Rent a Bus to Broward Center for the Performing Arts: Group Theater Night Guide

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is one of the top ten most-visited theater venues in the world — and getting your group there from Parkland without the downtown Fort Lauderdale parking headache is the part nobody plans for until it's too late. The A&E District Parking Garage fills fast on Broadway nights, the rideshare queue on Esplanade Circle backs up after curtain calls, and the walk from the nearest available street spot in the dark is longer than anyone wants in evening wear. A Parkland party bus rental solves all of it before your group even thinks about it.

This guide covers everything a group organizer needs: the real drop-off and parking setup at 201 SW 5th Ave, which vehicle fits your headcount, what it costs, and how a charter bus rental in Parkland turns theater night from a logistics puzzle into the easiest part of the evening. We do this run into Fort Lauderdale regularly, so what follows comes from coordinating it — not from a brochure.

What Is the Broward Center for the Performing Arts?

The Broward Center opened on February 26, 1991 — its first performance was The Phantom of the Opera — and it has been the cultural anchor of downtown Fort Lauderdale ever since. The 224,500-square-foot complex sits on 5.5 acres overlooking the New River in the city's Arts and Entertainment District, and it hosts more than 700 performances a year to over 600,000 patrons. For reference, that volume puts it in the same tier as venues three times its size.

The complex holds three main performance spaces. The Au-Rene Theater seats 2,658 and takes the Broadway tours, major orchestras, and headliner concerts. The Amaturo Theater seats 584 and runs dramatic productions and mid-scale performances.

The Abdo New River Room holds 188–220 in a cabaret configuration, which is ideal for smaller performances and private events. The center also manages The Parker in Fort Lauderdale (1,147 seats) and the Miniaci Performing Arts Center at Nova Southeastern University (498 seats), so group trips sometimes span multiple Broward Center-managed venues.

What’s Playing at the Broward Center

The 2025–2026 Bank of America Broadway in Fort Lauderdale season running through spring 2026 has been one of the most popular in recent memory, with Water for Elephants (November), Les Misérables (December 16–28), & Juliet (January 13–25), Back to the Future (February 3–15), Hell’s Kitchen (March 10–22), and Kimberly Akimbo (April 7–12) all sold in subscription blocks. Many of these shows ran weeks-long engagements with near-capacity houses in the Au-Rene Theater most nights.

The 2026–2027 season is already announced and includes Hamilton (November 10–22, 2026), Death Becomes Her (December 15–27, 2026), Mamma Mia! (February 2–14, 2027), and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (April 6–18, 2027). Blue Man Group plays June 11–14, 2026 — a perennial group-trip favorite.

The Slow Burn Theatre Company also runs its own season at the Broward Center with popular local productions that fill the Amaturo Theater on weekends.

The practical implication for groups: Hamilton and Beauty and the Beast weekends are the two biggest demand spikes of the year for bus rentals from Parkland and the surrounding Broward County suburbs. If your group is planning either, call 754-290-8870 as soon as you have tickets, not the week before. Those weekends fill the available vehicle supply across the region.

Check the Broward Center events calendar for the full lineup and to confirm your performance dates before booking.

Getting There from Parkland: The Drive

Parkland sits roughly 24 miles north of the Broward Center, connected by I-95 South through Pompano Beach and into downtown Fort Lauderdale. Under normal conditions that trip runs about 28 minutes. On a Broadway opening night or a popular Saturday performance, plan for 40–55 minutes — downtown Fort Lauderdale’s surface streets around SW 5th Avenue compress on event nights, and the I-95 exits feeding the Arts and Entertainment District see real slowdowns as showtime approaches.

The standard route is straightforward: I-95 South to Exit 27 (Broward Boulevard / SR 842), then west on Broward Boulevard to SW 5th Avenue and south toward the center. Waze and Google Maps will suggest the same route almost every time. The challenge isn’t finding the building — it’s finding somewhere to put multiple cars once you get there.

That’s the friction a charter bus rental from Parkland cuts out entirely.

The Broward Center recommends arriving no later than 45–60 minutes before showtime, budgeting about 15 minutes to park, walk to the theater, and clear security. For a group of 15 or 25 people driving separately, that buffer evaporates fast when three of the cars circle the block twice and the rest are waiting on the curb. A bus rental in Parkland arrives as a unit, drops curbside, and your whole group clears the lobby together — on time, no regrouping text threads required.

Drop-Off and Parking: The Exact Details

Here is the part most group organizers don’t know until they’re sitting in traffic twenty minutes before showtime. The Broward Center does not have its own attached parking lot. Parking is managed by two main options, and buses and rideshares have a designated drop-off point that is not the same as the garage.

