Trying to buy concert tickets online can be a pretty frustrating and stressful experience these days. However, with a bit of planning, you can give yourself the best possible chance of getting one of those magic tickets to the show you want to see.
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If you are looking to buy Oasis tickets you can get them from Ticketmaster, Gigs and Tours or See Tickets from 9am Saturday 31 August. I hope some of my tips below help you get the tickets you want. Good luck!
2024 marks 36 years since my first concert (that makes me feel so old – Michael Jackson’s Bad tour at Wembley Stadium if you are interested.) That first show sparked a passion for live music and a lifetime of stress when tickets go on sale.
I’ve been through pressing redial on the telephone for hours only to find the show had sold out (am still devastated at missing Wham The Final at Wembley Stadium) to queuing outside box offices for hours on end. Two whole days for a Smash Hits Poll Winners Party back in the 90’s. Don’t ask.
The internet and buying tickets online has changed all that. It has made getting tickets more accessible and easier to buy but arguably more stressful.
Having been to so many shows I’m often asked how to get concert tickets and even help to buy tickets for family, friends and work colleagues.
So, I thought I’d share some tips on how to buy tickets online so you can (hopefully) get to that show you really want to see.
You’ve heard rumours your favourite band/singer is about to go on tour and you are desperate to see them live. This is the time to prepare. Doing a bit of research and pre planning on how to get tickets will help you when the time comes.
Sign up to your favourite band/singer’s mailing list and follow them on social media
Many tours are usually announced by artists directly via their websites and social channels.
Some acts also offer pre-sales to those on their mailing list so sign up and make sure you don’t miss out. This can be one of the best ways to get concert tickets.
Keep an eye out for any information they share, you want to take every opportunity to purchase tickets.
Sign up to your local venue’s mailing list
Join the mailing list of your local venue (or the venue you want to see the show at). They usually send out ticket alerts and sometimes offer pre-sales.
Register with the big ticket agencies – and join their mailing lists and ticket alerts
The best way to buy tickets these days is online. The days of queuing at box offices or spending hours on the phone are generally long gone.
I’m sometimes asked what the best concert ticket sites are. However, I don’t think there is one. I’ve bought from pretty much every agency over the years. It usually depends on which one throws up the best seats or the one you get through to first. If you register with all the agencies, you’ll be covered.
Look out for pre sales
Another benefit of signing up to ticket agencies or artist mailing lists is that there is usually a pre-sale before the official on-sale date. You’ll often receive a code and link inviting you to try to purchase tickets during a set time period before the general on sale.
Make sure you are in with a chance to get a pre-sale offer by signing up to as many ticket agencies as you can. All of them if possible. Ticketmaster, AXS and See Tickets are the big players. Other agencies to consider are The Ticket Factory, Gigs and Tours and Eventim.
Tip: If you have accounts with any of these ticket agencies make sure all your details are up to date. The last thing you want to be worrying about when you have tickets in your basket is typing in the right address. It will just slow you down on the day.
Study the seating plan beforehand
It helps if you have a rough idea of where you’d like to sit (or what seating blocks you are prepared to accept/not accept) before the ticket sale starts.
You don’t want to be frantically trying to find a seating plan to check what you have been offered as the ticket hold countdown ticks down.
Take a look at the seating plans in advance and make a note of the block numbers you would like. Then you can make a quick decision and either buy or release and continue looking.
It’s also a good idea to have the seating plan open in another browser window so you can check it as and when you are offered tickets.
Look out for other ways to buy
If you are an O2 customer you have access to O2 Priority where you can get access to tickets 48 hours before general sale.
A word about presales
Presales are a mixed bag so I don’t usually worry too much about them. Any extra opportunity to get tickets is worth taking but from experience, they can go either way. Sometimes you can get brilliant seats other times you might as well be sitting on the roof or in the carpark.
Ok, take a deep breath. The last few minutes before the on-sale time are the worst. I’ve broken out into a cold sweat just typing it. The nerves!
I’m often asked how to get concert tickets fast and while you do need a bit of luck on your side, there are a few ways you can make this bit less stressful…and hopefully get those tickets quickly.
Follow the ticket agencies X accounts
The big ticket agencies often tweet the latest ticket status so you’ll know if tickets are still available or if they are sold out. They’ll announce any extra dates too so turn those notifications on.
Log into all your ticket accounts before the on-sale time
You want to be ready to go the minute the tickets become available and not faffing about trying to type passwords and sign in.
Use as many devices as you can
You want to give yourself as many chances as you can so use your phone, laptop, iPad, any device you have.
Keep an eye on your number in the queue
Once on sale starts you are usually randomly put into a queue. If you are trying on multiple devices, keep an eye on which is the lowest number as this will be your best chance.
Select your tickets quickly once you get in
Once you get into the event and tickets are available, choose what you want quickly. Tickets will be flying out of the door so you don’t want to waste time debating what type of ticket to get or which price level to select.
