How to Get Concert Tickets

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: June 3, 2021 References

There are various options for obtaining concert tickets presale or after the box office opens. Presale refers to the time period before tickets go on sale to the general public. Presales happen mostly online, generally a few days to a few weeks before the public sale begins.^{[1]
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Research source} These offers can account for up to 90% of the available tickets, and are used for fan club members, select credit card holders, and acquaintances of the band.^{[2]
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Research source} All remaining tickets that have not been sold during the presales become available through the public sale. You can buy public sale tickets online, by telephone, or at the box office. Tickets become available at all three places at the same time, and all three are selling tickets from the same pool. If the event sells out, you may still be able to score one or more seats.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Preparing Beforehand

1
Make sure you’re available. Find out when and where the event will take place. You can check the artist’s official website, box office websites, or ticket distributors. There are often notices in local newspapers about upcoming concerts as well. Consult your schedule and make sure you’ll be available on that date.
- If you need to travel to get to the venue, clear your schedule for the length of time it will take to get there, attend the concert, and return home.
- If you’re under the care of parents or guardians, make sure they will let you go to the concert before you try to get tickets. Other people who enjoy the same bands will be trying to buy or win tickets, too. You wouldn’t want to hurt someone else’s chances of getting seats to the show if you end up not being able to attend the concert.
2
Follow band webpages. Artists will often announce tours on social media or their websites first.^{[3]
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Research source} Go to the artist’s website and sign up for their electronic mailing list.^{[4]
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Research source} Follow the performer’s profiles on social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. You can usually find links to their official social media pages directly from the band’s official website.
- Use social media apps that will give you real time alerts on your mobile device when the band you’re following posts something. For example, Snapchat, Twitter, or Instagram.
- If the band’s website has a blog with an RSS feed, you can use an app like Boxcar, Newsify or RSS Bot to get notifications as soon as their blog posts an update.
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3
Sign up for email alerts as a credit card holder. Some credit card companies offer presale tickets deals to their cardholders, and will send out emails about upcoming concerts before the general public even knows about them. Check the website of credit card companies you are a cardholder with or call their customer service number on the back of your card. If they do offer such promotions, sign up for their email list to be notified about special offers.
- Try asking, “Do you offer presale deals on concert tickets to your card members?” If the answer is yes, you can ask something like, “How can I submit my email address to be notified about those types of offers?” The representative may guide you through the process or offer to sign you up right over the phone.
- For example, American Express, Citibank and MasterCard all have special ticket offers for cardholders.
4
Volunteer your services. Check the artist’s website a few months before the event and look for requests for volunteers. If you apply as a volunteer and are accepted, you will get free access to the show. You can also check with the venue itself to see if they need volunteers.
- If you have relevant experience such as with sound, lighting, or musical equipment, be sure to mention that. If not, you may be able to assist with setting up or cleaning up after the event.
5
Register for the ticket distributor’s website. If you plan to purchase tickets through a distributor, sign up for their website ahead of time. Enter your payment information and verify your account via email if required. Then when the tickets go on sale, you can attempt to buy them right away.^{[5]
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- Sign up for their mailing list to get notifications ahead of time.
- If the website has an app for ticket sales, install it on one of your devices. This can give you real time information on ticket availability. Also, you may be able to bypass potential problems with their website loading on the day tickets go on sale.
- Practice purchasing tickets ahead of time (for any event) on the website without completing the process. Then you will be familiar with the process so that you are prepared to do it quickly when the tickets you want go on sale. Make sure to remove the test item from your cart afterwards.
6
Familiarize yourself with the venue’s layout. If you know where the venue is going to be, go on their website and view their seating chart. Print it out or save a copy it for easy access. You don’t want to make a mistake by purchasing tickets to seats in a different area than you thought they were.^{[6]
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- During the public sale, tickets sometimes sell out very quickly. Having a seating chart for easy reference when ticket shopping can save you precious time.
7
Sign up for news alerts. You can monitor the internet for new content about the artist whose concert you wish to attend. Use a service like Google Alerts or IFTTT (“If This, Then That”). Then if there are news articles or blog posts about ticket sales or giveaways, you’ll be notified by email.
- For example, specify that you want to be notified of all new results that include the artist’s name and the keyword “tickets.”

