Broadway counts its history in curtain calls. A hit musical can play thousands of nights, and the shows near the top of the all-time list have each logged well over five thousand performances.
The ranking below uses total performances, not years open or money earned. Some of these productions have closed, while others are still selling tickets this season, so the order shifts at the bottom of the active shows rather than at the top. Figures come from the Broadway League and public record lists current through October 2026.
1. The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera sits alone at the top. It played 13,981 performances between January 26, 1988 and April 16, 2023, and it was the first Broadway production to pass 10,000 performances. It also won seven Tony Awards in 1988, including Best Musical.
The lead is wide. Its total stands more than 2,200 performances clear of anything else. That gap is why the record looks safe for a long time.
2. Chicago (1996 Revival)
Chicago holds second place and is still running. The count depends on the date of the source. The Wikipedia list, current through October 18, 2026, gives 11,800, while other trackers show about 11,700.
The original production did far less. It ran only 936 performances, while the revival is the longest running American musical in Broadway history. Whichever tally you trust, it is the longest running show now on Broadway.
3. The Lion King
The Lion King opened on November 13, 1997, and it’s still playing. The Broadway League listed it at 11,257 performances as of May 24, 2026, and it has continued to climb since.
By October, other trackers put it at roughly 11,300 to 11,350. That keeps it comfortably third, and it trails Chicago by only a few hundred shows. Eight performances a week add up quickly, so the gap may narrow slowly.
4. Wicked
Wicked opened on October 30, 2003, and has been a fixture ever since. The Broadway League counted 8,795 performances as of late May 2026. Later trackers show it near 8,875.
It sits well behind the top three but far ahead of everything that opened after it. Among current shows, it is the strongest sign that a long run can still start in the 2000s and keep going.
5. Cats
Cats opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on October 7, 1982. It closed on September 10, 2000, after 7,485 performances. That total still holds fifth place more than twenty years later.
For a time it was the benchmark. From 1997 to 2006, Cats held the title of the longest running show in Broadway history. Phantom later took the crown.
6. Les Misérables
Les Misérables opened on March 12, 1987, and closed on May 18, 2003. Its original run totaled 6,680 performances. That puts it sixth overall.
Its run overlapped with Cats and Phantom, which means three of the longest runs in Broadway history were playing at once. A single era of big, sung through spectacle produced much of this list.
7. A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line opened on July 25, 1975, and played until April 28, 1990. It logged 6,137 performances. It was the longest running show on Broadway before Cats overtook it.
It is the oldest production in the top ten. Its run lasted nearly fifteen years, a reminder that long runs were possible well before the 1980s megamusicals.
8. Oh! Calcutta!
Oh! Calcutta! is the entry that most often surprises readers. The listing refers to its revival, which opened September 24, 1976, and closed August 6, 1989. It played 5,959 performances.
It was a revue, not a book musical, and it stands out among the other entries for that reason. Its place at eighth shows that the list rewards raw performance totals, whatever the format.
9. Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! opened on October 18, 2001, and closed on September 12, 2015. It reached 5,758 performances. The show was built around the songs of ABBA.
It ran for just under fourteen years. It is the most recent closed production in the top ten, apart from Phantom.
10. Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast rounds out the top ten. It opened on April 18, 1994, and closed on July 29, 2007, with 5,462 performances.
It narrowly holds its place. The Book of Mormon, which opened in 2011, is the closest active challenger from outside the top ten. One tracker put it at 5,343 performances in 2025, and a recent count lists it at about 5,700. It should pass Beauty and the Beast in the coming months.
Where the Rankings Stand
Three of the ten shows are still running: Chicago, The Lion King and Wicked. The rest have closed, so their totals are fixed.
Only The Book of Mormon looks likely to join the list soon. As of September 2026, thirteen shows currently on Broadway have at least 1,000 performances. Few of them are close to the top ten.
