Taylor Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour was one of the most highly anticipated concert tours of 2018. As Swift’s first tour since 2016, fans were eager to get their hands on tickets to see the pop superstar perform hits from her chart-topping 2017 album Reputation live in stadiums across North America and Europe.
When Did Presales Start?
There were several presales that allowed fans early access to tickets before the general public on-sale date. Presales went live starting in November 2017 through January 2018.
- Capital One Cardholder Presale – November 13, 2017 at 10am local venue time
- Taylor Swift Official Presale powered by Ticketmaster Verified Fan – November 28, 2017 at 10am local venue time
- SiriusXM Presale – November 30, 2017 at 10am local venue time
- Spotify Fans First Presale – December 5, 2017 at 10am local venue time
- Various Radio Station Presales – December 2017 – January 2018
These presales allowed fans who had special access, like holders of a Capital One credit card or subscribers to SiriusXM satellite radio, the chance to purchase tickets days or weeks before the general public. Verified Fan presales through Ticketmaster required fans to register ahead of time and get a unique code to access tickets.
When Did General Public Tickets Go On Sale?
General public tickets for the Reputation Stadium Tour went on sale starting in December 2017 through January 2018 depending on the show.
- December 13, 2017 – Tickets on sale for shows beginning May 8, 2018
- December 15, 2017 – Tickets on sale for shows beginning August 14, 2018
- December 19, 2017 – Tickets on sale for international shows beginning June 8, 2018
- January 31, 2018 – Tickets on sale for additional shows added in Santa Clara, Washington DC, Philadelphia, East Rutherford, and Foxborough
This staggered ticket on-sale allowed fans to purchase tickets for the earlier North American stadium dates first before the later summer/fall dates. International on-sales also started after the initial North American on-sales.
What Were Ticket Prices Like?
Due to the massive demand for Taylor Swift’s Reputation Tour, tickets were very expensive, especially closer to the show dates. Here’s a sample of some face value ticket prices:
Venue | Date | Ticket Price Range |
---|---|---|
Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA | May 12, 2018 | $50 – $450 |
FedEx Field, Washington DC | July 27, 2018 | $49.50 – $499.50 |
Wembley Stadium, London | June 22, 2018 | £60 – £175 |
ANZ Stadium, Sydney | October 19, 2018 | AU$109 – AU$249 |
Prices varied based on seat location in the stadium and demand. Floor seats or lower bowls were more expensive than upper decks. Places like Santa Clara and Washington DC had more reasonably priced tickets being earlier tour dates, while international stops in London and Sydney commanded higher premiums.
How Quickly Did Tickets Sell Out?
Due to extremely high demand, most Taylor Swift Reputation Tour shows sold out very quickly, some within minutes.
- Capital One presale tickets sold out in less than 15 minutes for opening night in Glendale, AZ
- Santa Clara tickets were gone within an hour of Capital One presale opening
- Dallas tickets sold out in under 30 minutes after general on-sale
- Toronto tickets sold out fully in just over an hour after on-sale time
Swifites unable to buy during presales flooded online when general public tickets went live, overloading ticketing sites and causing long waits or issues trying to purchase.
Resale ticket prices skyrocketed for sold out shows, especially in major cities. It was common to see resale tickets going for 4-10x the face value prices. Resellers and scalpers took advantage of the supply and demand imbalance.
Why Did Tickets Sell Out So Quickly?
There are several factors that contributed to the incredibly fast sell outs for Taylor Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour:
- High Fan Demand – Taylor Swift has one of the largest and most passionate fanbases in music. Fans were eager to see her first tour in 2 years.
- Limited Tour Dates – The tour hit only about 20 cities in North America, meaning limited tickets were available for Swifties.
- Massive Venues – Stadiums hold 50,000-100,000+ fans, but this was still not enough to satiate demand.
- Bots and Resellers – Many tickets were instantly scooped up and listed on resale sites by scalpers.
The staggering demand combined with the limited tour schedule created a huge supply and demand mismatch that resulted in prime tickets evaporating instantly.
How Difficult Was it For Fans to Get Tickets?
It was extremely difficult for fans to purchase Reputation Tour tickets due to the reasons mentioned above. Here are some of the major challenges fans faced trying to buy tickets:
- Website crashes – Ticketing websites frequently crashed or had long wait times, creating delays for fans.
- Online queues – Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan system forced fans into queues sometimes over an hour long.
- Instant sell outs – Good seats disappeared immediately, making it hard to checkout fast enough.
- Presale codes – Fans had to scramble to find presale codes from various sources to access earlier tickets.
Ultimately, many fans walked away empty handed. The ticket buying experience was stressful and frustrating for Swifties hoping to see the Reputation Tour. It underscored issues around bot scalping, high prices, and poor ticketing platforms.
What Options Did Fans Have After Sell Outs?
Once shows were marked sold out, fans had limited options to still try and get tickets:
- Join waitlists on Ticketmaster or fan resale sites like Lyte for newly released seats
- Check back for ticket releases closer to show dates
- Purchase platinum resale tickets on Ticketmaster, typically at higher prices
- Buy overpriced resale tickets on StubHub, Vivid Seats, SeatGeek and other secondary marketplaces
Waitlists and ticket releases offered the best way to still get face value or reasonable prices. Resale sites led to spending exponentially higher prices if fans were willing to pay the premiums demanded.
How Much Did Reputation Tour Gross?
The Reputation Stadium Tour went on to become the highest grossing tour in US history and second highest grossing tour ever globally. Total gross numbers according to Billboard Boxscore:
- Total Gross: $266,100,000
- Total Tickets Sold: 2,888,928
- Total Shows: 38 in North America, 12 International
The massive financial success matched the tour’s popularity. It cemented Taylor Swift’s status as one of the preeminent touring acts in music.
Conclusion
Getting a coveted ticket to Taylor Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour proved to be incredibly challenging. Between presales and general on-sales, tickets sold out in record time across all cities due to exceptional demand. Prices were high and resale values shot up even higher for sold out shows. Yet fans still turned out in droves, leading to the tour becoming the highest grossing in U.S. history. It was a testament to Taylor Swift’s dominance as a live performer at the peak of her pop career.