When purchasing tickets on Ticketmaster, it’s common for high-demand events to have a virtual waiting room or queue. This helps manage traffic spikes and prevent the site from crashing due to too many people trying to buy tickets at once. Many Ticketmaster customers wonder – can you refresh while you’re waiting in the virtual queue?
The short answer
No, you should not refresh the page while waiting in Ticketmaster’s virtual queue. Refreshing the page or opening multiple tabs will not move you ahead in line. In fact, it may actually push you to the back of the queue.
How the virtual queue works
Ticketmaster’s virtual queue system is designed to randomly assign customers a place in line when there is high demand. Your place is held from the moment you join the waiting room, so there is no need to refresh.
Here’s a quick overview of how it works:
- Customers join the waiting room when trying to purchase tickets.
- Ticketmaster’s system randomly assigns everyone a place in line.
- Your spot is held while you wait, as long as you keep the page open.
- When it’s your turn, you’ll be redirected to the ticket purchase page.
So once you’re assigned a spot, refreshing or opening duplicate tabs won’t get you through the line any quicker.
Why you shouldn’t refresh
There are a few key reasons it’s a bad idea to refresh or open multiple windows while in Ticketmaster’s virtual queue:
- You may lose your place in line – Each time you refresh, you risk having your spot randomly reassigned. This could send you much further back.
- It adds unnecessary traffic – Duplicate refreshes put extra strain on the queuing system for no reason.
- You could get flagged – Excessive refreshes may get your account flagged for suspicious activity. At best, you’d have to rejoin the queue. At worst, your account could be temporarily blocked.
The bottom line is that refreshing usually does more harm than good. Ticketmaster’s system is designed to progress customers through the queue automatically at a controlled pace.
What to do instead of refreshing
Here are some tips for what to do while you wait in Ticketmaster’s virtual queue:
- Keep the queue page open in a single window or tab.
- Feel free to browse other websites or apps – just don’t close the queue window.
- Check back periodically to see if you’ve progressed in line.
- Once you reach the front, you may need to verify your captcha to access tickets.
- Have your payment details handy when purchasing, as tickets can sell out quickly.
As long as you don’t refresh, close the window, or open duplicate tabs, your spot will be retained. The queue is first-come, first-served based on when you initially joined. Stay patient, and you should reach the front! Just resist the urge to hit refresh.
When you may need to rejoin the queue
In most cases, you can wait in the virtual queue without having to rejoin. But in some situations, you may get disconnected or need to re-enter:
- If you accidentally close the window or tab, you’ll have to rejoin the back of the line.
- An lost internet connection will boot you from the queue, requiring you to join again.
- If the queue page stays inactive too long, you may be disconnected and forced to rejoin.
- System errors, outages, or high traffic may also cause you to lose your place.
Try to avoid these situations if possible. But if you do get removed from the line, your only option is to rejoin and be assigned a new place based on demand at that time.
Tips for a smoother queue experience
Here are some additional tips to help your Ticketmaster queue experience go smoothly:
- Join on a stable network – Use a strong WiFi or wired connection if possible to prevent disruptions.
- Be ready at queue open – Join as early as possible when the queue begins to get a better place in line.
- Use a single device – Waiting on multiple devices won’t help and may flag you for suspicious activity.
- Don’t open other windows – Keep the queue tab open by itself to prevent getting booted.
- Stay until redirected – Remain in the queue until you either reach the front or get an error message.
Following these best practices will give you the smoothest, least frustrating queuing experience. The main keys are joining immediately at open, using one device, keeping the window active, and – most importantly – never ever refreshing!
Examples of waiting in the Ticketmaster queue
To illustrate the queue process, here are some examples of what fans experience when waiting in Ticketmaster’s virtual line:
Successful queue
- John logs on right at 10am when queue opens for a big concert.
- He keeps the queue window open on his laptop without refreshing.
- After 30 minutes of waiting, he gets redirected to the ticket purchase page.
- John enters his info quickly and secures two floor seats!
Because he joined immediately, kept his place in line, and didn’t refresh, John successfully made it through the queue to buy his tickets.
Unsuccessful queue
- Mary joins the queue 20 minutes after it opens.
- After waiting 10 minutes, her spot is around 2,000th in line.
- Frustrated at the long wait, she starts refreshing repeatedly.
- Mary ends up being booted to the back of the line for suspicious activity.
By joining late and aggressively refreshing, Mary lost her place and ended up at the back of the now very long queue.
Accidental loss of place
- Tom joins the queue right when it opens to get floor seats.
- His initial place is around 500th in line.
- While waiting, he accidentally closes his laptop, losing his spot.
- When he rejoins, Tom is now over 5,000th in line and misses out.
Tom learned the hard lesson that closing your browser means forfeiting your place, no matter how good it was originally.
Data on Ticketmaster’s queue system
Here are some statistics that highlight how Ticketmaster’s virtual queue system works:
Metric | Data |
---|---|
Average wait time | 15-90+ minutes |
Number of fans per event | Up to 500,000 |
Max queue capacity | Around 10,000 users |
Peak wait times | 30-60 mins at open |
System outages | 1-2% of queues |
As these stats show, wait times in Ticketmaster’s queue can vary widely depending on demand. But in all cases, patience and avoiding refreshes will get you through faster!
Conclusion
To summarize, you should never refresh while waiting in Ticketmaster’s virtual queue system. Your place is set from the moment you join, so refreshing will not move you ahead and can actually bump you to the back of the line or get you flagged. Instead, join right at open on one device, stay active in the queue page, and let the system progress you automatically. With some patience and smart strategies, you’ll make it through the queue in good time!