The A&E District Parking Garage — 101 SW 5th Ave

The Arts and Entertainment District Parking Garage at 101 SW 5th Avenue is the venue’s recommended primary parking. It holds 950 spaces, sits directly across the street from the Broward Center on the corner of SW 5th Avenue and SW 2nd Street, and charges a $15 flat rate per performance valid for six hours. Payment is through the ParkMobile app (zone 12333) or pay-by-meter stations on floors 1–2 — there are no parking attendants collecting cash at the garage itself.

If anyone in your group plans to use this garage, download the app before the night, not in the garage elevator.

One current caveat: the Skywalk Elevator connecting the A&E Garage to the Broward Center is currently under renovation for the 2025–2026 season. For accessible entry, guests should cross SW 2nd Street and follow the accessible signage to the lower entry doors. Check the Broward Center parking page before your visit to confirm whether the skywalk is back in service by your performance date.

For groups arriving by car, this garage fills on popular show nights. The 950 spaces sound like plenty until you factor in the restaurant and bar traffic in the A&E District on a Saturday. Arriving 60 minutes before showtime is the safe call.

The $15-per-car math also adds up: a group of 25 people in five cars pays $75 in parking alone before anyone has walked through the lobby.

Alternate Garages Nearby

Three additional parking options sit within a reasonable walk of the Broward Center when the A&E Garage fills:

• Broward County Governmental Center Garage — 151 SW 2nd Street (roughly 3 minutes on foot from the Broward Center main entrance)
• County II Parking Lot — 80 SW 1st Avenue
• Riverwalk Center Garage — 150 SE 2nd Street (across the New River, slightly longer walk)

These range from $5–$15 and are worth knowing as backup options. The walk between any of them and the Broward Center is manageable in good weather, less so on a rainy South Florida evening when your group is dressed for a night out.

Valet Service

Valet is available at the main entrance adjacent to the AutoNation Box Office. Standard valet runs $30 per vehicle, and preferred valet is $45 per vehicle. For the 2025–2026 Broadway season, Lexus owners receive complimentary valet.

For a group spread across multiple cars, valet is the most convenient individual-car option — but it still means multiple vehicles queuing at the same entrance, and the valet line on a busy Broadway opening can take 10–15 minutes on its own.

Bus and Rideshare Drop-Off — Esplanade Circle

This is the detail that matters most for groups. The Broward Center has established a designated rideshare, taxi, and bus drop-off at Esplanade Circle — the intersection of SW 2nd Street and SW 4th Avenue, just east of the Broward Center campus. Your bus pulls into that circle, your group steps off directly onto the path toward the main entrance, and the bus clears the area while you walk in.

No circling, no double-parking on SW 5th Avenue, no dropping on a blocked lane.

From Esplanade Circle, the walk to the Broward Center main entrance is very short — a few hundred feet across the Esplanade waterfront plaza. It is one of the nicest approaches to any theater in South Florida: the New River to one side, the lit-up center ahead. For groups that call ahead, the Broward Center can also provide specific bus parking details and pickup/return logistics — reach their group sales office at 954-660-6307 Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 2 PM, or email groups@browardcenter.com.

Group Tickets at the Broward Center

If your group is 10 or more, the Broward Center’s group sales program is worth knowing about before you buy individual tickets. Groups of 10 or more qualify for discounts on select performances — not every show, but Broadway tours, concerts, and most Slow Burn Theatre productions are included. The group sales office handles everything from social organizations and family reunions to corporate outings and girls’ nights out.

To get a group rate: call 954-660-6307 (Monday–Friday, 10 AM–2 PM), submit the Group Contact and Tickets Request Form online, or email groups@browardcenter.com. A representative will respond within two business days with pricing for your specific performance. A 30–50% non-refundable deposit is required upfront, with final payment due 6–8 weeks before the show (or full payment if you’re booking within 21 days).

Businesses can also access the SUPERGROUP program — a promo code system where employees purchase discounted tickets independently, useful when you want the group discount without coordinating a single block payment. For school and educational groups, the Broward Center runs dedicated youth programming — their group sales team can walk you through what’s available for your grade level or program.

