When you see that tickets are available through a “venue presale”, it means that there is a special presale event happening through the venue or promoter hosting the event. This allows fans to purchase tickets directly through the venue before the general public onsale. Venue presales typically require a special code or link in order to access and purchase tickets.
Why do venues offer presales?
There are a few key reasons why venues offer presales:
- It rewards loyal fans – By offering a presale, venues can give their most loyal fans first access to tickets. This includes season ticket holders, email list subscribers, fan club members, etc. It gives these devoted fans an advantage by getting to purchase tickets first.
- It helps sell out shows faster – Presales allow the venue to sell a large portion of tickets before the general onsale starts. This makes shows appear more popular and in-demand when tickets officially go on sale to the public.
- It reduces sell outs and crashes – Popular shows that sell out quickly can cause ticketing websites and queues to crash due to high demand. Presales stagger the ticket buying process, reducing overwhelming demand all at once.
- It provides marketing exposure – Presales require sharing codes and links through email, social media, etc. This viral marketing helps hype up and promote upcoming shows.
How do you get access to venue presales?
There are a few main ways to get access to special venue presales:
- Join the venue’s email newsletter – Most venues will send presale codes and links through their email newsletters. Sign up to receive access.
- Follow the venue on social media – Venues will share presale info across their social media pages and profiles leading up to the event.
- Check the artist’s website – The artist hosting the show may share presale details on their official website and fan clubs.
- Look for radio presales – Local radio stations will often have special presales for their listeners as well. Check station websites for details.
- Join fan clubs – Artists and bands sometimes offer presales specifically for members of their official fan clubs.
- Hold season tickets – If the show is at a theater or arena, season ticket holders often get access to presales for all events held at that venue.
- Check third party sellers – Some ticket resale sites and vendors also hold their own presales separate from the venue.
When do venue presales typically happen?
Venue presales normally occur in the few days leading up to the public onsale date and time. Here is a typical timeline:
- 2-3 weeks before onsale – Venue presale announced, special codes shared with select groups
- 1 week before – Additional artist, radio station, and third party presales begin
- 2-3 days before – Venue presale begins for exclusive window of selling
- Day before – Last minute radio and artist fan club presales
- Onsale date – Tickets go on sale to the general public
This staggered order allows the most loyal fans to buy first, followed by wider presales to hook more buyers, before the mass public onsale. It builds hype and maximizes buzz leading up to the tickets going on sale.
Where do you purchase tickets during venue presales?
There are a few places where you can actually purchase presale tickets:
- The venue’s website – Most venues like concert halls and theaters will sell tickets directly through their official website. You need to use their presale code here.
- Ticketmaster and AXS – For major venues that outsource ticketing, you can buy presale tickets on Ticketmaster or AXS with the presale offer code.
- Artist or promoter websites – The event organizer may also sell presale tickets through their official website and fan clubs.
- Radio station websites – If the presale is through a local radio station, their website will have a presale ticketing portal.
- Resale sites – Some ticketing resale marketplaces like StubHub also hold presales separate from the venue.
When in doubt, check the venue’s official website first, then look for presale ticket links on the primary ticketing site they use, like Ticketmaster. The specific ticket purchase portal can vary for each presale.
What’s the difference between a venue presale and a regular presale?
A venue presale specifically refers to a presale held directly through the concert hall, theater, arena, club, or other establishment that is hosting the event. Meanwhile, a “regular” presale is more broad:
- Artist presale – Ticket presale for fan club members and follows of the artist/band playing the show.
- Promoter presale – Presale tickets held back by the concert promoter or event producer.
- Radio presale – Presale organized by a local radio station that is promoting the event and giving away tickets.
- Spotify presale – Special presale for Spotify users through the Spotify presale app.
- Chase cardholder presale – Presale for Chase credit card holders when using their card to purchase tickets.
- VIP presale – Presale tickets including special VIP packages, meet & greets, etc.
The major difference is that a venue presale specifically applies to special early access tickets being sold directly through the venue itself before the general public.
Are there special presale codes needed?
In most cases, yes, you will need a special presale code or password to access tickets during a venue presale. These codes are what gives you access to purchase tickets before the general onsale.
Presale codes are typically a random combination of letters and numbers, like “JULYSALE” or “SUMMER2022”. Without this code, you will not be able to unlock presale inventory. The codes are released ahead of time through the venue’s email list, social media, or fan clubs.
What tips help get presale tickets?
Here are some helpful tips for trying to score presale tickets:
- Sign up for email lists and fan clubs as early as possible. This gives you access to presales.
- Follow the event and venue social media accounts. Turn on notifications so you don’t miss presale announcements.
- Use the presale links and codes provided. Don’t try to guess or share codes. Each one is unique.
- Set up accounts ahead of time on ticketing websites to make for faster checkout.
- Know when the various presales begin. Try for artist fan club presales first as those are most limited.
- Be ready on your computer and phone right at the presale start time. Tickets sell out incredibly fast.
- Have backup payment options ready in case of errors. Debit card, credit card, PayPal, etc.
What are some common presale mistakes to avoid?
When trying to buy presale tickets, be sure to steer clear of these mistakes:
- Waiting until the last minute to setup accounts and get presale links/codes.
- Not being ready the minute the presale starts. You can lose out on tickets in seconds.
- Trying random presale codes that you found on Google. Each code is unique to each sale.
- Assuming your position in the waiting room or queue guarantees tickets. Have backup devices ready.
- Using the same device across multiple browser tabs. Ticketing sites will boot duplicate users.
- Getting distracted during checkout. Slow checkout speeds lead to lost inventory.
The key factors are preparation, speed, and persistence. Follow official presale channels, be ready the moment sales start, and keep trying if you don’t succeed right away.
Conclusion
In summary, a venue presale refers to special advanced ticket access directly through the concert hall, theater, arena, or establishment that is hosting the event. Venues offer presales to reward loyal fans, hype up shows, and maximize sales.
You can access presales by joining email lists, following social media pages, holding season tickets, or joining fan clubs. Use special presale codes to unlock early access inventory before the general public. Presales sell out in seconds, so be ready the moment they start.
Avenue presales are just one type of special ticket presale beyond artist, radio, and promoter sales. Use presales strategically to get the best seats before the masses pile in on the general onsale date.
With the right planning and quick fingers, venue presales can help score amazing tickets as soon as they are released. This gives you first pick from the premium seats before the limited quantities sell out. So next time your favorite artist is coming to town, jump on those presale opportunities for the best chance at the hottest tickets.
Shop around for the various presales, utilize all codes and links, be patient but swift during crowded waiting rooms, and don’t give up if you don’t succeed right away. Venue presales take effort to conquer, but are a huge advantage for diehard live music fans who want the very best tickets.
Get on those presale lists, follow the key sources, setup your accounts, and get ready to conquer the presales. Your dedication will be rewarded with prime seating if you understand these insider tricks and tips. So next time venue presales roll around for a must-see show, you will be prepared to grab those amazing seats before anyone else.
Outsmart the competition with presale codes and early links direct from the venue. The prime tickets will be yours if you’re willing to put in the time, effort and preparation it takes to master the presale ticket buying process.
Reward your live music passion with the best seats thanks to presales. See you in the front row when those epic tickets go on presale at your favorite concert hall or theater. You hold the power to access those hot tickets before the rest, so use it wisely.
On your mark, get set, presale!