Buying concert tickets is no longer casual. When your favorite artist announces that they’re going on tour, the excitement hits instantly. Still, it quickly turns to dread when you face the near-impossible reality of actually securing tickets. What was once a fun experience has become increasingly stressful.
After going through the Ticketmaster war and coming out successful, I’ve learned a few valuable lessons. It is an undeniably nerve-wracking process, but the reward of purchasing tickets makes it all worthwhile. Here are the steps I took to emerge victorious.
Join the presale
If you don’t want to deal with inflated reseller prices, it is crucial to join the presale days before the tickets officially drop. This gives you a much better chance of securing tickets at a reasonable price. You can register for the presale of up to three tour dates directly through Ticketmaster. The day before the presale, you will receive a link and a text to access it. Don’t lose it!
Know the venue
If you want the best possible view, the stage layout is your best friend. Research the venue and look for a “seat finder” or similar feature. This allows you to see the stage setup from different angles and compare seating options. From there, you can identify your target seating area, making the buying process faster and easier. The seat finder is just a helpful reference point that really puts the concert layout into perspective.
Arrive early
I used my computer to buy the tickets (because I was in class), and the process was relatively quick. I’m not sure if it would have been faster on a phone; I honestly think it all depends on your Wi-Fi, so make sure your connection is stable. There are plenty of tips about using multiple devices to increase your odds of securing tickets, but I didn’t follow them. Ticketmaster warns that you could get kicked off or lose your spot in the queue, and I wasn’t taking that chance.
When you receive the presale link, you are instructed to arrive 30 minutes early, so that’s exactly what I did. The 30-minute countdown is very stressful because once it ends, your tickets are essentially determined by luck. Some tips suggest refreshing the page right when the presale starts (11 a.m. in my case) to get a lower placement in the queue, but I decided against it. I’ve seen mixed outcomes for that strategy, so I stuck with my gut, and it paid off: Only about 3,000 people were ahead of me.
Don’t feel discouraged if your queue placement isn’t great. It’s all random, and nothing you could’ve done would have guaranteed you a lower spot. Once you are in the queue, DO NOT refresh! If you do, you’ll lose your spot and end up with an even higher placement.
Take your time buying tickets
When I finally made it out of the queue, I felt myself rushing to make a purchase. The tickets I was originally aiming for were too expensive, so I had to adjust my plans, which felt overwhelming. I had seen TikTok videos where all of the tickets sell out right as someone tries to buy them, and I didn’t want that to happen to me.
Caught between the adrenaline and nervousness, I just wanted to secure the tickets. I found options within my price range and was debating between the two, but I randomly chose one out of fear that they might both be taken. I am happy with the tickets I got, but I definitely should have taken a moment to relax. The Ticketmaster horror stories scared me into making a quick decision that I could’ve spent at least a few more minutes thinking about.
Save your payment information beforehand
When I joined the presale, I also saved my payment information, which made checkout much faster and smoother. You only have about eight minutes to complete the purchase, so you don’t want to waste time entering details that could have already been stored.
Also, a super specific tip: If you’re paying with someone else’s credit card and the tickets are over a certain spending limit, you will need to complete a verification step to make the purchase. For me, this involved retrieving a code from my dad’s phone number or email, so be prepared. Clearly, I was not, so guess who made their dad pull over while driving to get pizza? Me! We both ended up happy: I got my tickets and he got his pizza.
The Ticketmaster process was stressful, but the joy I felt once I received the ticket confirmation made it all worth it. The thrill of surviving the Ticketmaster war hasn’t worn off yet; I’m still basking in the victory.
This was my first time truly battling in the Ticketmaster war, and I hope my tips help anyone experiencing it for the first time. If you didn’t get the tickets you wanted, hope is not lost. StubHub and SeatGeek can be hit or miss alternatives, but these platforms have worked fine for me and others, so they are options worth considering.
As of today, my concert is 176 days away, and I’m counting them down!