Current Events > Can someone explain to me how Concert tickets work?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Ive never bought concert tickets and I want to surprise my girlfriend with Bad Bunny tickets for next year. On the advertising it clearly states: Tickets will go on presale from Thursday, April 15, 2021, at 10am MDT.
Sale to the general public begins at 12pm MDT on Friday, April 16.

So here is my confusion, if I go on Ticketmaster.com right now. I can purchase bad bunny tickets. I would be buying the ones at Allstate Arena for March of 2022. Theyre insanely priced at $400 each for the CHEAPEST ones. This cant be right? I thought cheap tickets were $50-100.

Whats going on here? Why are they so expensive, and why are they for sale when were told theyll be on sale April 16? Im so confused, I got worried that the tickets got sold out and now Im paying $400 to a scalper.

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AwesomeFawful posted...

I'm sorry, I had to stop reading here for a minute to ask, did you mean to say 2022? Cuz that was last year.

Im sorry March of 2022!! Bad bunny literally announced his tour just yesterday. And they said tickets available April 16th. So how is it that we can buy tickets already on Ticketmaster?? And why are they insanely expensive?

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Arena tickets are always overpriced, but when you add both a post pandemic show and a big artist, that sounds right

Pre-sale may also be a special promotion for lower level tickets however

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Butterfiles posted...

Arena tickets are always overpriced, but when you add both a post pandemic show and a big artist, that sounds right

No this seems ridiculous.. So this is their normal price? $400 for the cheapest tickets? And whats the deal with the whole April 15 Pre order April 16 sale, but theyre already on sale and its April 13?

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Concert tickets are expensive now. And someone like bad bunny will sell out quick. So they sometimes release ticket sales in increments to prevent so many scalpers

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Ticketmaster is essentially the G2A of concert tickets though unlike video games most people don't have a convenient way to buy direct from the venue. So essentially what happens is you've got professional scalpers who do group buys from the venue and then sell on ticket master. The price is basically whatever they want it to be.

If you check out the band / tour website look for an alternative way to buy tickets and use anything except ticketmaster.

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SevenTenths posted...

I checked, its ticketsales.com thats selling them. Ticketmaster is waiting until the 16th. Here:

https://www.ticketsales.com/bad-bunny-tickets-allstate-arena/event/3596749

So where is the cheapest I can get them? Im assuming that the currently available tickets are extremely overpriced, but they reserve you a seat guaranteed at an inflated price. But if you wait for the 16th on Ticketmaster, you will get fair prices but you may not get the ticket because it will sell out immediately so its not guaranteed. Is that whats going on here? Pay an arm and a leg right now for a guaranteed ticket, or wait for Ticketmaster on the 16th but you may not get a ticket if bots buy them up?

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Didn't know bad bunny was a $400 ticket act tbh. Never heard of ticketsales before. I would wait for Ticketmaster if you cant buy directly from the venue, which is usually something you can't do nowadays anyways.
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Tyranthraxus posted...

Ticketmaster is essentially the G2A of concert tickets though unlike video games most people don't have a convenient way to buy direct from the venue. So essentially what happens is you've got professional scalpers who do group buys from the venue and then sell on ticket master. The price is basically whatever they want it to be.

If you check out the band / tour website look for an alternative way to buy tickets and use anything except ticketmaster.

Ticketmaster is the only way to get their tickets from what I can tell and theyre available for preorder on 15th and general public on 16th. The only other website Im finding them on is ticketsales.com and theyre absurdly expensive at $400 for the worst seats and available to purchase right now.

Speaking of on Ticketmaster, there is platinum Pre order, regular pre order on 15th, general public on 16th, etc. what the hell is going on here? Which day should I buy them on? Which one has normal pricing?

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Youll probably need a presale code to finalize your order

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$400 seems pretty high. Are you sure you're looking at the worst seats and not "general admission" or something like that? I've gotten pretty good seats before & general admission for the Wu Tang Clan and I've never paid anything close to $400.

Maybe Bad Bunny just has insane pull? Barbara Streisand tickets cost $1000s for nosebleed seats but she's an outlier.

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I think Phish New Years Eve tickets at MSG, for all days I think it was four days the last time, was even more than expensive. I think they started at like $500.
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Tyranthraxus posted...

