2026 is already a big year for concerts: Ariana Grandeâs Eternal Sunshine Tour this summer, Noah Kahanâs The Great Divide Tour, and many more coming up. If youâve been on the hunt for concert tickets recently, youâve probably also been a victim of those dreaded, high-stakes Ticketmaster wars. Buying tickets on Ticketmaster has always been a challenge, with its sky-high queue numbers, outrageous pricing, and the list goes on; but as of late, that post-purchase âYou Got âEmâ screen has seemed to become even less attainable than ever. I donât have the answers, as much as I wish I did, but I can tell you we are all in the exact same boat together!
When it comes to the Ticketmaster queue, many might expect that the earlier you sign into the waiting room, the better your spot in the queue will be. However, seasoned war veterans will know that no matter how soon you show up, your spot in line will be completely randomized. Yet, each userâs account typically ends up within the same range in the queue with each attempt, whether that means you are sent right into the sale every time or perpetually stuck in the hundred thousands. Iâve tried every trick in the book for lower queue numbersâlogging in exactly thirty minutes early, refreshing ten seconds before the sale, or not refreshing at allâto no avail. It seems as though itâs purely up to fate.
Another problem made worse by Ticketmaster is third-party resellers. If youâre still ticketless after the artist presales and general sales, your only remaining option is to browse the secondary market, whether that be resale tickets directly on Ticketmaster or tickets being sold on other platforms like StubHub, SeatGeek, or VividSeats. However, these secondhand sites are known for even loftier prices, as resellers test the limits of what fans are willing to pay for tickets. Anyone unwilling to drop hundreds or even thousands of dollars on decent seats (very reasonably so!) is left with few to no options.
Recently, the most-talked about Ticketmaster battle has undeniably been for Harry Stylesâ 2026 Together, Together tour. The American tour dates? Thirty shows at Madison Square Garden from late August to the end of October. The tour presales and general sales on Ticketmaster spanned a week and a half this past January into February, and as a determined fan who spent hours staring at blue queue numbers on my laptop over the course of those weeks, I was one of the many who turned up empty-handed. Not to mention, the prices for most tickets were unfathomable ($1,000 for lower bowl?!). Understandably, the tour having only one residency location in the States led to a much greater demand; but an example has now been made of these sales, and itâs disheartening to think that securing concert tickets might solely depend on the luck of the draw (and a loaded wallet).
No matter how difficult the ticket wars become, know that you are not alone in the struggle. Concerts are exciting, unifying experiences that should be accessible for all music lovers, not a privilege for only some. I can only hope we see positive changes as time goes on, but for now, I wish you the best of luck in all your future ticket-purchasing endeavors!