Come From Away at The Gateway

When the world stopped, a small town opened its doors

On September 11, 2001, after U.S. airspace abruptly closed, 38 planes carrying nearly 7,000 passengers from around the globe were diverted to a remote town in Gander, Newfoundland. Overnight, a community of just under 10,000 people had to decide what it meant to welcome the world, exhausted, frightened, and far from home.

About the show
Come From Away tells the true story of how Gander’s residents scrambled to house, feed, and comfort thousands of unexpected guests, turning gyms, schools, and living rooms into shelters, kitchens, and makeshift family rooms. In the days that followed, fear and grief shared space with coffee, casseroles, jokes, and music, as strangers forged bonds that would last a lifetime. With a propulsive Celtic-folk-rock score and an ensemble cast playing dozens of roles, this Tony Award–winning musical captures the messy, generous, deeply human ways people show up for one another in a crisis. It’s not a story about the events of 9/11 themselves, but about the radical hospitality, grace, and unexpected joy that emerged in its aftermath.

Why audiences love it
Audiences around the world have embraced Come From Away as a funny, moving, and ultimately uplifting reminder that kindness can be just as powerful and unforgettable as tragedy. The show moves at breathtaking speed, yet finds time for small, intimate moments: a shared meal, a phone call home, a borrowed blanket, a new friendship. If you love true stories, ensemble-driven theatre, and musicals that leave you both laughing and wiping away tears, this is the kind of night that stays with you long after the final bow. Truly a celebration of how ordinary people can do something extraordinary simply by saying, “Come in.”