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Checking for Pre-Sales

1
Join a fan club. Fan clubs are among those who get access to tickets first. Many fan clubs will hold pre-sales and make tickets available to club members. Fan club memberships may be free or paid. Joining a fan club will likely give you access to advance notice of the artist’s upcoming tours as well.^{[7]
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- If you’re interested in joining a band’s fan club, first look for any special offers. Some tours will offer new members a “Fan Club Bundle,” for example offering fan club membership with the option to purchase tickets during presales. There may be an additional cost, so read the terms carefully before buying anything.^{[8]
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2
Get a VIP package. If you’re willing to pay the price, you can purchase a VIP bundle deal for the show. VIP packages offer special perks, for instance meet and greets, photo ops, or other bonus incentives in addition to tickets. Search online for the name of the artist and the keywords “VIP package” to find special offers.
- The cost of VIP packages vary. They may be a couple of hundred dollars up to a couple of thousand dollars.
3
Look for radio station contests. Radio stations sponsor pre-sales for shows. Follow local radio stations on social media, and sign up for email alerts at the stations’ websites. There will only be a limited number of tickets available, but if you’re one of the lucky winners, you’ll get free passes!
- To win a radio contest, you will likely have to answer one or more trivia questions correctly as well as being a specific caller number (such as caller number ten).
4
Check with venues. Visit the websites of venues in your area. Sign up for their email lists and newsletters. Venues offer presales and will often notify their email subscribers of how to become eligible for such offers.^{[9]
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5
Buy season tickets to theatres or venues. You can purchase season ticket packages to a venue in your area. This is typically the most expensive way to buy tickets. Season tickets can cost thousands of dollars, because you’re purchasing seats for multiple shows.
- There may be season ticket holder waiting list.
6
Look for album bonus offers. Occasionally tours offer presales to fans who order the artist’s latest or upcoming album. Check the artist’s official website and look for sale promotions. Also subscribe to the website’s mailing list, and newsletter if they have one.^{[10]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Buying Public Sale Tickets

1
Buy from an online ticket distributor. Some of these distributors also sell tickets by phone and through physical locations. Consider downloading any relevant apps so that you can stay in the know about ticket sales. Make sure that you are buying from a reputable seller. If you’re not sure of their trustworthiness, look the company up through the Better Business Bureau’s website. You can also confirm that they belong to the National Association of Ticket Brokers, which means they agreed to practice basic consumer protection.^{[11]
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- Some examples of well-known ticket sellers are StubHub, Ticketmaster, and Live Nation.
- If you’re buying online, get on the website at least 15 minutes ahead of the online sale and make sure you are logged into your account.^{[12]
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- Have multiple devices ready, in case the website is overloaded with many other users vying for the tickets.^{[13]
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  Research source} For example, try using a computer with a wireless router and a mobile device that uses its own network. Don’t use multiple devices through the same internet network, because your requests will be coming from the same IP address and you may get blocked by the website. Similarly, don’t use different web browsers on the same device.^{[14]
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2
Stand in line at the box office. Go to the venue’s box office when ticket sales open. If there is a reasonable number of people standing in line, physical box offices will often count how many people are there and subtract that number from the public sale.^{[15]
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3
Look for contests with ticket giveaways. Ticket distributors and venues often host contests that offer the public a chance to win tickets. Check their websites and social media pages. There may be a requirement to enter the contests, such as sharing a post about the event.
- You will probably have a better chance of winning if you look for regional giveaways rather than national contests, or enter both. For example, if a national ticket distributor is offering a ticket giveaway, check to see if they have a social media account that is local to your state or city that offers additional chances to win.^{[16]
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Search for sweepstakes to enter. Go online and search for the artist’s name, along with the keywords “tickets” and “sweepstakes.” There are sweepstakes websites that specifically offer concert tickets. Sometimes music television channels offer sweepstakes for event tickets, too.
5
Keep checking. If you haven’t gotten your ticket(s) yet, check in regularly with sources like ticket distributors, the venue, the artist or band, and promoters.^{[17]
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Research source}. Extra tickets can be released a week before an event, or even a few hours beforehand.^{[18]
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- Held-back tickets that become available shortly before the show are often lower in price because brokers want to fill seats on short notice.
6
Buy less tickets. If you’re having trouble scoring tickets, you may want to search for fewer tickets. The less tickets you need, the better your chances are. If you want to go in a group, you may want to split up the seating and just carpool together.^{[19]
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- You’re likely to get a good seat during a public sale if you’re only shopping for one ticket.^{[20]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Obtaining Tickets for Sold Out Shows