What to Know Before You Go: Venue Policies

A few things that catch first-timers off guard and are worth covering with your group before the night:

• Lobby doors open one hour before showtime: That is the earliest you can get in — the Broward Center recommends arriving no later than 45–60 minutes before curtain to allow time to park, walk in, and clear security. For a group arriving by bus from Parkland, a 6:00 PM door opening for a 7:30 PM curtain means your bus should be leaving Parkland by 5:00 PM at the latest to build in the event-night traffic buffer.
• Latecomers are held in the lobby: Most Broadway shows require that ushers hold late arrivals until a suitable pause in the program — timing determined by artist management, not the venue. For some productions, that can mean waiting 15–20 minutes in the lobby while your seats sit empty. This is the single best argument for group bus transportation: when 20 people travel together, nobody’s late because one car got stuck on I-95.
• Bags must fit under your seat: Oversized bags are prohibited and must be returned to your vehicle. All persons and bags are subject to search. This is standard for large performing arts venues; remind your group not to bring large totes or backpacks to avoid the back-and-forth to the parking garage before curtain.
• Photography and recording policies vary by show: Some Broadway productions prohibit phones in the theater entirely during performance. The Broward Center posts show-specific policies at the box office and on the event page.

For the complete and up-to-date list of guest policies, review the Broward Center Guest Guide before your visit.

Which Vehicle Fits Your Group?

A theater night group is different from a stadium trip — your headcount is usually smaller, you’re dressed up, and the ride home happens at 10:30 PM when nobody wants to scramble for rideshares. Here is how our fleet breaks down for a Broward Center run from Parkland.

The most common Parkland theater group runs 15–30 people — a bachelorette party with dinner before the show, a corporate outing for Les Misérables, a school performing-arts club for a Broadway matinee. A 15–35 passenger minibus handles that range with room, reclining seats, and A/C that matters on a warm South Florida evening. For celebration groups that want the energy to start on the ride down — the cocktails, the playlist, the group photos on the way in — our party buses come with a built-in bar and color-changing LED lighting that turns the drive from Parkland into the pre-show.

For larger school trips or community organization outings heading to the Broward Center’s Broadway season, a 56-passenger charter bus carries the whole group in one vehicle with undercarriage storage for bags, an onboard restroom, and reclining seats that make the 24-mile ride comfortable even in formal wear. ADA-accessible vehicles are always available — just let us know when you book so we can have the right vehicle reserved.

What a Party Bus to the Broward Center Costs

A Parkland bus rental to the Broward Center is priced on a handful of clear factors: vehicle size, total hours (round-trip plus any pre-show dinner stop), the date, and the pickup route. There is no single sticker number, because a 15-passenger party bus for a 4-hour girls’ night out prices differently than a 56-passenger charter bus for a 3-hour school matinee. What never changes: you will know the exact price before you ever book. Party Bus Rental Parkland provides all-inclusive pricing online in under 30 seconds with no hidden costs.

For real ranges to anchor your estimate: 14-passenger Sprinter limos run $170–$344/hour; 15–20 passenger party buses run $204–$378/hour; 15–35 passenger minibuses run $294–$490/hour; and 40–56 passenger charter buses run $150–$300/hour. Most theater night runs from Parkland are booked as 4–5 hour blocks: depart around 5:30 PM, drop at Esplanade Circle by 6:30 PM, the bus waits nearby or comes back for a 10:30 PM pickup after curtain. That window covers pre-show dinner stops if your group wants them.

Call 754-290-8870 any time for a quote built around your exact headcount and date.

The per-person math is usually the closer. A 25-passenger minibus on a 4-hour block comes to one flat rate split 25 ways. Compare that to five cars paying $15 each to park in the A&E Garage plus 90-minute rideshare surge pricing at 10:30 PM when 2,000-plus patrons exit the Au-Rene at once — and the bus usually wins on convenience and often on cost.

A Theater Night Example

Here is how a typical Parkland-to-Broward Center run works. A 22-person corporate group booked a 25-passenger minibus for a Saturday night performance of Back to the Future. Pickup was at 5:15 PM from a Parkland office park, one quick stop at a restaurant in Coral Springs for cocktails at 5:45 PM, drop at Esplanade Circle by 6:50 PM — 40 minutes before the 7:30 PM curtain.

The bus waited nearby and returned to Esplanade Circle at 10:30 PM for the group’s post-curtain pickup. The 5-hour all-inclusive rental came to roughly $1,470 — about $67 per person, with parking ($75 for five hypothetical cars), late-night rideshare surge, and the who-stays-sober-to-drive problem all solved in one number.

The Part Nobody Plans For: Post-Show Pickup

Getting into the Broward Center is manageable. Getting out is where groups that drove separately run into trouble. When a 2,658-seat Au-Rene Theater empties after a show, everyone hits SW 5th Avenue and the A&E Garage simultaneously.

