With major concerts and events returning after a long hiatus due to the pandemic, demand for tickets is at an all-time high. Fans are eager to see their favorite musicians and comedians live on stage again. However, trying to buy tickets has become incredibly frustrating. Sites like Ticketmaster struggle to keep up with the massive influx of traffic all vying for those coveted seats. Many buyers find themselves stuck in lengthy online queues with no guarantee of getting tickets.
This leaves fans with an important decision to make – is it worth investing the time to stay in the Ticketmaster queue or are you better off giving up? There are reasonable arguments on both sides of this dilemma. Here is an in-depth look at the key factors to consider when deciding if you should keep waiting in that virtual line.
The Case for Staying in the Queue
If you absolutely have your heart set on attending a specific event, there are some compelling reasons to stick it out in the Ticketmaster queue:
- Your dedication could pay off – There is a chance that your perseverance will be rewarded with the tickets you want if you just hang on long enough. Though not guaranteed, some fans do eventually get through if they wait long enough.
- FOMO – Bailing might leave you with major fear of missing out if your friends all end up getting tickets later and you don’t. Are you willing to take that risk?
- Hope springs eternal – It’s human nature to think “maybe if I just hold on a little longer…” Your optimism bias convinces you that your luck is bound to change soon.
- Once in a lifetime – This might be a now or never situation to see your favorite band, sports team, or limited engagement show. If it’s that important, better keep waiting just in case.
- Peace of mind – You won’t have to wonder “what if?” and regret giving up too soon if you stick it out to the end, whether you get tickets or not.
Those are very legitimate reasons to keep on waiting. When something matters enough, it’s worth fighting for and holding onto hope. However, there are also some very compelling arguments on the other side…
The Case for Giving Up
Staying endlessly in a Ticketmaster queue has some significant downsides to consider as well:
- It may be an exercise in frustration – The process is usually so glitchy and slow that it tries everyone’s patience. Is it worth putting yourself through the stress?
- Wasted time – Hours spent waiting could be used for other priorities. That’s valuable time you won’t get back.
- Sold out risk – There’s a good chance the tickets will be gone by the time you get through anyway. Do you want to wait around with minimal odds?
- Alternatives exist – You can look for tickets from resellers or see if friends were lucky instead of pointlessly waiting indefinitely.
- Plenty of other events – Odds are more great events will come around in the future if you don’t get tickets this time.
- Cost/benefit analysis – Are the costs of waiting really worth it if the benefit is uncertain? Analyze this carefully.
With those concerns in mind, bailing out on the queue seems like the rational choice for many. The negatives may outweigh the potential benefits.
Key Considerations
When making your decision on whether to keep waiting or cut your losses, here are some important factors to think over:
- Your time commitment – Have you already invested significant time waiting or just started? Sunk time fallacy matters.
- Other responsibilities – Do you have work, family duties or other commitments that take priority?
- Availability of tickets – Is it a sold out show or still decent ticket availability?
- Uniqueness of event – Is this a truly can’t miss experience or something that comes around often?
- Your finances – Can you comfortably afford the tickets and associated costs like travel?
- Patience level – How well do you handle frustration and waiting without a guaranteed payoff?
Carefully weighing factors like these can help guide your decision making. Know yourself, your priorities, and the specific circumstances at play.
Tips to Improve Your Odds
If you decide to stick it out in the Ticketmaster queue, here are some tips that may help increase your chances of getting through:
- Use multiple devices – Try waiting simultaneously on a computer, phone, tablet, etc to give yourself multiple pathways.
- Check back often – Don’t stay on one device continuously. Refresh periodically to move ahead.
- Have accounts ready – Make sure you are already logged into Ticketmaster on all devices beforehand.
- Be ready to choose seats – Have an idea of your preferred sections so you can select quickly.
- Use presales – When available, presales a day or two before offer lower competition.
- Pay attention to timing – Sales usually start at 10am local venue time to minimize strain.
- WiFi over mobile data – Wired internet connections are more reliable than mobile networks.
- Have payment ready – Make sure your credit card and payment details are up to date.
Keep in mind there are never any guarantees of getting tickets, but using strategies like these can help nudge the odds a little more in your favor.
Alternatives to Consider
If you ultimately decide the Ticketmaster queue isn’t worth your time and effort, all hope for attending the event isn’t necessarily lost. Here are some alternatives you could look into:
- Resellers – Sites like StubHub let users resell tickets, often at inflated prices. But it saves you the queue.
- Scalpers – In person ticket scalpers outside the venue is an extremely high risk option.
- Fan groups – Joining fan forums and communities can help locate ticket availability.
- Promoters and sponsors – Sometimes they run ticket giveaways and contests.
- Wait for general sale – More tickets may be released later beyond presales.
- Consider other dates/cities – Expand your search to other tour stops in nearby locations.
Explore all angles and alternatives before totally giving up on going. Where there’s a will, there’s usually still a way!
Key Takeaways
Deciding whether or not to keep waiting in the Ticketmaster queue is ultimately a judgement call based on your personal priorities and preferences. Key takeaways include:
- There are decent arguments on both sides – consider each angle.
- Know your own threshold for patience and frustration.
- Weigh how important the event is to you.
- Use strategies like multiple devices to improve your odds.
- Consider all alternatives before totally giving up.
Getting tickets these days is truly survival of the fittest. Arm yourself with information and tips, assess the pros and cons, and trust your gut. Now get in that virtual line and may the odds be ever in your favor!
Conclusion
The agonizing Ticketmaster queue encapsulates everything that is wrong with the live event ticketing industry today. Demand drastically exceeds supply, leaving millions of fans frustrated and empty handed. While there are some steps you can take to potentially increase your chances, there are no sure fire tricks to get through and secure seats. At the end of the day, it often comes down to equal parts persistence, luck and randomness.
Evaluating whether to keep waiting or walk away depends entirely on your personal goals, priorities and how badly you want to attend the specific event in question. If it matters enough to your happiness, the queue may be worth braving. But if you have other responsibilities calling or limited patience for these antics, throwing in the towel is perfectly reasonable too.
Hopefully in the future, improved technology, anti-bot measures and additional venues can help take some of the pressure off this broken system. Until then, steel yourself for the waiting game, have backup plans, and remember it’s just live entertainment – as disappointing as it might be, the world won’t end if you don’t get tickets. Maintain perspective amidst the chaos.
Now go forth into the virtual waiting room, keep your phone charged, put on your favorite playlist, and may at least some of you emerge victorious with coveted tickets in hand. Godspeed.