When trying to purchase highly coveted tickets on Ticketmaster, you may find yourself placed in an online “waiting room” before you can access the tickets. This is Ticketmaster’s way of controlling traffic to high-demand events and preventing their website from crashing due to too many people trying to buy tickets at once.
The Waiting Room
The waiting room does not operate on a first come, first served basis. Rather, everyone in the waiting room is assigned a randomized place in line. Your place in line is not affected by when you joined the waiting room or how many times you refresh the page.
That being said, there is no need to continuously refresh your browser while in the waiting room. Refreshing will not improve your place in line or get you through the waiting room any faster.
Waiting Room Tips
Here are some tips for navigating the Ticketmaster waiting room:
- Join the waiting room as early as possible – Ticketmaster will begin placing people in the waiting room at a pre-determined time prior to the tickets going on sale.
- Do not close your browser or tab – If you do, you may lose your place in line and have to start over.
- Check if the event allows multiple browser tabs – Some Ticketmaster events will allow you to open multiple tabs or browser windows to improve your chances.
- Avoid refreshing – As mentioned, refreshing will not move you ahead in line.
- Be patient and keep waiting – Your place in line is random, so all you can do is hang tight until it’s your turn.
Buying Tickets
Once it’s your turn to access tickets, you will be redirected from the waiting room to the ticket selection screen. Here are some tips for actually buying the tickets:
- Work quickly – Have an idea of which tickets you want ahead of time and purchase decisively.
- Use presale codes – Take advantage of any presale opportunities to get early ticket access before the general public.
- Try for general admission – For very popular events, all reserved seating may sell out immediately. Go for general admission instead.
- Consider VIP packages – They are pricier but come with perks like premium seating and may still be available after regular tickets sell out.
- Try different devices – If you get stuck or get an error on one device, try opening the ticket page on another device.
- Don’t give up right away – Tickets will become available over the first few minutes as people’s purchases time out.
After the Sale
If you failed to get tickets, all hope is not lost. Here are some options to try after the on-sale time:
- Try again later – More tickets may be released as the event nears if the venue releases holds on tickets.
- Check resale sites – StubHub, Vivid Seats, and others may have tickets being resold at above face value.
- Consider group tickets – Venues sometimes sell discounted group tickets in blocks after the general sale.
- Wait for general public tickets – There may be another sale outside of presales for Amex cardholders, fan club members, etc.
- Look into ticket drops – Follow fan accounts that announce surprise ticket drops as they happen.
Conclusion
The Ticketmaster waiting room can be a tense experience, but continuously refreshing your browser is not effective. Focus instead on joining early, being ready to select tickets swiftly, and employing backup strategies if you don’t succeed right away. With persistence and preparation, you can beat the competition and secure those coveted tickets.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Ticketmaster waiting room work?
The waiting room assigns everyone a random place in line to purchase tickets. Your place is not affected by when you join or how often you refresh. This prevents the Ticketmaster website from crashing due to too much traffic all at once.
Do I have to keep Ticketmaster open while I’m in the waiting room?
Yes, you need to keep your browser tab open the entire time you are in the waiting room. If you close it, you may lose your place in line and have to start over.
Can I open multiple windows to get through the line faster?
For some events, Ticketmaster allows users to open multiple browser tabs or windows. This gives you multiple opportunities to access the tickets when your place comes up. However, it does not actually move you ahead in line.
What happens if I refresh while in the waiting room?
Refreshing the page will not improve your place in line or get you into the ticket purchase any faster. Since spots are assigned randomly, refreshing is not advantageous.
How can I improve my chances of getting tickets?
Join the waiting room as early as possible, use presale codes when available, have payment info ready to go, work quickly once in the purchasing area, and consider less popular ticket options like general admission or VIP packages.
Key Takeaways
- Refreshing your browser does not help you get through the Ticketmaster waiting room faster.
- Your place is assigned randomly, not by when you join or how often you refresh.
- Keep your browser open while waiting – don’t lose your place in line!
- Once in the purchase area, work swiftly to select and buy your tickets.
- If you miss out initially, check back later as more tickets are often released over time.
Waiting Room Tips | Buying Ticket Tips | After Sale Options |
---|---|---|
– Join early | – Work quickly | – Try again later |
– Don’t close browser | – Use presale codes | – Check resale sites |
– Check for multiple tabs | – Try general admission | – Group tickets |
– Avoid refreshing | – Consider VIP packages | – Wait for public sale |
– Be patient | – Try different devices | – Ticket drops |
Purchasing high demand tickets online through Ticketmaster involves unique strategies. By understanding how the waiting room works, making a plan of attack for purchasing, and knowing your options if you miss out at first, you can greatly improve your chances of getting those coveted seats. With preparation and persistence, you will be ready to beat the online competition.
Some key strategies include joining the waiting room early, avoiding refreshing your browser, working decisively once ticket buying opens up, having backup payment methods available, and checking back repeatedly if you don’t succeed right away as more tickets tend to be released over time leading up to the event. Patience and perseverance are key.
The randomness of the waiting room line and quick nature of the ticket buying process once sales open up means there is a degree of luck involved as well. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get tickets the first time around. With the right game plan, your luck will turn around and you’ll secure amazing seats even for the hottest shows and events.
Ticketmaster’s waiting room system aims to give everyone an equal opportunity at a fair shot through the randomized line order. While this means refreshing does not help your odds, coming prepared with quick fingers and backup plans can still greatly tilt the odds in your favor. With the right preparation, persistence, and a little bit of good fortune, scoring those coveted tickets is an achievable goal through the Ticketmaster waiting room.
The key is going in with a plan, being ready to move fast when your time comes up, but avoiding wasting effort on refreshing over and over. Focus on what matters – getting into the waiting room at the earliest opportunity, keeping your place in line, and being ready to make the purchase swiftly. Take into account all the various options and fallback plans as well. With a comprehensive strategy, your ticket buying mission can still be a big success!