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Major album releases often bring major tours, giving musicians a chance to perform new songs and connect with fans. But as artists grow more popular, competition for seats—and the prices attached to them—can surge.
“The bigger the artist, the more competitive it is to get seats, but I feel the need to pay because it’s a once in a lifetime experience and I’m not always sure if the next tour will be anytime soon,” sophomore Maia Loew said.
Presales have become a common way to build excitement and manage the thousands of purchases attempted when tickets first become available. For dedicated fans, however, they can mean stressful queues, long waits and no guarantee of success.
Sophomore Misha Smoyer has bought tickets for popular performers including Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and Lorde. She said fans must prepare for tense queues and lengthy waits, whether or not they ultimately get tickets.
Fans often open sites such as Ticketmaster, SeatGeek and StubHub early in hopes of securing a favorable position in line. Some land seats during the presale, while others must try again during the general sale. Because relatively few fans receive presale access, luck can play a significant role.
“It’s just frustrating because I’ve spent class time trying to buy tickets and failing due to Ticketmaster crashes and thousands of people beating me in the queue,” Smoyer said.
General sales offer more tickets, but they also attract a larger pool of buyers. The uncertainty can continue throughout the wait, and prices may change before a customer reaches the front of the line.
“My experience with general sales is that it’s very stressful because you don’t know if you’ll actually get tickets by the time it’s your turn, and sometimes the prices increase while you are waiting,” Loew said.
Heavy demand also fuels the resale market. Tickets initially priced in the low hundreds can later appear for more than $1,000, with the added proceeds going to resellers rather than the artist or original ticketing company.
Loew said some resellers purchase tickets in bulk during presales and raise prices by as much as 200%, putting concerts beyond the reach of many fans.
She suggested ticketing platforms expand verified-fan registration and limit the number of tickets one person can purchase during a sale. Such measures, she said, could give genuine fans a better chance against bulk resellers.