How to Score the Biggest Summer Concert Tickets on the Cheap (Hello, Beyonce and Jay-Z)

Ticketmaster holds a near-monopoly that makes it possible for the company to charge outrageous fees. Without any national competitors, no one has enough power to force the company to lower its rates.

Service fees add a lot to the price of concert tickets. For a popular artist performing at a large venue or festival, you can expect to pay at least $12 on top of the ticket price. In some cases, you may have to pay considerably higher fees.

You only have one option to avoid Ticketmaster’s exorbitant prices: buy your tickets directly from the venue’s box office. Some venues will still charge you Ticketmaster fees, but others will sell the tickets to you at face value.

Fans want great seats when they see their favorite performers. Many of those fans think that they have to purchase tickets as soon as possible to avoid the nosebleed section.

Unfortunately, not everyone gets to use the tickets that they buy. Tickets usually go on sale several months before performances take place. A lot can happen during those months. People move to other cities, change jobs, have kids and encounter other situations that prevent them from attending events.

When fans can’t use their tickets, they often sell them on sites like Craigslist. Search Craigslist and similar sites often to find people selling tickets that they can’t use.

Resellers and scalpers can make it difficult for average people to buy tour tickets. Few dates actually “sell out.” Instead, resellers buy so many tickets that you don’t have a chance to purchase your own. The tickets are still available for sale, but you can’t buy them from the venue or Ticketmaster.

As the date draws near, resellers and scalpers often start to lower their prices. After all, they don’t want to spend a lot of money on tickets that they never sell. Lowering their prices helps ensure that they can unload their tickets quickly.

By waiting until the last minute, you can get affordable tickets from online ticket brokers.

A lot of amazing musicians will tour the U.S. this summer. Now, you can get tickets without breaking the bank.