How to Set Up CurtainCall: Step-by-Step Guide
A complete walkthrough for setting up CurtainCall — from account creation to publishing your first event. Estimated setup time: 30 minutes.
Founder & Lead Developer at Metorox Software LLC — 10+ years of full-stack development experience building custom software, WordPress plugins, SaaS platforms, and digital marketing solutions for small businesses. Learn more about Ryan →
This guide walks you through every step of setting up CurtainCall Ticketing for your school theatre or community venue. By the end, you'll have a fully configured ticketing system with your venue seat map, payment processing, and your first event published and ready to sell tickets.
New to CurtainCall? Read the CurtainCall features overview first to understand what's included.
Prerequisites
- •A computer or tablet with a modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
- •An email address for your CurtainCall account
- •A Stripe or Square account for payment processing (free to create)
- •Your venue layout (a sketch, photo, or rough seat count)
- •Show details: name, dates, times, and pricing
Step-by-Step Setup
Step 1: Create Your Account
What you need
- •A valid email address
- •A credit card (for paid plans) or start with the 7-day free trial on Professional
- 1.Visit the CurtainCall signup page and choose your plan.
- 2.Plans: Starter ($39/mo), Professional ($89/mo with 7-day free trial), Business ($179/mo), Enterprise ($599/mo). See full pricing details.
- 3.Enter your email, create a password, and complete registration.
- 4.Check your email for a verification link and confirm your account.
- 5.Log in to your new CurtainCall admin dashboard.
💡 Tip: Start with the Professional plan's 7-day free trial to test all features before committing.
Step 2: Configure Your Organization
What you need
- •Your organization logo (PNG or SVG, at least 200×200px)
- •Organization contact info and timezone
- 1.Navigate to Settings → Organization in the admin dashboard.
- 2.Enter your organization name (e.g., 'Lincoln High School Theatre').
- 3.Upload your logo — this appears on tickets, emails, and the customer-facing ticket page.
- 4.Set your timezone (all show times will display in this timezone).
- 5.Add contact info: email, phone, and physical address.
- 6.Save your settings.
💡 Tip: Use a square logo for best results across tickets, emails, and the customer portal.
Step 3: Build Your Seat Map
What you need
- •A rough sketch or photo of your venue layout
- •Section names and approximate seat counts
- 1.Navigate to Venues → Create New Venue.
- 2.Name your venue (e.g., 'Main Auditorium').
- 3.Open the drag-and-drop seat map builder.
- 4.Add rows by clicking 'Add Row' and dragging seats into position.
- 5.Use curved rows for amphitheatre-style seating.
- 6.Mark accessible seating locations with the ADA icon tool.
- 7.Create pricing sections (e.g., Orchestra, Mezzanine, Balcony) and assign colors.
- 8.Save your venue layout — it's reusable across all productions.
💡 Tip: Start with a simple layout and refine later. You can edit the seat map anytime without affecting existing ticket sales.
Step 4: Connect Payment Processing
What you need
- •A Stripe or Square account (create one for free at stripe.com or squareup.com)
- 1.Navigate to Settings → Payments.
- 2.Choose your payment processor: Stripe or Square.
- 3.Click 'Connect' and follow the OAuth flow to link your account.
- 4.CurtainCall handles PCI compliance — no security configuration needed on your end.
- 5.Test with a small transaction to verify the connection.
💡 Tip: Stripe is recommended for most venues. Square is ideal if you already use Square for in-person sales or concessions.
Step 5: Create Your First Event
What you need
- •Show name, dates, and times
- •Ticket pricing for each section/type
- •A brief show description (or use the AI generator)
- 1.Navigate to Events → Create New Event.
- 2.The Event Wizard guides you through 5 steps:
- 3.Step 1: Enter show name, description (or click 'Generate with AI'), and genre.
- 4.Step 2: Select your venue/seat map from saved layouts.
- 5.Step 3: Add performance dates and times (supports multi-night runs).
- 6.Step 4: Set pricing tiers per section. Add discount codes, student pricing, comp tickets.
- 7.Step 5: Preview your customer-facing ticket page.
💡 Tip: Use the AI Event Description Generator to create compelling show descriptions in seconds. You can edit the output before publishing.
Step 6: Publish and Share
What you need
- •Completed event setup from Step 5
- 1.Review your event preview — check pricing, dates, and seat map accuracy.
- 2.Click 'Publish' to make your event live.
- 3.Copy the ticket page URL and share it:
- 4.• Embed on your school/organization website
- 5.• Share on social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.)
- 6.• Include in email newsletters and parent communications
- 7.• Print QR codes for posters and flyers
- 8.Monitor sales in real-time from the admin dashboard.
💡 Tip: Share the ticket link at least 2–3 weeks before opening night for maximum sales.
Troubleshooting
❓ Payment connection fails
✅ Ensure your Stripe/Square account is fully verified (identity, bank account). Try disconnecting and reconnecting. Check that your browser allows pop-ups for the OAuth flow.
❓ Seat map looks wrong on customer page
✅ Open the seat map builder and check the 'Preview' tab. Ensure all seats are within the canvas bounds. Save and refresh the event page.
❓ Customers can't find the ticket page
✅ Verify the event status is 'Published' (not 'Draft'). Copy the URL from Events → Your Event → Share Link. Test the link in an incognito browser window.
❓ Email confirmations not sending
✅ Check Settings → Email to verify your email provider is configured. If using SendGrid, confirm your API key is valid. Check spam folders.
❓ QR codes won't scan at the door
✅ Ensure the scanning device has camera permissions enabled in the browser. Use adequate lighting. If the QR code is on a phone screen, increase brightness.
❓ Discount codes not applying
✅ Verify the code is active (not expired) and matches the correct event. Codes are case-sensitive. Check the usage limit hasn't been reached.
Still stuck? Contact our support team — we respond within 24 hours.
Related Articles & Resources
Need Help Setting Up?
Book a free onboarding call and we'll walk you through setup live.
Book Onboarding Call