Ever since middle school, I’ve gone to more concerts than I can even count. At times, Ticketmaster has been my worst enemy. Though the evils of Ticketmaster have gotten more buzz recently due to the Taylor Swift tour, I have had the same struggles for years as I’ve ticketed for BTS (an equally daunting feat). While much of ticketing success can be attributed to luck, I have picked up several tips and tricks through my experiences. I am no gatekeeper, so here is my best advice to secure your dream concert tickets:
Before Ticketing
First things first, research presale options. Many artists offer presales for members of their specific fan clubs. If we’re lucky, joining the fan club may be as simple as joining an email list. Other times, there is a fee to join.
If the artist is very popular, I highly recommend joining the fan club. When ticketing for BTS, joining the fan club saved me as the entire stadium sold out during the fan club presale (70,000 seats in just minutes). If this kind of presale is not an option, Ticketmaster often does “Verified Fan” sales as well, which simply involves signing yourself up beforehand on the website.
Next, I like to ensure that the place I will be ticketing in has solid wifi. By looking up “internet speed test,” I check the internet speed in different spots to gauge where is best. UCLA students, I recommend ticketing on the Hill as opposed to campus. While experiences may vary, I have never had good luck on wifi in a public setting like Starbucks.
I like to think of Ticketmaster as a lottery system. Our spots in the virtual line are largely based on luck. Therefore, I like to have as many chances or entries in said lottery as possible. Find friends who will ticket with you on their accounts as well. In the past, I’ve even borrowed the Ticketmaster accounts of family members so I have as many accounts running as possible (the most devices I’ve had running at once is five).
Preview the seating chart beforehand, as well as prices. Have desired tickets in mind, as well as back ups. The less thinking required during the actual ticketing process, the better. Additionally, make sure all information is complete and up to date on your Ticketmaster account. When tickets are going fast, typing in credit card numbers slows the process down.
During Ticketing
Once I have all my devices set up, I like to make sure I have every other piece of information that I might need easily accessible. My phone (in case of Ticketmaster verification texts), the presale code written on paper and my payment method are all essentials.
About 30 minutes before the sale begins, you are placed in a virtual waiting room. Once ticketing starts, you will be sorted into a virtual queue and given a number in line. Once in this queue DO NOT refresh the screen. While this may be tempting if the screen looks frozen, refreshing sends users to the end of the line.
Some people on social media will try to preach their ticketing “hacks,” claiming if you refresh the screen at this certain time, you will have better odds. While I can’t speak for everyone’s experiences, I believe these are largely clickbait (or wishful thinking). I’ve tried every so-called hack in the book and everything ultimately boils down to luck (trust me). While the tips like those I’ve described can help make ticketing smoother, there is unfortunately no magic trick to guarantee tickets.
Whether you’re a Swiftie, a BTS ARMY or a member of the Beyhive, ticketing is stressful. If you can’t secure tickets directly from Ticketmaster, don’t panic. I have purchased resale tickets up until the week of the concert. Stay calm, be prepared and you are on the way to getting your next concert tickets.