, ICON Park is expected to provide a new, immersive experience for fans, with plans to open a revamped show.

This shift from a large theme park to a smaller, carnival-style amusement park at ICON Park has been described as a perfect fit for the Blue Man Group, marking the next chapter in its strange and colorful legacy.