5 Concert Ticket Hacks You Need to Try

I’ve been to hundreds of concerts since my first show at 14-years old, but scoring tickets is getting more challenging as prices soar and arenas sell out in seconds. Here are my go-to tricks to get seats, even at the most popular sold-out concerts.

1. SET ALERTS (AND REFRESH, REFRESH, REFRESH)

Major ticket vendors let you schedule concert alerts for your favorite artists so you know about the shows the second they’re announced. Put the sale date on your calendar and set ANOTHER alert on your phone. In my experience, most tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. local time, so log into your account (pre-loaded with credit card details and mailing address) by 9:45 a.m. and refresh the ticket page starting at 9:59. It’s a stressful, nerve-wracking waiting game, but good things come to those who wait.

2. CALL THE 800 NUMBER

Ticket vendors still allow you to order tickets over the phone (WEIRD, RIGHT?) Be quick on the dial and you could get better seats than fans trying to buy tickets online. Ticket agents are real people and they may even be able to select specific seats for you.

3. PRE-SALE CODES ARE GOLD

I kind of freak out when a pre-sale code lands in my inbox. Join fan clubs, subscribe to newsletters, and be active on artist social media accounts to get these early ticket passwords. Newsletters for concert venues and artists often include pre-sale codes, which can help you beat the rush at go-time. Certain credit card companies also offer their own special ticket codes for card holders.

4. GET GREAT SEATS LAST MINUTE FOR CHEAP

Last summer I brought my little sister to see One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer. We bought tickets the day of the show and paid less than half of face value for incredible seats. Just check out how close we were! Waiting until last minute to score tickets is risky but worth the incredible savings. Stubhub.com is my trusted source for last minute downloadable tickets. The tickets are all resale and Stubhub protects your purchase so you don’t have to worry about counterfeit stubs. I'll be trying this strategy for Taylor Swift at Gillette Stadium this weekend.

5. WIN ‘EM DON’T BUY ‘EM

Q97.9 sends Q listeners to concerts all the time! Join the Q Insiders for ticket contests and as always, tune in to win on the air. The only thing better than concert tickets is FREE concert tickets!

Which artist would you love to see in concert?