How to Give Tickets As a Gift

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 4, 2022 References

Tickets to a show or event can make an amazing gift for almost any occasion. When giving tickets as a gift, it's important that you consider all of your options and determine what fits your budget. If you take your time to think about who you're getting the gift for, you can give them tickets they truly appreciate. Once you get the right tickets, delivering them in a creative way can make the gift even more special.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Brainstorming Ticket Ideas

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Figure out how much you want to spend. When considering how much you want to spend on a gift, the most important thing is that you feel comfortable with the amount you are giving. Knowing how much you can spend will help you determine which kind of tickets you should get. Some tickets can get very expensive while other tickets are cheaper to get.^{[1]
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- Other things that you could consider are the importance of the occasion and the importance of your relationship with that person.
- If you are getting tickets for a family member, you'll most likely want to spend more on it than if you're getting it for a friend or acquaintance.
2
Write down a list of the gift recipient's interests and hobbies. Think about the person's personality and the things that they regularly like to do. You want to get tickets they will be excited about. Once you have a list of potential tickets, you can start to narrow down your options based on budget and their schedule.
- For instance, if the person is a sports buff you should get them tickets to see a sporting event.
- If the person's favorite band is coming to town, you can get them tickets to see them perform.
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3
Determine the person's schedule. Figure out when the person works or if they have a vacation coming up. Consider their schedule when purchasing tickets and try to choose a time or day when they aren't usually working. You can also ask the person about their schedule without making your gift intentions obvious.
- Say something like "I know you don't usually work on the weekends, but are you going to be doing anything on the 25th? Want to hang out or something?"
- If the person has time off from work coming up, you can purchase them tickets for a longer vacation.
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Plan on going with them. Tickets make for great gifts because they are an experience that can leave lasting memories. When you are purchasing tickets for someone, consider if you can go with them. If you are good friends, they will appreciate the company, and you can share the memory together.
- For example, you can both see a sports game together, go to the movies together, or both go to a play.
- If you are getting vacation tickets for someone in your family, see if you can adjust your schedule to go with them.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Selecting Tickets

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Give them tickets to travel. A cruise ticket or plane ticket is a great gift to get someone that enjoys traveling. Make sure that you get tickets that coincide with the person's schedule. Figure out a location with a climate that they would enjoy and look for tickets in those places.^{[2]
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- If you're unsure of their schedule, make sure that the tickets are refundable or transferable.
2
Get them tickets to a music show, concert, or festival. If you know what musicians or bands the gift recipient likes, you can get them tickets to their favorite artist's show. Search online for concerts and tour dates to find a show that they would be able to attend.
- If you're unsure of the artists that they like, you can say something like, "Hey, I heard you playing Kendrick Lamar yesterday. Are you a fan of his?"
- Popular music festivals include AFROPUNK FEST, Electric Forest, Made In America, and Bonnaroo.^{[3]
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Purchase gift tickets to see a sports game. If you know that the person receiving the gift is a sports fanatic, you can purchase them tickets to see a game. Determine which sports they enjoy the most, and get them tickets to see their favorite team. Look at the stadium or venue's website to purchase them.
- You can give football, baseball, soccer, rugby, tennis, or basketball tickets.
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Get movie or film festival tickets for a film buff. If the gift recipient is a fan of movies, you can purchase them tickets to a popular movie that's currently playing. Look for movies that are currently out. Read movie reviews and get them tickets to a movie that has received critical or audience acclaim. You can also search online for local film festivals that are coming into town. Purchase digital tickets in advance or go pick them at the box office.
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Give them ballet or theater tickets. If you know that the gift recipient is a fan of live theater, you should consider taking them to the ballet or a live play. Search online for your theaters in your area and look on their websites to see which plays are currently running. Choose a play that you think they would enjoy based on their personality and purchase tickets online or visit the theater's box office.
- If you are getting tickets for someone who loves humor, you should see a comedic play.
- If you are purchasing the tickets for someone who loves dance, you should get them tickets to the ballet or to a contemporary theater act.
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Purchase amusement park tickets. If the person that you're getting the gift for loves adrenaline and action, you could get them tickets to a theme park. Theme park tickets are also a great gift for kids and teens. Think of theme parks that they would be able to travel to, and look online to see if you can purchase, download, and print the tickets.
- If you print e-tickets, it's important that the recipient doesn't lose them so they can gain admission to the park.^{[4]
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Give lottery tickets to acquaintances and casual friends. Lottery tickets are affordable and easy to obtain. If you know someone on a more casual basis, like a coworker or classmate, you can give them lottery tickets as a gift. Go to a convenience store and get purchase scratch-off lottery tickets for them.
- Scratch-off lottery tickets are great casual gifts because you can buy a bunch of them and give them out to different people.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Presenting the Tickets in a Creative Way

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Put the tickets in plain sight for a surprise. Instead of just handing the gift recipient the tickets, you can hide them in plain sight. Some good hiding places include the inside of a sock drawer or on top of the kitchen counter. When choosing the location to leave the tickets, make sure that it's in a place that they check daily.^{[5]
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- If you're getting the tickets for someone at work, you can slip them in a desk drawer or leave them on their seat.
- If you're buying tickets for a friend at school, you can slip them into their locker.
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Surprise them with misdirection. Don't make your intentions known. Call the gift recipient and ask them to meet you to have a "serious conversation." When you see them, build up the situation by saying something like "Hey, I really wanted to talk to you, but I needed to see you in person. When the person responds, surprise them with the tickets.^{[6]
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Disguise the tickets by wrapping them up. You can disguise your tickets as a different gift by putting them in a box or wrapping them in something like tissue paper. If you are getting tickets for a concert or show, you can wrap the tickets in a band t-shirt to throw them off.^{[7]
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- If you want to be funny, you can give the gift to your friend in a very large box so that they have no idea what is in it.
4
Send them the tickets over social media. As an alternative to giving them the tickets in person, you can send them photos of the tickets over your favorite social media platform. Just make sure that when you do it publicly that you cover up the barcode on the ticket so that no one can steal them.^{[8]
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- Your message could read something like "Look who is going to see Beyonce on May 5th!"
- Remember to tag the gift recipient in the post.
5
Hide the tickets in a helium balloon. Fold the tickets into the inside of the balloon with some confetti before you fill the balloon with helium. Hand the balloon to the gift recipient and have them pop it. When it pops, the confetti and the tickets will fall to the ground and surprise the person.^{[9]
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