$400 seems pretty high. Are you sure you're looking at the worst seats and not "general admission" or something like that? I've gotten pretty good seats before & general admission for the Wu Tang Clan and I've never paid anything close to $400.

Maybe Bad Bunny just has insane pull? Barbara Streisand tickets cost $1000s for nosebleed seats but she's an outlier.

Check it out yourself. Heres the link:
https://www.ticketsales.com/bad-bunny-tickets-allstate-arena/event/3596749

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I remember a coworker going to a Bad bunny concert a few years ago at allstate arena and that sounds about right for what she paid lol

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Well I don't see a way to negotiate the price. It looks like they are expecting the venue to sell out regardless of the price so maybe you just cough up $1000 for the tickets I guess. It doesn't seem like the price will go down.

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Smashingpmkns posted...

Didn't know bad bunny was a $400 ticket act tbh. Never heard of ticketsales before. I would wait for Ticketmaster if you cant buy directly from the venue, which is usually something you can't do nowadays anyways.

Thats what Im going to do. But I noticed on Ticketmaster there was 2 separate days. Pre order and general sale. Im not sure if ore order is more expensive. I dont want to spend crazy sums of money for a stupid artist so Im just trying to figure out the cheapest way to get these damn things. My girlfriend really hit the jackpot with her wish of seeing this doofus bunny live.

And now one of my buddys is saying the $400 are cheapest. If I wait for Ticketmaster Ill pay $600 for cheapest seats. WTF... This cant be true. Is anyone else here going to this concert, and how are you getting your tickets?

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Seems right from what I can tell. This is unusually expensive but the price seems authentic.

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Tyranthraxus posted...

Seems right from what I can tell. This is unusually expensive but the price seems authentic.

This is absurd. I cant find any information online if the Ticketmaster tickets on the 16th are going to be significantly cheaper.

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zinezinzadan posted...

This is absurd. I cant find any information online if the Ticketmaster tickets on the 16th are going to be significantly cheaper.

Like I said it's basically nothing but professional scalpers over at ticket master so they will almost certainly be more expensive.

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my butler wipes my a$$ with $4OO dollars

Tyranthraxus posted...

Like I said it's basically nothing but professional scalpers over at ticket master so they will almost certainly be more expensive.

What are pre sale codes? People on Reddit are finding pre sale codes and theyre asking for them for every venue. They already found Houston pre sale codes but no one has the Chicago ones.

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Source: bought dozens of tickets across Canada, the USA, and England, over more than a decade, from presale to third party resale.

Ticketmaster are a total scum company. They essentially allow scalpers to use bots to buy up tickets, then take another cut when the scalpers "officially" resell them. This is usually limited to "fair market value" (if an event sells out quickly, prices go up) but they also sell on third party sites like ticketsales where there is no limit on price. Tickmaster is one of few concert ticket sellers and they basically have a stranglehold on the market since you often can't buy from the venue.

So the tickets you could buy now could be a couple things: prospective scalpers who know they'll get tickets in a presale, or a previous presale to a fan club or something. I'm pretty sure I've bought on a tm presale that wasn't listed on tm once before.

As for the pricing, tickets can range in price from $20 to thousands, depending on venue, seating, VIP, diamond, etc. I feel like the cheap nosebleeds in my history have usually been $50-100, compared to $100-200 for midrange, and $200+ for close range. The cheap seats will likely not cost $400 in the actual presale/sale. I suggest trying to get seats literally the minute the presale starts. Use a computer and a mobile if you can. I once used two work computers plus my phone to try to get tickets for a show with our moms but was met with slow loads/none available, when a coworker got though on her phone for me. Try every presale. Try again in the general sale if you don't succeed. Then pay out the nose to a scalper if it still doesn't work out and you really wanna go.

Sidenote: get as close as your wallet will allow. I've been in the back, middle, and front rail for hundreds of bands, at 500 person clubs to 80k festivals. The experience gets exponentially better the closer you are, in my experience and preference anyway. Check the perks of VIP if that's in your price range, they usually don't sell out as quickly and can be cheaper than worse resale seats. Soundcheck can be a fun time with a possibility of autographs, and the possibility of being front rail can be worth it alone as it makes the giant spectacle feel a bit more intimate when you can make eye contact with the performer, get a setlist from the stage after, etc. Sitting next to the sound booth will provide the absolute best quality sound in the venue. Also, buy quality ear plugs designed for concerts, not generic orange ones that cut out all the high frequencies. I like Loops and will never attend another show without something like them.

