How to Go to Concerts on a Budget

Here’s the issue: You LOVE music. You have a handful of your favorite bands, you’ve seen some of them live, others are on your bucket list. Concerts are expensive. For real. I’m not a millionaire.

I have been VERY fortunate to see thousands of bands play over the years. Most of them were free because of my previous line of work. And to be 100% transparent, I still have connections to that world so it’s pretty easy to wrangle tickets. But, I have in fact spent money on tickets to see my favorite bands. I’m so down to spend a chunk of change to see Britney Spears in Vegas. No shame. If AFI was playing a secret show in San Diego and I couldn’t get tickets, I’d start hustling to pay for 2 tickets.

So, how the F are you supposed to afford concert tickets on a budget? You shouldn’t be left choosing which of your two favorite bands are worth seeing. I’m sorry, that’s messed up.

Sign Up for Mailing Lists & Fan Clubs
Most of you probably already know this trick.  While you don’t always get deals on tickets, you will get early access. This will save you from the dreaded bartering for overpriced tickets. Sneaky fact: A lot of Fan Clubs give you a discount code for ticket resellers. For instance One Direction (don’t act like you don’t know the words to Drag Me Down) give their Fan Club members an $18 discount on VividSeats (plus a bunch of fun stuff like pics, forum access & advanced ticket purchase). So not only do you get cool stuff from your fave band (holding out for a Brit Brit beach towel), you get money to go towards tickets!

Join a Street Team
Ok, so this is actually a great tip for anyone who wants a more “behind the scenes” peek at the music industry. A lot of bands and most record labels have what they call Street Teams. Basically, you help out with band stuff on a local level. Anything from spreading flyers about upcoming shows to  setting up/working at booths at shows & events. Not only is it a really cool way to get involved & meet other people in your area with similar interests, but a lot of times you’re eligible to get into shows at a discounted rate, or even for free. The best way to find out is by googling “Street Team” and your favorite band’s name. If nothing comes up, find out what record label they’re on and you might be able to bundle up with a handful of bands.

Join a Seat Filler Site
You’re probably like, wtf is a Seat Filler Erin? Alright, prepare to have your mind blown. When a venue or event has unsold tickets, they contact a seat filling service to offer unsold tickets to members for FREE. People don’t like empty seats. Performers, management, audiences… no one wants an empty room. So seat filling literally fills the seats, which improves everyone’s day! What’s awesome is that you won’t only get offers to go see shows, you’ll get random stuff like sporting events & comedy shows too. It’s not necessarily the best option for specific shows, but if you love going to shows, it could be totally worth it.

Presales
Ok, so now you know you can get access to presale tickets via fan clubs. But tons of people seem to pull tickets out of thin air before everyone else. That’s because there’s kind of an art to the presale game. With presales, it’s all about getting a code to search for tickets. You’re not guaranteed a ticket, but are basically given the chance to browse before anyone else. A few places to get presale access:

• Become a Ticketmaster member. After you sign up, make sure you click My Account > Select Alerts or Offers. Then, favorite all of your artists, venues, etc. Then you’ll get emails for upcoming sales.
• Venue Presale. Sign up for emails and alerts from your local venues. A lot of times they’re have exclusive deals.
• Credit Cards. Ok, totally not supporting the credit card industry, but if you or your parents have a credit card like American Express or Citibank, you may have access to presales & perks for being a ‘loyal customer’.
• Album Presale. A lot of times, bands will offer a presale code or discount code to fans who buy their albums.

Social Media Contests
Seems simple enough right? Ok, so this one is kind of a reach. BUT, there are always a few ways to enter. It’s not just as simple as “the band might giveaway tickets”. Be on your A game. Follow record labels, promoters, bands, magazines, tours & venues on different social networks. Don’t forget to sign up for e-mail newsletters. I can’t tell you how often I see giveaways. Now that I think of it… maybe I should work on some ticket giveaways this summer?!

Craigslist Isn’t Just for Casual Encounters
Craigslist can be sketch. But it’s not just for selling your old couch and creeps posting casual encounters. TONS of people post tickets on Craigslist. Most of the time, if a show is sold out you’ll see people posting tickets for more than they’re worth. BUT, a few days before the show (and even day of) you’ll see people post their tickets because they can’t go. Maybe something came up, maybe they’re sick, who knows. But, they’re more likely to take a hit because some money is better than no money. If you’re dying to go to a show and couldn’t afford the tickets when they went up, keep an eye on CL the week before and you might hit the jackpot.

Box Office It
If you have the will power, wait until the day of. If a show isn’t sold out, ticket resellers & brokers will sometimes sell tickets at a loss the day of. Same as the Craigslist vibe, some money is better than no money. A good rule is to always pay for them with a credit card though. That way you have proof of your purchase. If the tickets ended up being fake you have proof and can get reimbursed.

Some Other Tips:

• If someone sells you their extra ticket (and gives you a good deal), buy them a drink (or cocktail if you’re legal) inside. You don’t need to become BFF’s or hang out the whole night, but it’s always a nice way to say thanks.
• If you’re trying to get last minute tickets, be willing to split up. It’s hard to get 4 tickets in the same area or row if it’s seated. The bigger the group, the more you’ll probably spend to be close together. Live a little and fly solo. Chances are you’ll run into your friends or make new ones!
• Don’t get screwed over by scalpers. Trust your gut. If you’re under 18, have a parent help you. Don’t meet anyone in an abandoned alley to buy tickets. Make sure you’re not getting scammed.
• Make sure you’re buying the cheapest version of the ticket. A lot of times different sites charge higher service feeds. Use a site like TiqIQ, which is kind of like Kayak for tickets. That way you know you’re not spending more than necessary.