The Pandemic is over, and every band that survived is touring this summer. Buying concert tickets is no longer a matter of standing in line at Rocky Mountain Records at the crack of dawn. Now you have to compete with professional scalpers, in an impossible race with their computers to try to buy on Ticketmaster or AXS. There’s only so much money for concert tickets through the secondary market, so how long do you wait to buy them for the best value? It turns out, the longer the better.
Finance Buzz took a look at the prices of tickets during April and May for various concerts through the secondary market, and found some patterns. Roughly 25% of all concert tickets are purchased three months ahead of the show. People who bought these tickets tended to spend 14% more than the Average ticket buyer. Another 25% of people wait until the week leading up to their concert. People that waited until the day before a concert spent about 25% less than Average, and if you wait until the day of the show, you can get tickets for 33% less than the average. The average price tends to occur about 3 weeks out from any concert.
Festivals had a little different figures. Three months out, and you’re paying 16% more than the average Pass Purchaser, but those prices quickly drop. At about 3 Weeks out, you’ll be paying 9% less, and Day of the show you’ll be seeing about 16% cheaper tickets.
If you really want to see a particular artist, it may benefit you to buy tickets before they hit the secondary market, and buy directly form Ticketmaster and AXS. This can be a hassle, with waiting rooms, and purchase limits, and awkward limited hours. One easy way to avoid this madness is to use a Credit Card that can give you early access to ticket sales. I tend to see both Citi Bank and American Express Deals when purchasing tickets, so you may want to look into those and see if those cards are right for you. With rising interest rates, you may end up paying for that convenience in the end. Fan Clubs and radio promotions are another way to get tickets early.
For more details on when to buy concert tickets, check out Finance Buzz.
Or Maybe, try taking Ladder with you and Sneaking in:
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