If you’ve ever tried to buy tickets to see your favorite music artist live, only to discover the entire 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 look beyond the initial point-of-purchase website. And with fan-to-fan resale options, along with cancellation guarantees, you can rest easy that you won’t get scammed (even though you might pay more than you expected).
Why Do Concert Tickets Sell Out So Quickly?
The simple answer, according to Ticketmaster, is that thousands of fans are trying to buy tickets the second they’re available online. But not everyone would say it’s that simple. A 2022 class-action lawsuit against Ticketmaster, filed by ardent Taylor Swift fans, accused the company of violating California’s Unfair Competition Law, NPR reported at the time. Ticketmaster issued a statement about its website crashing and Swift fans’ disappointment, adding that it was committed to providing a better user experience in the future. Still, fans can expect to see sold-out concerts in the future, especially from big-name artists like Swift.
With that in mind, here are all of the places to check for sold-out concert tour tickets — you just might score those dream seats after all. And to save some dough once you’ve scored the tickets, here’s how to save money at music festivals.
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 more refreshing the site every day, hoping an affordable option will appear.
Safeguards against scammers: StubHub’s FanProtect Guarantee means 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 addition to StubHub’s Price Alert notifications, customers can save money just by being loyal fans of the site. StubHub’s best customers get “loyalty perks,” according to the company, and you may even get lucky enough to score a “surprise seat upgrade.” And if you buy last-minute tickets on StubHub, you could also score a lower price (provided, of course, that tickets are still available). Plus, don’t forget to use RetailMeNot to get cash back 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 costs than the original sale value. If the concert you’re looking at is already sold out, the resale cost could be several times higher than the initial price. For concertgoers on a budget, look for Ticketmaster’s pink “Fan-to-Fan resale” button, which means that resale tickets are listed by “other fans,” rather than third-party sellers.
Safeguards against scammers: Ticketmaster’s third-party ticket sales are final, but the company 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 company does “not guarantee the authenticity of tickets purchased from any non-authorized third-party reseller.” Ticketmaster has a blog post about how to avoid common ticketing scams, but in some cases, you may need to file a claim with your credit card issuer, rather than expecting a refund from Ticketmaster itself, per Norton.
How to score deals: If you’re traveling out of town for a concert, Ticketmaster offers hotel bundles with your ticket purchases to save you money on the trip overall. You can even book hotel stays on Ticketmaster if you’ve bought a ticket through another vendor — and you’ll still save up to 43% on your stay.
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 also 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 back 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 about getting scammed. (Resellers can, however, still mark up the cost of the tickets.)
Safeguards against scammers: With Vivid Seats’ 100% Buyer Guarantee, you can rest assured that your tickets will be valid or you’ll get your money back. The company also works exclusively with vetted resellers, so you can shop with confidence 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 company does promise to “accommodate virtually any budget.” The site also has a rewards program — once you’ve bought 10 concert tickets, the 11th one will be free. Fine print: The free ticket is actually a credit worth the average price of your previous 10 tickets. There are also “surprise seat upgrades” and birthday rewards for members. Plus, you can earn cash back at Vivid Seats through RetailMeNot.
SeatGeek
How it works and what kind of tickets it offers: While SeatGeek is more commonly known for offering tickets to live sporting events, the site offers concert ticket resale options, too. You can browse events by music genre or by concert location, and you can even pay with Affirm at checkout.
Safeguards against 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 to score deals: With SeatGeek’s “Deal Score” offering, you can see whether or not a listed ticket resale price is actually a good value for the money. Of course, a “good deal” is subjective when it comes to seeing your favorite artists live. But the Deal Score can give you a better idea of whether or not it’s a good time to buy tickets, or if you should wait for a potential better price. You can also score $10 off a $250 purchase and cash back at SeatGeek with RetailMeNot.
Craigslist
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 against 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 always the possibility of getting scammed.
Beware of sellers asking you to pay for tickets with gift 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 avoiding 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 more and more eager to offload their tickets as the concert date approaches, which means they may be willing to offer them for a lower price.
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