Taylor Swift is one of the biggest pop stars in the world, with millions of fans across the globe eager to see her perform live. However, as her popularity has grown over the years, so has the difficulty in getting tickets to her concerts. With high demand and limited ticket availability, what are the actual odds of scoring seats to a Taylor Swift show?
Taylor Swift’s Popularity
To understand the ticket demand, it helps to first look at just how popular Taylor Swift is. Swift first broke onto the music scene in 2006 with her self-titled debut album and quickly became a country music sensation. However, it was her transition to pop music beginning with her 2014 album “1989” that propelled her to mainstream superstardom.
Swift is now one of the top-selling music artists of all time, having sold over 200 million records worldwide. She holds several Billboard chart records, including most top 10 debuts on the Hot 100 by a female artist. Her albums consistently debut at #1, with her most recent release “Midnights” selling over 1 million copies in its first week in the US alone.
Swift also has an enormous social media following, with over 230 million followers across Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. She’s one of the most-followed people on Instagram with over 234 million followers. Her posts regularly garner over a million likes.
In terms of awards, Swift has won 11 Grammys, 2 Brit Awards, 23 Billboard Music Awards, and 12 Country Music Association Awards. She has been named Billboard’s Woman of the Year twice and Artist of the Year once. Her 2019 “Reputation” tour became the highest-grossing tour in US history by a woman.
Clearly, Swift is not just popular, she’s a record-breaking global phenomenon. So it’s no surprise that demand for concert tickets is extremely high whenever she goes on tour.
Ticket Demand for Taylor Swift Tours
Let’s take a look at some statistics that demonstrate how competitive it is to get Taylor Swift tickets anytime she announces a new tour.
- Her 2018 “Reputation” stadium tour sold over 2 million tickets across just 38 shows in the US and Canada. It grossed over $266 million to become the highest grossing tour in US history by a woman.
- When Swift announced her “The Eras Tour” in November 2022, over 3.5 million people pre-registered for presale ticket access on Ticketmaster. This overwhelmed the ticketing site, causing it to crash and leaving many fans without tickets.
- For a two-night stand at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, over 500,000 fans tried for one of the approximately 70,000 available seats. Less than 1 in 10 applicants came away with tickets.
- Resellers like StubHub saw tickets going for 4-5 times their original price following the Ticketmaster presale meltdown.
- Even nosebleed seats for many shows are selling for $200-$300 or more, with floor seats going into the thousands.
This enormous demand also impacts smaller venues on Swift’s tour. She often does a run of more intimate club shows for free through her Verified Fan program. However, registration for these free tickets regularly draws millions of entries. At a 2016 show, over 97,000 fans applied for just 400 spots.
The bottom line is that Taylor Swift tours cause a massive spike in ticket demand across stadiums, arenas, and clubs. The number of fans vying for tickets is usually double or triple a venue’s actual capacity.
Getting Tickets Directly from Ticketmaster
The primary source for tickets to Taylor Swift concerts is Ticketmaster when they go on sale. Sales usually happen in multiple presales and general public onsales.
Here are some estimates for chances of getting tickets directly from Ticketmaster for a Taylor Swift concert:
- Verified Fan Presale: 1-5% chance
- Other Presales (VIP packages, Citi card, etc.): 5-10% chance
- General Public Onsale: 5-20% chance
Swift uses Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program to try to get tickets directly to her biggest supporters and cut down on scalpers. Fans must register in advance and are verified before gaining presale code access. Over 3 million registered for the presale of her 2023 tour.
However, the number of presale tickets allocated is very limited. The Verified Fan presale represented less than 5% of total tickets for most shows on the 2023 tour. So even registering and being verified did not guarantee tickets.
Other presales like VIP packages or Citi card member presales have slightly better odds, but still typically comprise less than 10% of total tickets. Tens of thousands usually register for these presales, so getting an access code again does not guarantee tickets.
The general public onsale represents the largest portion of tickets. But for Taylor Swift tours, millions of fans are frequently trying for what ends up being 10-20% of tickets. So odds are still long, but less so than presales.
Dealing with Immediate Sellouts
It’s extremely common for Taylor Swift concert onsales to sell out in minutes. The enormous fan demand simply overwhelms the ticketing system. This leaves many ticket seekers shut out and wondering what to do next. Here are some options:
Get on Waitlists
Sign up for fan club and venue email lists to be notified if more tickets are released. Promoters and radio stations also sometimes release extra tickets. So get on any waitlist possible.
Try Reseller Sites
Resale sites like StubHub and Vivid Seats will have marked up tickets, often extremely high for Swift shows. But it may be the only way to get tickets after an immediate sellout. Bookmark resale sites ahead of the onsale and be ready to jump on tickets.
Consider Last Minute Buys
Try to buy just a few days before the show or even day of. Speculators may start dropping prices if they still have unsold tickets. You can find last minute deals, but it’s risky.
Head to the Venue
Going to the venue box office day of show is hit or miss but might pay off. Some fans who show up early get extra tickets released for cash sales only. But you could also get nothing.
Strategies for Improving Your Ticket Odds
While nothing can guarantee Taylor Swift tickets given the huge demand, you can tilt the odds slightly in your favor.
- Register for Presales – Sign up ahead of time for every presale possible through the artist, venue, Ticketmaster, radio stations, etc. Have all the presale codes ready to go.
- Be Ready Right at Onsale – Log in ahead of time and keep refreshing because the waiting room queues fill instantly. Have payment details entered already to check out fast.
- Buy Single Tickets – Purchasing single seats instead of groups improves your chances versus needing multiple seats together.
- Consider All Locations – Look at going to smaller market shows or added dates rather than just the biggest cities on the tour.
- Leverage Fan Clubs – JoinTaylorSwift.com and other official fan clubs provide Presale ticket links and alerts to members.
