When popular artists announce a new tour or concerts, tickets often sell out very quickly. Many fans try to get tickets during the presale period on Ticketmaster to increase their chances of getting good seats before the general public sale. However, not all tickets are made available during the presales. Here is a look at how Ticketmaster presales work and if all tickets are up for grabs.
How Do Ticketmaster Presales Work?
Ticketmaster presales give certain groups early access to purchase tickets before the general public onsale. There are typically multiple presales leading up to the public onsale date and time. Some common presales include:
- Artist/Venue/Promoter Presale: For fan club members, email subscribers, social media followers etc.
- Spotify Presale: For Spotify Premium subscribers.
- Ticketmaster Presale: For Ticketmaster customers.
- VIP Package Presale: For buyers of special VIP ticket packages.
- American Express Presale: For American Express cardholders.
Each presale has different timing, criteria to participate, and ticket allotments. Fan club presales typically go first and have the best ticket selection. Presales later in the sequence have progressively fewer and worse seats to choose from.
Do Presales Have All the Tickets?
In short, no – presales do not have access to all the tickets. The artist, venue, and promoter work together to determine how many tickets, and which inventory, is available during each presale. This can vary widely depending on the show.
Typically, only a portion of the total ticket inventory is released during the presales. The rest is held for the public onsale. Some reasons for this include:
- Drive demand – Releasing some tickets during presales helps drive early buzz and demand when the best tickets might sell out quickly.
- Public onsales – Holding inventory creates a fair onsale opportunity for the general public.
- Production holds – The best seats may be held for band guests, production needs etc.
- VIP packages – Some top tickets are bundled into premium VIP experiences.
- Last minute releases – More tickets may be released near the show date if available.
While presales don’t have 100% of the inventory, they do typically have the best seats available. Popular shows will likely see most of the front row, lower bowl, VIP packages etc go during presales. There will still be seats available for the general onsale, but they may be in the upper levels or farther back.
How Much Inventory is Available in Presales?
There are no set rules for how many tickets are made available across all the presales. It depends on factors like:
- Venue size – Small clubs may release 50%, arenas may do 10-20% of capacity.
- Artist preferences – Some want to hold more tickets for public onsales.
- Number of presales – More presales means spreading inventory over more days.
- Demand – Highly anticipated shows may hold more tickets for later.
According to Ticketmaster, across all shows, typically 60% of tickets are held for public onsales. But for high-demand shows in major markets, sometimes only 30-40% of tickets are available during presales.
Here is a breakdown of approximate presale ticket availability for different venue capacities, per Ticketmaster estimates:
| Venue Size | Presale Availability |
|---|---|
| Club (up to 1,000) | 50% |
| Theater (1,000 – 6,500) | 40% |
| Amphitheater (5,000 – 20,000) | 30% |
| Arena (10,000 – 20,000) | 15-20% |
| Stadium (25,000+) | 10-15% |
Of course, these numbers are just estimates and guidelines. The actual presale allotments can vary significantly depending on the artist, tour, promoters, and market demand.
When are Most Tickets Held Back?
While presales don’t get all the tickets, they do tend to have most of the best seats. Some exceptions where the best tickets are not in presales:
- Production holds – The first few rows are often held back for band guest lists, technical staff etc.
- VIP experiences – Special packages with the best sightlines are sometimes reserved for VIP presales.
- Last minute releases – Some closer seats may get held and released later to drive demand.
Also, for very high demand shows, sometimes more seats in premium locations are held for the public onsale to give more people a chance at the hottest tickets.
How Fast Do Presale Tickets Sell Out?
Given the limited inventory, presale tickets can sell out very quickly. In some cases, presales may sell out entirely in seconds or minutes, especially for smaller venues or farewell tours by artists like Elton John.
To increase your chances, it helps to be ready right at the presale start time with accounts already logged in. Having backup devices and people helping search can also improve success rates.
Selling out fast doesn’t always mean there is no hope though. Presales may release more tranches of seats over time, and some tickets are always held for general onsales. There are also tricks like quickly grabbing worse seats then rechecking for better openings.
Tips for Getting Presale Tickets
Here are some tips to improve your chances of scoring presale tickets:
- Plan ahead – Check fan club or mailing lists early and mark your calendar for presale dates.
- Register early – Create accounts ahead of time so you can log in quickly.
- Be ready early – Log in 5-10 minutes before the presale and keep refreshing.
- Have backups – Use multiple devices on different networks to hunt for tickets.
- Act fast – Have payment details saved and submit quickly before tickets disappear from your cart.
- Try again – Keep refreshing even if it looks sold out in case seats free up.
Are There Other Ways to Get Presale Tickets?
In addition to the various promoter and vendor presales, there are a few other options for getting early access to tickets:
- Resell market – Sites like StubHub may have presale tickets resold at inflated prices.
- Ticket exchanges – Groups like Ticketmaster Ticket Exchange facilitate fan ticket resales.
- Contests/giveaways – Radio stations, sponsors, etc sometimes do ticket giveaways.
- Scalpers – Informal ticket brokers outside venues may have obtained presale codes.
However, these secondary sources often come with big markups and no guarantees. Official presales from the artist and Ticketmaster tend to be the best way to get face value presale tickets.
Should You Still Try for the Public Onsale?
While presales have the first pick of tickets, they don’t get the entire inventory in most cases. Depending on the artist and demand, anywhere from 10-40% of tickets may still be up for grabs during the general public onsale.
During massive global tours by artists like Taylor Swift, public onsales may be just as competitive as presales. But for less popular bands or shows in smaller markets, you still may have a decent shot at getting tickets later.
Having backup options in case you strike out in presales is a good strategy. The tickets available later may not be as good, but public onsales provide another chance to potentially score seats.
Some other advantages of public onsales:
- Less competition – With everyone able to buy, presales have the most hunters.
- More inventory – More seats open up compared to the limited presales.
- Less technical issues – Presale rush can overload servers.
So while presales should be your first choice, keep an open mind and don’t rule out the public onsale either if you miss out initially.
Conclusion
In summary, Ticketmaster presales provide early access to purchase tickets, but they do not include 100% of the inventory. Typically only a portion of seats are available during the various presales. The amount made available depends on factors like venue size, expected demand, and artist preferences.
The presales tend to have the best seat locations, though some premium seats may be held back. For very popular shows in major markets, sometimes more great seats are saved for the public onsale to be fair. But presales remain the best way to get the first shot at the hottest tickets.
Presale tickets can sell out very quickly, sometimes in seconds. So it is important to plan ahead, be logged in early, and submit purchases rapidly. Even if initial presales look sold out, keep checking back as more seats tend to be released over time.
While presales offer the earliest access, public onsales can still provide another chance for fans to get tickets. Often 10% or more of seats may still be available when sales open up to the general public. So don’t abandon all hope if you can’t score presale tickets.
Understanding how Ticketmaster presales work and the sales dynamics can help fans make the most informed choices. Do your homework ahead of time and be patient, persistent, and prepared. With smart strategy, persistence, and a little luck, you can greatly improve your chances of getting tickets – even in those coveted presales.
