Have you ever wondered what it’s like to audition for The Price is Right? A hopeful contestant recounted the entire experience on Reddit, giving fans behind-the-scenes tidbits.
A contestant who auditioned for upcoming Season 55 shared their recent experience. “I went to a couple of tapings a couple of weeks ago and wanted to share how the contestant process is working for Season 55,” they wrote.
“You still park at the Haven Church and then walk to a fence where the signs point the way. Once you get to the fence, you wait for them to check your tickets and give you a contestant number. Even if your ticket says priority, get there early. I saw multiple people turned away. It might have been a summer thing, but if you’re flying in from out of town, you don’t want to chance it. Once you get your number, they let you in. There’s a wanding process through security, you can grab a water, and then you do the short walk to the first of two holding rooms,” the fan went on.
“The church” refers to Charis Mission Church (frequently called Haven Church by attendees), in Glendale, California. It serves as the primary parking and initial arrival location for audience members and potential contestants attending tapings next door at Haven Studios, where the game show is filmed, according to Studocu.
The hopeful contestant then shared that once they get to the first holding room, they receive their name tag, show their ID, and then get seated in numerical order. Then, groups of 12 fill out paperwork on computers. After all of that is complete, those auditioning are taken to a second room, where there is a big holding room, where they sit in numerical order again and find out when their episode is airing.
That room is where contestants meet Hannah Holub, the contestant producer, in groups of 12. There is a fake wall where they line up and show their enthusiasm. “If you want to get selected, go over the top. The people who got picked were genuinely excited and over-the-top about being there. If you’re just going to be average, don’t expect to get called. That energy really matters,” the Reddit user said.
The last step before entering the studio is taking a picture with the fake Showcase wheel and watching a past episode of TPIR as Hannah tells everyone how to be excited when they “come on down.”
When entering the studio, participants must hand over their phones and then sit in the order of the number they have received. “By that point, they already know who’s going to get called, and they spread those people throughout the audience. The studio only holds about 128 people now, so your chances of getting called are significantly better,” the hopeful said.
“Once you’re seated, they play music, George [Gray] comes out to pump up the crowd, and then taping starts,” they ended.
When someone in the comments asked where they put their bags/purses, the original poster said, “You can’t bring in large bags, but the ones that you do bring in you could put under your seat.”
“Something that I did that I don’t see mentioned, and it’s tough, but it worked for me. Stay off your phone! They are looking to see how you interact with people. Can you engage in genuine conversation? They are always watching. Phones are a distraction,” a former contestant in the comments said.
Another former contestant said that the game show tries to sell them a “ridiculously priced photo,” as well as snacks and drinks. Water is free, but the rest isn’t. “There is also a Price Is Right store in the back that most people miss, where you can buy shirts. There is a real wheel at the store that you can spin and take pictures of, which is kinda cool,” they ended.
The Price Is Right, Season 55, September 2026, 11a/10c, CBS