Woman giving tickets
Although it might seem like the busiest concert season is still far away, you should start planning for your music schedule already. Concert tickets are not cheap and they can be especially costly if you leave everything to the last minute. Luckily, you can snatch a few good deals without paying yourself sick if you just follow these simple tricks and tips. With the help of these five ways, you can save on concert tickets and add one more concert to your list this year!
Buying At The Right Time From Major Ticket Outlets
Let’s face it. Most of us simply head down to Ticketmaster when it comes to buying concert tickets. The website is the most famous and often the most convenient way of finding tickets for all sorts of events. But it can be a bit pricey, although you can cut costs by being smart with your timing.
If you are brave enough, you shouldn’t buy tickets as soon as they hit the market for most major bands and music events. The release price can drop considerably, but this only happens if the concert doesn’t sell out on the first day – or hour! On the other hand, when the concert is at a smaller venue, you shouldn’t wait. Especially with popular artists gigging in small venues, the advance tickets are the way to go.
The sneakiest trick is to avoid the first date or the opening night for concerts that play more than one night in a specific city. Why? The opening night tends to have the most expensive tickets.
Check Trusted Ticket Marketplaces
Ticket marketplaces can sometimes have a dodgy reputation, but you could end up saving a lot of money buying your concert tickets this way. The key is to select a trusted ticket marketplace, such as getmein.com and take advantage of any special offers or discounts they might be running – these are great especially if you are a first time customer!
What tickets are the cheapest at marketplaces? Unwanted, last minute deals can be a treasure chest on these sites. You definitely want to start keeping an eye on these sorts of deals, as the concert date starts approaching. If you are looking for tickets to sold-out events, marketplaces are your only bet and often not as expensive as you might think.
In terms of putting faith in marketplaces like Gumtree and Ebay, you are playing with fire. There are some great deals and some obvious swindles on these sites. So know what you are doing and don’t believe those “too good to be true”-deals.
Call Up The Venue Directly
You also shouldn’t shy away from checking directly with the venue. Buying from the venue can slash prices by nearly 10% since you won’t have to pay for booking fees and delivery costs. So, if you are nearby and you really want the ticket, go direct.
With the three major avenues for buying tickets – direct, big outlet or a marketplace – the key is to treat the concert ticket like an airline ticket: you need to compare prices. Always compare the three options before you make the decision to buy, as this can ensure you get the cheapest deal. Buying without a small comparison is a costly option.
Sign Up With Newsletters and Mailing Lists
You can’t expect to find cheap concert tickets if you don’t even know when the concerts are taking place. As I said at the start, it’s all about planning! If you want to find tickets to the best shows for the best prices, sign up with venue mailing lists and band-specific newsletters. These are great for alerting you to a possible venue and you can get a chance to be the first to know when special discounts or pre-sale tickets are going to be released.
Certain companies also run priority campaigns. For instance, 02 Priority often has exclusive offers for its customers and it can sell certain tickets up to 48 hours before the rest of the public gets their hands on those. Sometimes it can be beneficial to suffer by having a full inbox!
So, remember to sign up with all of your favorite artists and their fan clubs, with your local venue and any major concert venues you know could have potentially great gigs and with any ticket marketplaces, retailers and music blogs. For instance, We All Want Someone could help you win free tickets to concerts!
Settle For A Ticket, Don’t Stare The Seat
Finally, we’d all love to be in the front row rocking our heads to the tunes of our favorite bands. But sometimes you have to make tough choices. Do you value being at the concert more than a specific seat? Essentially, you need to stop being a seat snob and look for the cheaper, further seats. You definitely will hear the music just fine and the atmosphere of a good gig is amazing whether you are in the front row or the furthest seat in the house.
The above five ways will help you save on concert tickets and make going to gigs fun and cheap. Be vigilant and smart when hunting for your next ticket!
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