1
Try ticket brokers. Check with well-known ticket resellers.^{[21]
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Research source} The prices will be higher than face value, but not as expensive as VIP packages.^{[22]
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Research source} For example, try checking the websites of resellers like TicketsNow,TicketLiquidator, and TicketNetwork.
- A concert ticket search engine – for example, SeatGeek – allows you to search through multiple ticket sellers at once.
2
Check auction sites. Auction sites like eBay can have a great deal of tickets offered for sale. Ticket prices will generally be higher than face value, because the holder of tickets may sell at any price they wish. Also, the show is sold out, so most if not all of the tickets will be sold in auction format, where the price is determined by the highest bidder.
- Reviewing the seller’s feedback first is a good way to gauge their trustworthiness. You should also familiarize yourself with the auction site’s terms and conditions about refunds, in case you don’t receive the ticket on time or it does not grant you access as it should.^{[23]
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3
Check local classifieds. Search online classifieds in your local area, such as Craigslist. You can also look in the “For Sale” section of classifieds in your local newspaper. Individual or season ticket holders may be offering their tickets for sale.
4
Call the box office. Try contacting the box office a few hours before the event. If they tell you the show is sold out, you can try again an hour before show time. Season ticket holders do sell seats back at the last minute.^{[24]
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Check other cities. If all else fails and you aren’t able to get tickets to an event in your area, check the artist’s tour schedule for stops in other cities. There may be a nearby city on the agenda next that isn’t sold out. Alternately, you may want to make travel arrangements to see the performer in an even further locale if it is easier to acquire tickets for it and you don’t mind getting away for a couple of days.
6
Find out if you’re permitted to buy from a scalper. People who resell tickets on the street outside venues are referred to as ticket “scalpers.” As a last resort, you could try to buy tickets that way, if it’s allowed in your area. Check with the laws of your state first. Some states allow this practice, but in other states it is illegal.
- Even if buying tickets from a scalper is legal in your area, it is still a risky practice. Counterfeit tickets can appear very real, and there is no definite way of verifying them until you present them at the gate of the venue.

Community Q&A

Question

I have no credit cards. How can I use my iPhone and a checking account to buy?

Community Answer

You could use Apple Pay as if it was a debit card and pay with your checking account.

Warnings

Be wary of anyone who is selling tickets but can’t or won’t disclose exactly which seats the tickets are for.^{[27]
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It’s not advisable to get pre-sale codes from independent websites, whether the codes are free or not.^{[28]
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If you’re buying tickets online, make sure to read all the fine print before purchasing anything. Ticket fees may or may not be very clear up front, and can increase the price you pay by 20% or higher.^{[29]
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Research source} You also want to make sure you will be able to use the tickets. Some venues and tours sell non-transferable, paperless tickets which require the original purchaser to be present at the venue with identification and the credit card used to obtain the tickets.^{[30]
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Even if you think a website looks official, there are imposter websites on the web that phish for people’s financial information. Always look at the full URL in your address bar to make sure you are on the legitimate site.^{[31]
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If you’re making an in-person purchase of tickets from a classifieds source such as Craigslist, make sure that you follow proper safety precautions to protect yourself. Also be aware that you’re taking the risk of acquiring counterfeit tickets any time you purchase from an unofficial ticketing source. Likewise, buying tickets through eBay or the classifieds have some of the same problems. The tickets could be stolen, counterfeit, or sold to more than one person.

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If you end up being unable to use your concert tickets and want to sell them, make sure that they are transferable. If you take photos of your tickets to put them up for sale, make sure that you cover the bar codes completely.^{[32]
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