If you are not keen on the tickets you are offered you can reject them and try again for better ones. However, you may only get a limited number of chances to search for tickets or may get put at the back of the queue so be careful when doing this.
Get back in the queue if you don’t get tickets the first time you get in
If you are unable to get tickets even though you got through the queue or didn’t like what you were offered, get back in the queue and try again. Tickets often reappear minutes (or hours) later. People may not buy the seats they are allocated or payments fail so tickets get added back into the pot. Don’t give up at the first sign of rejection as there are often ticket drops.
Try calling the box office or visiting the box office
If you are having no luck online it might be worth seeing if the venue has a box office phone number. They may sell tickets over the phone (watch out for high call charges) as well as online. Some box offices also sell in person but make sure you check before heading down there. You don’t want a wasted trip. Both these options are becoming increasingly rare but are still worth checking out just in case..
Consider another venue
No luck at your local venue? Try looking further afield. You’ll get a city break or a few days holiday out it too :o) Some of the best gigs I’ve been to have been far from home (and were much easier to get tickets for).
I never follow my own advice here but don’t panic. It’s very easy to get swept up in the ticket drama and panic buy or even worse, think about paying over the odds via the secondary market.
Never do this. There are always ways to get tickets at face value prices.
No tickets? What next?
Hopefully, you picked up the tickets you were after but if not don’t worry. All is not lost…
Keep checking
Check often with ticket agencies. More tickets usually become available in the run-up to a show. You just need to keep checking. Multiple times, every day.
Set up a ticket alert with Twickets
Twickets is a face value (or less) resale platform. You can set up alerts for shows you are interested in and get a notification when any tickets are put up for sale. Be warned though you have to move quickly. For popular tours, tickets don’t hang around for long.
If you have spare tickets or can no longer make the show you can sell them on Twickets safe in the knowledge that you are selling to a fellow fan.
Check on the day of show
If your nerves can take it you can often pick up great seats on the day of the show. Just keep checking throughout the day. They usually stop selling online around 6pm.
Let me know if you have any tips to add (or any stories about buying tickets online or in person) in the comments below. I love a good ticket story.
Where to buy concert tickets online
There is no one best place to buy concert tickets online. I’ve got great seats without spending all day refreshing my screen with pretty much all of the agencies/venues below.
Try as many of these as possible, you’ll get a feel pretty quickly for who is selling what and if it’s not what you are looking for move on.
Ticket Agencies
Some of the best websites to buy concerts tickets from include…
This is another question I’m sometimes asked. My answer is usually there is no such thing as a cheap concert ticket. At least not for the big acts or venues.
With everyone’s costs going up these days and in some cases, shows being more spectacular and elaborate, it isn’t likely to change anytime soon.
If you really want to see a particular artist, the best option is to make sure you are ready to buy tickets when they first go on sale. Buying at face value is really the best way to get the cheapest ticket.
The only other option is to wait until the run up to the show and check resale sites like Twickets. You sometimes find that as the show gets nearer, unsold tickets are reduced in price. However, if is someone you really want to see, you need nerves of steel to leave it to the last minute. And be prepared to miss out.
What is the best way to sell concert tickets?
With concerts often going on sale quite far in advance there can be occasions that by the time the gig comes round you can no longer make it. Or maybe you unfortunately become unwell few days before or have some other emergency crop up. Life happens.
It’s not always easy to sell your tickets so you don’t lose out, however, there are a few things you can do.
Check with the agency or venue where purchased your tickets – it’s fairly unlikely you’ll be able to return tickets or swap for another day but it is worth checking
Ask family, friends or work colleagues – asking around people you know can often be a good way to pass tickets on. Many of the ticket apps offer options to transfer tickets these days. Be sure to check the terms and conditions before you do though.
List on a resale site – I use Twickets if I need to sell tickets. They are the largest fan to fan resale site in the UK and I’ve usually managed to sell any tickets I have listed.
Check in fan groups – if you are deep in a fanbase you’ll likely be in some fan groups on social media. For some of the bands I often go to see there are even groups set up just to swap or sell tickets around tour time. Obviously caution is required here, you need to keep your wits about you on social media and take safety precautions but it can be a good way to swap tickets with fellow fans.
The Last Word
There is nothing quite like spending the evening with your favourite band or singer. As much as buying tickets can be stressful, it is all worth it once you are at the gig.
I hope my tips for buying concert tickets help get you to the show.
Thanks Joy. I guess a lot of this applies to plays and musicals too, especially the big shows (like Hamilton etc) that sell out quickly when the ticket batches go on sale. It just seems so hard to get tickets for any big event these days but hopefully this tips will help.
Hey,
I really like these ideas. Thanks for sharing these tips 🙂
wow so detailed and helpful! i have not much experience w/ concert tickets as i am more about plays/musicals. very informative!
Joy at The Joyous Living
Thanks Joy. I guess a lot of this applies to plays and musicals too, especially the big shows (like Hamilton etc) that sell out quickly when the ticket batches go on sale. It just seems so hard to get tickets for any big event these days but hopefully this tips will help.