Regardless, I hope you both get to go, and enjoy the show!

MagnusX posted...

Source: bought dozens of tickets across Canada, the USA, and England, over more than a decade, from presale to third party resale.

Ticketmaster are a total scum company. They essentially allow scalpers to use bots to buy up tickets, then take another cut when the scalpers "officially" resell them. This is usually limited to "fair market value" (if an event sells out quickly, prices go up) but they also sell on third party sites like ticketsales where there is no limit on price. Tickmaster is one of few concert ticket sellers and they basically have a stranglehold on the market since you often can't buy from the venue.

So the tickets you could buy now could be a couple things: prospective scalpers who know they'll get tickets in a presale, or a previous presale to a fan club or something. I'm pretty sure I've bought on a tm presale that wasn't listed on tm once before.

As for the pricing, tickets can range in price from $20 to thousands, depending on venue, seating, VIP, diamond, etc. I feel like the cheap nosebleeds in my history have usually been $50-100, compared to $100-200 for midrange, and $200+ for close range. The cheap seats will likely not cost $400 in the actual presale/sale. I suggest trying to get seats literally the minute the presale starts. Use a computer and a mobile if you can. I once used two work computers plus my phone to try to get tickets for a show with our moms but was met with slow loads/none available, when a coworker got though on her phone for me. Try every presale. Try again in the general sale if you don't succeed. Then pay out the nose to a scalper if it still doesn't work out and you really wanna go.

Sidenote: get as close as your wallet will allow. I've been in the back, middle, and front rail for hundreds of bands, at 500 person clubs to 80k festivals. The experience gets exponentially better the closer you are, in my experience and preference anyway. Check the perks of VIP if that's in your price range, they usually don't sell out as quickly and can be cheaper than worse resale seats. Soundcheck can be a fun time with a possibility of autographs, and the possibility of being front rail can be worth it alone as it makes the giant spectacle feel a bit more intimate when you can make eye contact with the performer, get a setlist from the stage after, etc. Sitting next to the sound booth will provide the absolute best quality sound in the venue. Also, buy quality ear plugs designed for concerts, not generic orange ones that cut out all the high frequencies. I like Loops and will never attend another show without something like them.

Regardless, I hope you both get to go, and enjoy the show!

Thank you so much for your thoughtful response. Couple questions. It seems Ticketmaster is the only way to get these tickets. Even on the Allstate Arena website it redirects to Ticketmaster so it appears they ARE the official licensed provider of these tickets, which sucks because you said they inflate the prices. But since theyre not scalping the tickets, theyre the main supplier of tickets, then they dont have a right to inflate the prices. Wouldnt bad bunny be upset If they did that?

Also, I have never seen someone wear ear plugs at a concert. What is their purpose?

Oh and what are presale codes? A lot of people are asking for them online. Can they only be used during pre order?

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zinezinzadan posted...

Wouldnt bad bunny be upset If they did that?

Yes. But it happens anyway.

zinezinzadan posted...

Also, I have never seen someone wear ear plugs at a concert. What is their purpose?

It's not needed for Bad Bunny. I wouldn't bother with them in general unless you're in the general admission section for a rock concert.


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zinezinzadan posted...

Also, I have never seen someone wear ear plugs at a concert. What is their purpose?

Concerts are loud. Loud enough to damage your ears, especially if you are there for a couple hours. Ear plugs both protect your ears AND typically make the show sound clearer cause they block a good amount of crowd noise. I never go to a show without em

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Some chick on my IG posted a screenshot on her story of her DM'ing Bad Bunny offering both her car and her boyfriend's two cars in exchange for front row tickets.

So yeah, like others have said $400 sounds about right for the type of event.

Also wanted to say absolutely bring some comfortable earplugs or even some basic ones if that's all you got. Even in an arena setting, just the noise of the crowd alone can be overwhelming, and someone like Bad Bunny poppin' off will get those bitches screaming their fucking vocal chords out. So you'll definitely want earplugs to block most of that noise out and you can hear the music better.

