How to beat the Ticketmaster queue: Top tips for securing tickets
Securing tickets to see your favourite artist can be a stressful experience to say the least, so we’ve put together some top tips and tricks to improve your chances of bagging those all-important concert tickets.
Ah, Ticketmaster, we haven’t had a love/hate relationship like this since Crocs came back into fashion.
When we get the notification that we’re next in the queue, we’re practically kissing the screen and already silently thanking Ticketmaster for bringing us one step closer to seeing our favourite artist live. However, when we’re 28,000th in the queue, and our sixth sense tells us ticket prices are hiking beyond our budget, it’s a punch in the gut.
Ticketmaster has competitive pricing, which means the more in-demand an artist is, the more expensive the tickets will be. One Harry Styles fan found this out the hard way when she spent £700 on two tickets to see Styles on his Love On Tour run.
Plus, the ticketing site has recently introduced a registration system for your favourite artists, such as Olivia Rodrigo and Pink, which means that fans can register for tickets, giving them a better opportunity of securing those all important seats instead of pesky bots or re-sellers.
Here at the RadioTimes.com, we're on hand to help you navigate the trying Ticketmaster world. Read on for top tips and tricks to beat the Ticketmaster queue, including how to sign up to presale release, what devices to queue on, and the crucial refresh rules.
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How to get presale tickets on Ticketmaster
Firstly, what is a presale? Presale tickets are available to buy before they’re released to the general public. It’s a way for artists' biggest fans to get early access.
There are a few ways you can sign up for presale tickets, for example, by joining an artist's mailing list or purchasing their most recent record. You can also get access through a network provider like O2 and Three UK, through event organisers like Live Nation, and credit card companies like American Express.
Event organisers like Live Nation will send email alerts about their upcoming presales, and the best way to find out if an artist is hosting a presale is by following them on social media.
- Not already an O2 customer? Switch for O2 Priority deals
- Thinking of switching to Three UK? Check out the offers
How can I improve my chances of getting tickets on Ticketmaster?
So you’ve missed out on presale tickets, and now you’re preparing for the dreaded general on sale. Here are our top tips for beating the Ticketmaster queue.
Create a Ticketmaster account in advance
If you don’t already have a Ticketmaster account, create one before general on sale tickets are released.
With an account, you can save your address and payment card details, so you don’t have to rush to type them all in when you’re trying to book. The queuing and buying process can be quite stressful, so having this information already stored will give you the chance to double-check you’re happy with your purchase and the cost.
It's worth noting that there are different Ticketmaster sites depending on where you live. For example, UK based concert goers will visit Ticketmaster.co.uk, whereas American ticket buyers will visit Ticketmaster.com, Irish gig lovers will head over to Ticketmaster.ie, and so on.
Have you heard of Loop Earplugs? These nifty accessories help protect your hearing at loud concerts. Read more in our Loop Earplugs review.
Load Ticketmaster in one browser window only
Although it can be tempting to load Ticketmaster in multiple windows to increase your chances of securing tickets, this will actually hinder you. This is because the Ticketmaster website will only allow you to make one booking at a time, so you might end up losing tickets if you’re flicking between the widows.
Instead, we suggest joining the Ticketmaster queue on multiple devices, as we’ll explain in our next tip.
Is it better to use the Ticketmaster app or website?
Use both!
From our experience, buying tickets on the Ticketmaster mobile app is smoother and we seem to get to the front of the queue quicker. A few people online have speculated as to why this might be, suggesting Ticketmaster prioritises mobile sales because scalping bots (software programs which automate online purchasing) don’t work on mobile devices, so it increases your chances of bagging tickets on the initial click.
Also, on the mobile app, you bypass the CAPTCHA test, which generally makes the experience faster.
For great ticket deals, take a look at our how to get cheap cinema tickets, how to get cheap concert tickets, and how to get cheap theatre tickets guides.
Secure internet connection
If you lose connection, even for a second, you could have to start a booking all over again. Now, we don’t know about you, but losing our spot after queuing would tempt us to throw our laptops out the window…
Make sure you have a reliable connection. Wi-Fi is always better than 4G/5G as you may lose signal.
Is your internet letting you down? It might be time to switch providers.
- Get a Virgin Media Broadband package from £25 a month at Virgin Media
- Get Superfast Sky Broadband for £25 a month at Sky
Not sure which broadband you need? Check out our tips on what broadband speeds do I need? And what is the best broadband for gaming?
When can you join the waiting room on Ticketmaster?
It would be fantastic if you could join the Ticketmaster queue as soon as an artist announces they’re going on tour; we’d be up at the crack of dawn, days before presale, with a tab open.
But, alas, you can’t do that.
On the day of the ticket sale, get onto the site ten minutes before the tickets are released, then refresh the page 10 seconds before the release time to improve your chances of getting to the front of the queue. For example, if tickets go on sale at 9am on a Friday morning, hop on the Ticketmaster site at 8:50am, then refresh the page 10 seconds before 9am.
Can I refresh the Ticketmaster queue page?
Absolutely under no circumstances do you refresh the Ticketmaster page while you’re in the queue!
When you're in the queue, your spot will be automatically updated, so avoid refreshing the page as tempting as it may be. If you do refresh, you may lose your place and be booted to the back of the queue.
Do these tips apply to other ticketing releases, like sports?
Although we’ve spoken exclusively about concerts here, this advice applies to all ticket releases on Ticketmaster, such as festivals and sporting events.
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