If you’ve overly tried to buy tickets to see your favorite music versifier live, only to discover the unshortened venue sold out within minutes of the on-sale time, you’re not alone. From Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour to Bad Bunny’s “Most Wanted” tour, big-name acts are selling out immediately, leaving throngs of disappointed fans in their wake.
But all hope is not lost! It’s still possible to get tickets to sold-out concerts you’ll just have to squint vastitude the initial point-of-purchase website. And with fan-to-fan resale options, withal with receipt guarantees, you can rest easy that you won’t get scammed (even though you might pay increasingly than you expected).
Why Do Concert Tickets Sell Out So Quickly?
The simple answer, equal to Ticketmaster, is that thousands of fans are trying to buy tickets the second they’re misogynist online. But not everyone would say it’s that simple. A 2022 class-action lawsuit versus Ticketmaster, filed by thermogenic Taylor Swift fans, accused the visitor of violating California’s Unfair Competition Law, NPR reported at the time. Ticketmaster issued a statement well-nigh its website crashing and Swift fans’ disappointment, subtracting that it was single-minded to providing a largest user wits in the future. Still, fans can expect to see sold-out concerts in the future, expressly from big-name artists like Swift.
With that in mind, here are all of the places to trammels for sold-out concert tour tickets — you just might score those dream seats without all. And to save some dough once you’ve scored the tickets, here’s how to save money at music festivals.
StubHub
Image: StubHub
How it works and what kind of tickets it offers: StubHub’s resale options are by fans, for fans. And thanks to the site’s Price Alert options, you can get notified when tickets within your budgeted price range go on sale. No increasingly refreshing the site every day, hoping an affordable option will appear.
Safeguards versus scammers: StubHub’s FanProtect Guarantee ways that every purchase on the site is backed by the company. In the rare event that you buy resale tickets that aren’t valid, you’ll get a full refund through StubHub’s program.
How to score deals: In wing to StubHub’s Price Alert notifications, customers can save money just by stuff loyal fans of the site. StubHub’s weightier customers get “loyalty perks,” equal to the company, and you may plane get lucky unbearable to score a “surprise seat upgrade.” And if you buy last-minute tickets on StubHub, you could moreover score a lower price (provided, of course, that tickets are still available). Plus, don’t forget to use RetailMeNot to get mazuma when on StubHub purchases.
Ticketmaster
How it works and what kind of tickets it offers: Ticketmaster offers fan-to-fan resale of verified tickets, as well as original ticket sales and resale.
One drawback, however, is that tickets relisted by third-party sellers may come at significantly higher financing than the original sale value. If the concert you’re looking at is once sold out, the resale forfeit could be several times higher than the initial price. For concertgoers on a budget, squint for Ticketmaster’s pink “Fan-to-Fan resale” button, which ways that resale tickets are listed by “other fans,” rather than third-party sellers.
Safeguards versus scammers: Ticketmaster’s third-party ticket sales are final, but the visitor still has protections in place for buyers. And if the event is canceled, you’ll get a full refund.
However, it’s worth noticing that, per Ticketmaster’s Purchase Policy, the visitor does “not guarantee the authenticity of tickets purchased from any non-authorized third-party reseller.” Ticketmaster has a blog post well-nigh how to avoid worldwide ticketing scams, but in some cases, you may need to file a requirement with your credit vellum issuer, rather than expecting a refund from Ticketmaster itself, per Norton.
Aside from hotel discounts, Ticketmaster’s Ticket Deals section makes finding affordable options a breeze. The page offers discounts of up to 50% off, as well as 2-for-1 and 4-pack deals. You can moreover filter the site’s offerings by “tickets under $40” in the Ticket Deals section to ensure you stick to your budget. And, of course, don’t forget to score cash when at Ticketmaster through RetailMeNot.
Vivid Seats
How it works and what kind of tickets it offers: Vivid Seats offers tickets to concerts, as well as to theater productions and sporting events. The company’s resale tickets are from verified resellers, so you don’t have to worry well-nigh getting scammed. (Resellers can, however, still mark up the forfeit of the tickets.)
Safeguards versus scammers: With Vivid Seats’ 100% Buyer Guarantee, you can rest unpreventable that your tickets will be valid or you’ll get your money back. The visitor moreover works exclusively with vetted resellers, so you can shop with conviction and peace of mind. And, of course, you’ll be refunded if the event is canceled.
How to score deals: While Vivid Seats doesn’t have a sale section on its website, the visitor does promise to “accommodate virtually any budget.” The site moreover has a rewards program — once you’ve bought 10 concert tickets, the 11th one will be free. Fine print: The self-ruling ticket is unquestionably a credit worth the stereotype price of your previous 10 tickets. There are moreover “surprise seat upgrades” and birthday rewards for members. Plus, you can earn cash when at Vivid Seats through RetailMeNot.
SeatGeek
How it works and what kind of tickets it offers: While SeatGeek is increasingly wontedly known for offering tickets to live sporting events, the site offers concert ticket resale options, too. You can scan events by music genre or by concert location, and you can plane pay with Affirm at checkout.
Safeguards versus scammers: SeatGeek’s Buyer Guarantee lets fans shop with confidence. All ticket listings are from licensed sellers, the box office directly or other fans. And if your tickets aren’t valid or aren’t delivered on time (aka, you get scammed), the Buyer Guarantee will get you a full refund. Likewise, you’ll be refunded if the event is canceled.
How it works and what kind of tickets it offers: People sell pretty much anything on Craigslist, live event tickets included. Under the “for sale” section, you’ll find a hub for tickets in your area.
Safeguards versus scammers: Unfortunately, you won’t get the same level of purchase protection from Craigslist that you would with companies like SeatGeek or StubHub. There are plenty of local fans listing resale tickets for concerts and other live events on Craigslist, but there’s unchangingly the possibility of getting scammed.
Beware of sellers asking you to pay for tickets with souvenir cards or money orders, and ask the seller to verify their purchase by comparing the name on their ID with the name on the tickets. Still wary? Craigslist has a guide to lamister scams on its website, too.
How to score deals: If you’re hoping to score a last-minute deal, Craigslist can be your friend. The seller may be increasingly and increasingly eager to offload their tickets as the concert stage approaches, which ways they may be willing to offer them for a lower price.
