Members of the military often receive discounts on various products and services as a way to thank them for their service. This includes discounts on things like restaurant meals, hotel stays, and even admission to amusement parks. But what about concert tickets? Can service members get discounted tickets to see their favorite musicians live in concert? Here is a quick overview of some of the concert ticket discounts that may be available to military personnel.
Discounts from Ticket Providers
Many major ticket providers offer some type of military discount on concert tickets. Two of the biggest are Live Nation and AXS.
Live Nation
Live Nation offers a military ticket discount through their “Heroes Discount” program. Active duty military members can get access to special discounted ticket prices for concerts and shows booked through Live Nation. The exact percentage of the discount can vary, but it is usually a decent percentage off the normal ticket price. To take advantage of the discount, military members just need to verify their status through SheerID when purchasing tickets.
AXS
AXS is another major ticketing platform that provides military discounts on concert tickets. Like Live Nation, active duty service members can get access to special lower ticket prices by verifying their military status with AXS when booking. The discounts can range anywhere from $5 off to 40% off the regular ticket price depending on the event. AXS offers military discounts for concerts across all genres of music from pop to country.
Venue and Promoter Discounts
In addition to discounts from the major ticket sellers, some concert venues and promoters also offer their own military discounts directly. These are offered independent of the ticketing platforms. Some venues provide a flat discount off any ticket purchased by an active duty service member (upon showing valid ID). Other venues designate certain sections to be “military seating” at a reduced price.
The discounts can vary significantly based on the individual venue’s policies. Things like geography, venue size, and type of music can all impact if military discounts are offered and how much of a discount is provided. The best way to find out is to check directly with the venue hosting the concert to see if they offer any military discounts.
USO Discounted Tickets
The United Services Organizations (USO) is a non-profit that provides services and support to military members and their families. One of the services they offer is providing discounted tickets to concerts and live entertainment events. The USO has partnerships with venues, promoters, teams, and leagues to get access to discounted tickets specifically to distribute to the military community.
Any active duty service member, along with their spouse and dependents, can request these discounted tickets through their local USO office. The available shows and amount of discount will depend on what partnerships that specific USO branch has established. But it can be a great way for military families to enjoy concerts and shows at below face value pricing.
Base Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Discounts
Many military bases have Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) offices that arrange discounted tickets for service members for various forms of entertainment. Concert tickets are sometimes included in these offerings. The MWR ticket discounts are usually negotiated between the base leadership and local venues or promoters.
Availability and pricing will differ between bases. And often the discounted tickets are only for shows happening close to the base vicinity. But military families stationed near major metropolitan areas with lots of concert options will often find their MWR office has opportunities for cheap concert tickets. Checking for any available discounted tickets through the MWR office is another option for active duty personnel.
Veterans Discounts
The concert ticket discounts mentioned so far apply specifically to active duty military members. Honorably discharged veterans can also sometimes get access to discounted tickets, but it is less common. Venues and promoters offer veteran discounts less frequently than active duty military discounts.
That being said, it’s still worth checking if veteran discounts are available either through the box office or special promo codes on ticketing websites. Some minor league sports teams, symphonies, theaters, and other live events explicitly advertise veteran discounts even if major concert promoters do not. Disabled veterans may have the best shot at finding discounted concert tickets based on their service-connected condition.
Other Discounts and Perks
A few other options that may be available for military members to receive cheaper concert tickets include:
Military Appreciation Nights
Some concert venues host special military appreciation nights where service members can buy tickets at a discounted price. This is often restricted to certain sections of the venue on select performance dates.
Ticket Giveaways
Radio stations, venues, and concert sponsors will sometimes give away free tickets to military members. These are often distributed on a first come, first served basis.
Friends and Family Presales
If the concert has a presale for friends, family or fan club members, someone with a connection may be able to buy a military member a discounted ticket.
Scalped Tickets
While not condoned, military members can sometimes get cheap concert tickets buying resale tickets from scalpers outside the venue on the night of the show.
Conclusion
There are quite a few avenues military personnel can check to potentially receive discounted pricing on concert tickets. Ticket seller military discounts, local venue policies, USO ticket access, and base MWR offices are good starting points to find deals. Veterans have fewer options, but may still be able to save on select shows. With a little research, active duty service members should be able to enjoy live music performances without paying full price.