The ParkMobile garage exits back up. The valet queue stretches past the box office. Rideshare pricing spikes — 10:30 PM on a Saturday in downtown Fort Lauderdale after a sold-out musical is exactly the kind of surge moment Uber and Lyft build their rate multipliers around.

With a party bus rental from Parkland, none of that touches your group. Your pickup window is set before you walk into the theater, the bus is waiting at Esplanade Circle, and your group walks out of the lobby straight onto the curb and into a waiting vehicle. The ride home is comfortable, everyone is together, and nobody is refreshing a rideshare app on the sidewalk in heels waiting for a rideshare 18 minutes away.

It is also worth noting that the Broward Center’s latecomers policy cuts both ways: if you need to call rideshares at intermission because someone in the group had too much at the pre-show bar, you are now coordinating on your phone during the show. A designated bus with a set pickup time removes that entirely. There is no drawing straws at 10:45 PM about who has to stay sober to drive back up I-95 to Parkland.

Add a Dinner Stop: Building a Full Evening

The Broward Center sits in Fort Lauderdale’s arts and entertainment corridor along the New River, and the surrounding neighborhood has enough dining options to turn a theater night into a full evening. A few popular pre-show stops groups from Parkland include in their itinerary:

• The Wharf Fort Lauderdale — a waterfront outdoor venue on SW 2nd Avenue with food trucks, bars, and New River views. About 5 minutes from the Broward Center, easy for a group to spread out.
• Steak 954 — inside the W Fort Lauderdale, upscale enough for a corporate dinner before a Broadway night.
• Rivertail — seafood-forward restaurant on the New River, walking distance from the Broward Center entrance.
• Area 31 — rooftop seafood bar at the Epic Hotel, about 10 minutes from the center but worth the short ride for a celebration dinner with a view.

The advantage of a charter bus rental in Parkland is that you build the stops in. The bus picks everyone up at one location, makes the dinner stop at whatever time works for your group, drops at Esplanade Circle for showtime, and returns at curtain. The group stays together the whole night and nobody has to volunteer to stay sober for the drive home.

Call 754-290-8870 and we will build the itinerary around your reservations.

Who Books a Bus to the Broward Center from Parkland

A few of the theater night run types we handle most often from Parkland and the surrounding Broward County suburbs:

• Girls’ nights and bachelorette parties: A party bus picks up the group in Parkland, a cocktail stop on the way down, drop at Esplanade Circle, post-show pickup for the ride to Las Olas or back to the hotel. The party bus’s built-in bar and LED lighting mean the energy does not pause between dinner and the theater.
• Corporate outings: A company buys 20–40 tickets for a Broadway night as a team event. A charter bus or minibus picks up from the office or a central Parkland location, keeps the group together, and returns after the show without anyone navigating I-95 late at night after cocktails. Our WiFi-equipped minibuses mean the networking continues on the ride back.
• School and youth performing arts groups: Student groups heading to a Broward Center student matinee need one reliable vehicle with overhead storage for bags and an adult-manageable setup. A charter bus handles the whole grade in one trip instead of a caravan of parent cars competing for street spots around SW 5th Avenue.
• Birthday celebrations: A milestone birthday built around a favorite show — Hamilton opening night, a Slow Burn Theatre musical, Blue Man Group — where the bus itself is part of the celebration. Party buses with a custom playlist and the birthday group in perimeter seating turn the drive from Parkland into the party before the party.
• Community and HOA groups: Parkland’s community organizations regularly coordinate group cultural outings. A minibus or charter bus keeps the coordination simple: one pickup, one drop, one return — and no one has to miss the show because they could not find parking.

How to Book and What to Have Ready

Booking a bus from Parkland to the Broward Center takes under 30 seconds with our online tool, or one call to 754-290-8870 any time. Have these details ready and we can build your quote immediately:

1. Performance date, show name, and curtain time: Curtain time sets the drop-off window and the pickup window, which determines your block of hours.
2. Group size: The headcount sets the vehicle. Tell us whether anyone needs ADA-accessible accommodations and we will have the right vehicle reserved.
3. Pickup location in Parkland: A home, a restaurant, a community center, a corporate parking lot — wherever makes sense for your group.
4. Any pre-show stops: Dinner in Fort Lauderdale before the show, or cocktails in Coral Springs on the way down? Let us know and we will build the timing in.

For Hamilton and Beauty and the Beast weekends in the 2026–2027 season, call as soon as you have tickets. Those weekends represent the two biggest demand spikes of the year for Parkland party bus rentals to Fort Lauderdale — and the right-size vehicles go first. For Blue Man Group, regular-season Broadway shows, and Slow Burn Theatre productions, two to four weeks of lead time is workable.