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zinezinzadan posted...

which sucks because you said they inflate the prices. But since theyre not scalping the tickets, theyre the main supplier of tickets, then they dont have a right to inflate the prices.

Close. They don't inflate the price initially (well, beyond their base fees for acting as the ticket logistics between the artist and venue). The prices are set by the artist/record company/etc in combo with the venue. What happens is that scalpers buy up all the tickets at face value, in presales and general sales, then put them on tm's official resale at a profit, a profit that tm also gets a cut from. Tm only added their official resale option a few years ago I think. Before that there was no "fair market pricing" and you had to pay out the nose. You still kinda do, but it is less bad in my experience. Regardless, this is capitalism at work, supply and demand. They have a "right" to charge whatever people are willing to pay. It fucking sucks, but that's it.

I would also contemplate getting tickets for a nearby show and make a trip out of it, if you can't get the ones you want. We tried to buy tickets via tm to see a different tour in Toronto with our moms, but it sold out immediately. Spent about a half hour loading, waiting, refreshing another browser, before realizing it was done. Decided to check other cities, and noticed that the tickets for the show in Montreal were being sold by a smaller ticket logistics company, evenko. We ended up getting row 5 seats at face value, cheaper than midrange resale seats in TO through tm. Never a guarantee, but sometimes it works out.

zinezinzadan posted...

Oh and what are presale codes? A lot of people are asking for them online. Can they only be used during pre order?

Exactly right. You often get those by subscribing to the artist's email blasts, and a lot of artists have official tm fan clubs that would give presale codes. Sometimes local radio stations have online contests, that kinda stuff. Tm also partners with AmEx to give cardholders their own specific presale. I think all presales have a limited selection of seats, but never dug too much into how many. That is to say that just because the best seats are sold out during a presale, they might not all be gone in the general sale.

zinezinzadan posted...

Also, I have never seen someone wear ear plugs at a concert. What is their purpose?

Other people have basically answered this, but yeah, it's because concerts, especially arena shows, are really, really fucking loud and cause longterm hearing damage. It took me literally a decade to start using them but it makes a world of difference. I'll take them out occasionally to scratch an itch and am constantly surprised at the volume difference, both in the nosebleeds and standing literally feet from the giant stage speakers. For reference, an average conversation is about 60dB, a lawn mower is about 95 dB, while an average concert is about 100-120 dB, and hearing damage starts around 85 dB. I suggest ones made for concerts, which will still allow more high frequencies to get through unless you wanna drop a couple hundred on ones molded to your ears, which I really should do with the amount of live shows I attend. Well, used to attend haha. We use Loop, which drops volume by about 25 dB.

zinezinzadan posted...

Also, I have never seen someone wear ear plugs at a concert. What is their purpose?

my gf went to a lot of metal concerts when she hit independence. she didn't use em. her hearing is FUCKED.

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darkprince45 posted...

Concert tickets are expensive now. And someone like bad bunny will sell out quick.

Wow. Am I out of touch? I never heard of Bad Bunny until this thread.

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metallica846 posted...

Literally never even heard of Bad Bunny and the tickets are more expensive than a World Series Game 7.

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Tyranthraxus posted...

you've got professional scalpers who do group buys from the venue and then sell on ticket master.

scalpers are bad. have been dealing with them for years. though it feels good to beat them at own game when they move onto the next thing
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I go the tickets guys!! $750 for 2 seats in the very front row, row A, on the Upper Floor. I feel like thats extremely expensive for that price tag, But I saw pictures online of my section and it looks like it's really close so I hope it will be a premium experience.

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cuh posted...

https://twitter.com/caradeaguacatee/status/1382020868352716810?s=21

lmfao it feels that way... Expensive bunny
My girlfriend is extremely happy and excited. She hasnt stopped talking about it all day. Shes telling everyone. This is her favorite artists and she always wanted to see him live. The joy of having someone you love is just making them happy. Life is better when you make someone elses day.

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cuh posted...

That's really awesome. You're a great guy she's very lucky hehe

Thank you so much. We cutes we cutes ^_^



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