Does Olivia Rodrigo even know what sleep is? Between releasing a highly-anticipated sophomore album, performing at the 2023 VMAs, and now announcing her second-ever world tour, I don’t think so.
GUTS dropped on Sept. 8 to immense critical acclaim. This project saw the 20-year-old superstar getting candid about personal experiences and experimenting with new genres. She lets out intense frustration and anger in the cathartic lead single, “vampire,” and fan-favorite “love is embarrassing.” The final two songs, “pretty isn’t pretty” and “teenage dream,” provide an unfiltered discussion of many young women’s experiences in this day and age. Contrary to the ballad-heavy nature of her 2021 debut, SOUR, GUTS taps into pop-punk elements, influenced by the likes of Avril Lavigne and Paramore.
The downside of an artist rising in popularity is that their tickets grow increasingly harder to secure. Although Rodrigo has scheduled more dates, and opted for bigger venues on the GUTS Tour than the SOUR Tour, you might still need to prepare for another Ticketmaster bloodbath.
WHEN IS Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS TOUR AND WHAT CITIES ARE INCLUDED?
Along with the album, Rodrigo uploaded lyric videos to accompany every track on the album. In the one for “making the bed,” a GUTS World Tour ticket with the location of Palm Springs, California appeared in one frame. Fans who guessed that this was where the tour’s opening night would take place turned out to be right!
Rodrigo has divided the GUTS Tour into two North American legs, with a European leg in between. After the Feb. 3, 2024 kickoff, the 57-date run includes a double-show weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Apr. 5 and 6, 2024, to close out the first North American leg. European dates begin in Dublin, Ireland on Apr. 30, 2024, and wrap in Lisbon, Portugal on June 22, 2024. North American dates resume on July 19, 2024 in Philadelphia, and the entire tour concludes at the iconic Kia Forum on Aug. 13 to 14, 2024.
WHEN IS the GUTS Tour PRESALE, AND HOW DO I REGISTER?
American Express cardholders, you’re in luck — y’all get your own presale, which you can register for on the Ticketmaster website. Additionally, soldiers of The Great War (Olivia’s Version) can sign up through Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan platform. Both registrations close on Sept. 17, 2023. AMEX’s presale occurs on Sept. 20, 2023, and Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan sale occurs on Sept. 21, 2023, with codes being sent out the day before in both cases.
Loads of tips have spread on the internet since the presale fiasco of Taylor Swift’s monumental Eras Tour, but I’ve learned a few from personal experience as well if you want to snag presale tickets. Sign up for a Ticketmaster account with every email you have, and register for presale with all of them. Convince everyone you know to do the same. I’ve found that it’s more efficient to secure tickets from a computer than a phone. Open every browser that you can think of (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.). Only use one Ticketmaster account per browser, to ensure that you keep your place in the queue. Don’t use a VPN, or else Ticketmaster might wrongly suspect that you’re a bot.
It’s a huge time-saver to have your payment information stored in all of your Ticketmaster accounts beforehand. Throughout the whole process, make sure your internet connection is fast and reliable! Join the waiting room 30 minutes prior to the sale’s start time to optimize your chances. While you’re in the queue, do not refresh! However, once you leave the queue and navigate to the map screen, keep refreshing the page if no available tickets show up.
HOW MUCH WILL GUTS Tour TICKETS COST?
The pricing of the GUTS tour is expected to range from $59.50 to $229.50 for Canadian dates, and $49.50 to $199.50 for U.S. dates, not including taxes and fees, according to Live Nation Entertainment. The only VIP package is the GA Pit Experience, which offers early entry, early merch shopping, and a special photo op among other cool perks.
WHAT WILL THE GUTS Tour STAGE LAYOUT LOOK LIKE?
In seating maps found on the presale page of each tour stop, Ticketmaster has included a visual of the stage layout. I’m curious to see how she’ll use the two catwalks!
WHO ARE THE OPENING ACTS ON THE GUTS TOUR?
For support on the GUTS Tour, Rodrigo is enlisting an entirely female lineup of rising pop and alternative acts. These include “Boy’s A Liar” singer PinkPantheress, the hottest name in British dance pop right now, and Remi Wolf, who’s stepping further into the spotlight after dropping “Prescription” this May. Rodrigo is also bringing back Chappell Roan, who previously opened on the SOUR tour, and has her debut album The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess coming out next week. Last but not least, for the special Los Angeles and New York City dates, she’s joined by The Breeders, an alt-rock band fronted by ex-Pixies member Kim Deal.
WHAT SONGS WILL BE ON THE GUTS TOUR SETLIST?
While Rodrigo has not confirmed a setlist yet, the hits, like “bad idea right?” and “driver’s license,” seem like a given. It would be very on-brand for Rodrigo to hold more group therapy sessions and lead us through ballads like “making the bed” and “the grudge.” Fans’ potential jumping and dancing to pop-punk tracks, such as “ballad of a homeschooled girl” and “get him back!” if she chooses to include them, might even cause mild earthquakes, similar to what happened at some Taylor Swift concerts this year.
I’d quite literally pass away if she recreated the special effects of the “vampire” music video like she did at the 2023 VMAs, which caused the award show audience to panic before applauding her creativity and stage presence.
While I will be participating in these Hunger Games as well, I wish each and every one of you all the best. Now might be a great time to use that TikTok audio for manifestations. May the odds be ever in your favor!