The earlier you call, the better the options and the cleaner the quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly does a bus drop off at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts?

The Broward Center has established a dedicated rideshare and bus drop-off at Esplanade Circle, the intersection of SW 2nd Street and SW 4th Avenue, just east of the Broward Center campus. From there, it is a short walk across the Esplanade waterfront plaza to the main entrance. If your group is a registered theater group or large party, the Broward Center’s group sales team at 954-660-6307 can provide specific bus parking and pickup logistics for your event date.

How far is the Broward Center from Parkland?

Approximately 24 miles via I-95 South, a 28–35 minute drive under normal conditions. Budget 40–55 minutes on popular show nights, particularly for Broadway openings and weekend performances when downtown Fort Lauderdale’s Arts and Entertainment District sees heavy traffic.

How much does a party bus from Parkland to the Broward Center cost?

Party bus and charter bus rental pricing in Parkland is shaped by vehicle size, total hours, the date, and your pickup route. For a typical 4–5 hour theater night block: 14-passenger Sprinter limos run $170–$344/hour; 15–20 passenger party buses run $204–$378/hour; and 15–35 passenger minibuses run $294–$490/hour. Full-size 40–56 passenger charter buses run $150–$300/hour.

Call 754-290-8870 or use our online tool for an all-inclusive quote in under 30 seconds.

Does the Broward Center offer group ticket discounts?

Yes, for groups of 10 or more on select performances. Contact the Broward Center Group Sales Office at 954-660-6307 (Monday–Friday, 10 AM–2 PM) or email groups@browardcenter.com. A 30–50% non-refundable deposit is required, with final payment due 6–8 weeks before the performance.

Submit a request through the online Group Contact Form and a representative will respond within two business days.

What time do lobby doors open at the Broward Center?

Lobby doors open one hour before showtime. The center recommends arriving no later than 45–60 minutes before curtain to allow time to park, walk in, and clear security. Latecomers to Broadway shows are held in the lobby until a suitable break in the performance, determined by artist management.

Can the bus wait during the show and pick us up after?

Yes. The bus is booked as a block of hours, so it can drop your group at Esplanade Circle, wait nearby during the performance, and come back for a set post-show pickup window. You set that window with our team when you book, so there is no figuring it out on the sidewalk at 10:30 PM when 2,000-plus patrons are all trying to exit at once.

Can we add a dinner stop before the show?

Absolutely. Most theater night runs from Parkland include a pre-show dinner or cocktail stop. Tell us the restaurant and the reservation time when you book, and we will build the routing around your evening.

Popular stops include spots along the New River near the Broward Center and restaurants in Coral Springs on the way down.

How far in advance should I book for Hamilton or a major Broadway show?

As soon as you have tickets. Hamilton (November 10–22, 2026) and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (April 6–18, 2027) are the two biggest demand spikes of the upcoming season for party bus and charter bus rentals from Parkland and surrounding Broward County communities. The right-size vehicles fill first for those weekends.

For other shows, two to four weeks of lead time works for most situations — but the earlier you call, the better your options.

What are the bag policies at the Broward Center?

Bags must fit comfortably under your seat. Oversized bags are prohibited and must be returned to your vehicle before entry. All persons and bags are subject to search.

Remind your group to bring compact bags or small clutches on theater night — the bus’s overhead compartments and undercarriage storage (on charter buses) can hold everyone’s larger bags while the group is inside.

Do you serve Coral Springs, Coconut Creek, and other nearby cities?

Yes. Party Bus Rental Parkland coordinates group transportation across the Parkland area and all nearby Broward County communities including Coral Springs, Coconut Creek, Margate, Tamarac, Pompano Beach, and North Lauderdale. If your group is spread across multiple pickup points, we can route the bus to gather everyone before heading south to Fort Lauderdale. Call 754-290-8870 and we will build the route.

Book Your Parkland Bus to the Broward Center Today

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is one of the most consistently outstanding theater venues in South Florida, and theater night with a group should be an occasion — not a logistics exercise. When your group travels together by charter bus from Parkland, the pre-show energy starts on the bus, everyone walks in from Esplanade Circle together with time to spare, and the post-show pickup is waiting on the curb while everyone else navigates the A&E Garage or hunts for late-night rideshares. Party Bus Rental Parkland has access to a fleet of party buses, minibuses, Sprinter limos, and charter buses sized to fit any theater group in the region. Call 754-290-8870 any time for an all-inclusive price quote in under 30 seconds — or use our online tool for instant availability.

Your group’s night out at the Broward Center should begin the moment you leave Parkland, not the moment you finally find parking.