You'll also want to think about seating or standing, availability, price, and for sell-out gigs, there are resale rates to consider too. Some concert ticket sites let you buy tickets directly as they're released while others specialize in getting you tickets after they've sold out. It's also important to take reliability and safety into account when you're making big purchases online, so you can lower the chance of being scammed.
Luckily we've done the leg work for you and rounded up this list of the very best concert ticket sites so you can find the ultimate option for the tickets you're looking for. And if you want more specific picks then take a look at the best sports ticket sites (opens in new tab) and best online auction sites (opens in new tab) too.
Many positive five star reviews commented on how easy it is to use the mobile app and website, however, there are a number of negative reviews. One customer complained that after buying tickets through a reseller on StubHub and flying interstate for the concert, the tickets were cancelled and there was little support from the company itself.
If you don't have one of the best home computers, or just prefer browsing on your phone, then luckily the mobile app is also easy to use and it lets you access tickets on the day of the event. Once you purchase the ticket, a bar code on your phone will get you into the venue, so you don't have to worry about having access to a printer either. You can also follow your favorite artists on the app and receive instant alerts about upcoming shows in your area.
Not only does StubHub allow you to buy tickets, but you can also use the platform to sell any tickets to shows you can't attend. You can use either the computer application or mobile app to sell your tickets, and StubHub will collect 10% of the sale price.
Ticketmaster is one of the most well known ticket sites, and is most likely most people's go-to destination for purchasing concert tickets with confidence. The web interface is easy to use with clear markers for different genres, and it will give you recommended concerts based off your purchase history.
It's also a great place to shop for tickets thanks to its return policy. The site gives you three days after your purchase to change your mind when you purchase tickets for events at venues participating in the website's Fan Guarantee program. It's also the only site we reviewed which lets you return tickets for events that have been rescheduled and not canceled, which is great for added peace of mind and avoiding losing any money unnecessarily.
Across the sites we reviewed, the prices on Ticketmaster were average and you do get the benefit of buying tickets from a primary seller. This means that tickets for in-demand concerts may be cheaper on Ticketmaster than elsewhere, as long as you're able to buy them in time.
Ticketmaster has lots of positive reviews around buying tickets in the first initial sale, but some customers complained about their re-selling process. One person commented that they would get charged a fee to buy and resell, as well as a fee for the buyer, which puts the price up significantly.
It's worth noting that recently Ticketmaster saw a lot of backlash in relation to Taylor Swift tickets. They were chosen as the sole provider of the in-demand tickets and as a result of unprecedented demand, had to cancel the sale of thousands of tickets leaving many fans devastated. The site also kept glitching when customers were putting tickets into their baskets, causing a lot of confusion over whether they had actually secured tickets or not.
With this in mind, you might want to steer away from relying on Ticketmaster as a one-stop shop for in-demand tickets, but it is still one of the most reliable websites in terms of price and customer support.
Like some of the complaints about Ticketmaster above, there's a lack of transparency about fees on VividSeats. Sometimes the added fees could be almost as much as the tickets themselves. The only saving grace in this is the rewards scheme that could help you save money over time, but if you're not a frequent buyer then this won't benefit you.
VividSeats also has a 100% buyer guarantee that makes the site much more tempting to use. It guarantees your tickets will be valid and arrive in time for the event, and you'll get a refund for canceled events. Unlike Ticketmaster, however, VividSeats acts as a middle man between sellers and buyers, so ticket prices are set independently by the reseller and based on current "market value". This might mean that ticket prices are a lot higher than on other sites as a result of sellers wanting to maximum profits, and these could also change quickly. A website that acts as an intermediary also poses issues in them not taking responsibility for any issues that may arise, which is something that has been noted in some customer reviews.
See Tickets has an overall rating of four stars on Trustpilot, which is a lot higher than some other sites. Out of the negative reviews, most mentioned difficulty when trying to check out for in-demand concerts which is often a standard experience across the board.
You can search by artist, event, venue, or general location, as well as by music genre. The top navigation ribbon allows you to browse by music, theatre, festivals, dance and clubs, events, comedy, sport, and attractions so it's not difficult to find tickets for events other than your typical concert. This category system allows you to discover gigs you might not have been aware of which is a great way to find gifts for others. It's also an easy way to search generally through a certain event type if you've decided you want to go to a sports match but don't have any preferences outside of that.
You can sell tickets to your own event, if you happen to be a music star. And while the site does say it will offer refunds if the event has "significantly changed", this refund policy is pretty strict compared to a lot of the competition. Currently, See Tickets doesn't have the option to resell tickets you bought, so you'll want to choose a more dedicated ticket reselling site for this.
The interface isn't as simple to use as some other sites, mainly due to its cluttered look. However, it does have clear signposts to different events such as concert tickets, sports tickets, theatre tickets, and festival tickets. Viagogo is a secondary ticket sale site, which means that they are only selling re-sale tickets, rather than having direct relationships with artists and events companies to sell the initial batch.
As Viagogo is primarily a resale site, it's harder to monitor the reliability of tickets. As a result of this, there are a lot of poor reviews that complain about tickets being invalid or substantially higher prices than they should be.
The tickets may be more expensive than some other websites as sellers can put the prices up above face value if they want. This does pose an issue with events that are really sought after (cough, BeyoncÃ) but it's pretty standard practice across resale sites. The good news is that you can also sell your own tickets on this site. All you need to do is create an account and search for the event you have tickets for and then you can set your own price as advised by previous sales. You can do this from any device too, so it's good if you're on the go and need to buy or sell last minute.
While resale tickets can often feel risky, you are covered well should the event be cancelled and not rescheduled, as you get a massive 125% refund on what you spent. There is also a guarantee from the company that you will receive your ticket before the time of the event. Tickets are sent via tracked courier services so you don't need to worry about being left in the lurch minutes before the opening act.
SeakGeek has a clean website making it incredibly easy to navigate and find exactly what ticket you're looking for. You can browse tickets by city, date, or genre. There's also a category for trending events too, so if you don't know exactly what you're looking for but know you're keen to bag tickets to the hottest gig then it makes it quick to locate.
SeatGeek has a high four star rating on Trustpilot and lots of five star reviews to match. Customers enjoyed the lack of fees and ease of shopping but some people have noted that the tickets they bought were invalid at the point of entry, causing disappointment.
You can sell on your own tickets on SeakGeek too. So if you can no longer make a gig then it's quick to set up an account and help them to find a better home. The site offers dynamic pricing so you can choose the price you sell at depending on demand. This is great if you want a bit more cash in your pocket, but does mean that those Taylor Swift resale tickets will skyrocket quickly.
Like many of the top concert ticket sites, SeatGeek assigns a deal score to each ticket, marking it with a color and number on a scale of zero to ten. This results in a straightforward and visually compelling arena seating chart.
TickPick's (previously Razorgator) selling point is that there's no hidden fees. With complaints on other sites in this roundup that booking fees can often almost equal the same price as the ticket, this is a major win. It's easy to underestimate how expensive tickets can become when you add on insurance, tax, and booking fees so it's a great way to save a little bit of cash.
38c6e68cf9