At the end of the day, there are no surefire ways to get Taylor Swift tickets. But using multiple devices, having backups lined up, and buying right at onsale across all dates gives you a fighting chance. It takes patience, dedication, and a bit of luck.
How Many Tickets Can You Buy?
When attempting to purchase Taylor Swift concert tickets, there are usually ticket limits in place. This is to try and discourage scalpers from buying up large quantities.
Exact ticket limits can vary between venues, but usually fall into these ranges:
- 4-8 tickets per household for presales
- 2-4 tickets per person for general public onsales
Reseller sites have much higher limits, sometimes up to 12 tickets per transaction. Of course, prices are inflated. Ticketmaster and fan presales aim for lower limits to get more tickets directly to fans.
It’s also common for waiting rooms to be used to randomly select who gets to buy tickets. This introduces more luck into actually obtaining checkout access. It’s all part of the tactic of trying to make the process fairer, though it rarely feels fair if you end up ticketless.
Paying Above Face Value
The huge demand for Taylor Swift tickets pretty much guarantees scalpers will flock to onsales and instantly relist tickets at higher prices. Here is a look at the typical markup:
Ticket Type | Face Value Price | Resale Price |
---|---|---|
Nosebleed Seats | $150-$200 | $200-$350 |
Lower Level Seats | $250-$400 | $500-$750 |
Floor Seats | $500-$600 | $1,000-$2,500+ |
VIP Packages | $700-$2,000 | $2,000-$10,000+ |
Markups frequently exceed 100-200% over face value. The huge demand allows scalpers to charge exorbitant premiums, especially for the best seats. Paying well above face value may be the only way to get tickets, but brace yourself for sky-high prices.
Why Are Taylor Swift Tickets So Expensive?
Dynamic pricing along with secondary market resellers are the two big factors making Taylor Swift tickets expensive. Let’s take a closer look at each factor:
Dynamic Pricing
Taylor Swift and the concert promoters use dynamic pricing for their ticket onsales. This means ticket prices fluctuate based on projected demand. In-demand cities and dates get priced higher.
While even the inflated dynamic prices are below what scalpers charge, dynamic pricing does push face prices higher. Front floor seats frequently go for $500+. Swift’s team argues this is justified based on what the market will pay.
Secondary Market Prices
The larger expense factor comes from third-party resellers flipping tickets on sites like StubHub. Without regulations on resale prices, tickets get marked up according to whatever maximum price desperate fans will pay.
Resellers use bots to buy up inventory instantly. They then leverage the scarcity to charge exorbitant amounts. Without ticket limits, these secondary prices could be even higher.
Ultimately, Taylor Swift’s popularity far outpaces the ticket inventory. Until that changes, prices will remain inflated. Swift could crack down harder on resellers, but that alone won’t meet the ticket demand. Secondary markets thrive because of low supply and incredible demand.
Is it Worth Paying So Much?
Only the most hardcore Taylor Swift fans are willing to pay the asking price of $1,000 or more for a ticket. Here are some pros and cons to weigh when considering expensive resale tickets:
Pros
- Guaranteed Admission – Paying up is the only way to reliably secure a seat at in-demand shows.
- Once in a Lifetime Experience – Seeing one of the biggest pop stars on the planet up close provides lifelong memories.
- Bragging Rights – You can say you went to an iconic Taylor Swift concert and saw music history.
- Setlist Variety – Swift changes up songs and guest stars at different shows, so each one offers unique moments.
Cons
- High Costs – It’s hard to rationalize spending hundreds or thousands on a single concert ticket for most fans.
- Fees Add Up – Resale sites have higher fees on each transaction that boost costs further.
- No Guarantee on Seats – You could pay a fortune but still end up with mediocre seats.
- Priced Out Fans – Scalper dynamics exclude many lower income fans from attending.
Super fans who must see their idol live may determine the experience is worth any price. But for more casual admirers, the elevated costs likely outweigh the benefits. Either way, the demand is clearly there for tickets at nearly any price point.
Future Outlook
What might the future hold for getting tickets to see Taylor Swift live? Here are some possibilities on the horizon:
More Shows & Bigger Venues
Swift could potentially book even larger stadiums and longer tours to make more tickets available to fans. Of course, filling that many shows is no easy task, even for someone as popular as she is.
Ticket Limits & Verification
Stricter limits on ticket purchases per person could block scalpers from gobbling up inventory. Expanding verification processes can ensure tickets end up with real fans first.
Lower Resale Profits
New regulations could crack down on sky-high resale prices. Limiting markup percentages over face value would make the secondary market less lucrative.
Premium Experiences
Offering more VIP packages and enhanced stadium seating tiers satisfies higher budget fans. Dynamic pricing can maximize profits while still having tickets of all price levels.
Ultimately, Taylor Swift’s popularity shows no signs of fading anytime soon. While getting tickets will likely remain competitive, changes like these could make tours more fan-friendly. That is, until the next pop sensation comes along and inherits the ticketing challenges Swift currently faces.
Conclusion
Seeing Taylor Swift live in concert is a dream for millions of music lovers. But with incredibly scarce ticket inventory compared to massive fan demand, actually getting seats is difficult. Prices also get driven up by dynamic pricing and uncontrolled resale markups.
Being strategic by using presales, registering early, and being ready at all onsales can slightly improve your odds. Yet ultimately, a good amount of luck is required to beat the tough ticket buying competition.
Hardcore Swifties will pay almost anything to see her perform. But more casual listeners will find the effort and costs hard to justify.
Until Swift figures out a way to significantly expand capacity or clamp down on scalpers, tickets to her shows will continue to be elusive golden tickets. Still, the forever hopeful fans eager for the full Taylor live experience will keep coming back time and time again.