How to get tickets to a sold out concert? A “sold out” sign is not the end of the story — it’s the start of the resale game. Between official fan-to-fan exchanges, face-value marketplaces like Tixel and CashorTrade, well-timed resale purchases, and last-minute releases, there are still 9 proven ways to get in without getting scammed.
The golden rule: buy from somewhere with buyer protection whenever possible. The methods below are ranked roughly from safest and cheapest to riskiest and priciest. Work through them in order.
9 Proven Ways to Get Tickets to a Sold Out Concert
1. Check the official fan-to-fan exchange first
Before touching the open resale market, check the original seller’s resale channel. Ticketmaster’s Verified Resale and its Face Value Exchange (launched in 2019) let fans list tickets they can’t use — and many artists cap listings at the original face value, meaning no markup at all. AXS and other primary sellers run similar official exchanges. Because tickets are reissued to the buyer, there’s no counterfeit risk.
2. Try Tixel for face-value resale
Tixel is a resale marketplace built around one idea: fans selling to fans at fair prices, with listings capped near face value. It verifies listings and handles the payment securely, making it one of the safest places to buy a sold-out ticket without paying a tout’s markup. Read our review: is Tixel legit?
3. Try CashorTrade, now verified with Ticketmaster
CashorTrade is a fan-to-fan marketplace where every listing is capped at face value or below. Ticketmaster has partnered with CashorTrade so that Ticketmaster tickets listed there are authenticated with Ticketmaster’s verification technology and transferred as newly issued tickets — no screenshots, no barcode drama. Read our review: is CashorTrade legit?
4. Join the waitlist
Many ticketing platforms and festivals run official waitlists for sold-out events. Add your name: when production holds, artist holds, or returned tickets get released, waitlist members are first in line — at face value. Check the event page for a “join waitlist” or “notify me” option, and keep your phone notifications on, because these windows can be short.
5. Time your resale purchase — patience pays
Resale prices for most concerts follow a predictable curve: high right after the sellout, gradually falling as the show approaches, and often dropping sharply in the final 48–72 hours when sellers would rather take a loss than eat the ticket. If it’s not a once-in-a-lifetime event, waiting can save you 20–40%. Full breakdown: do resale tickets get cheaper on the day of the show?
6. Set price alerts and pounce on drops
StubHub, SeatGeek, TickPick and others let you set price alerts for specific events and sections. A seller dropping a pair of tickets at 11pm the night before the show won’t wait around — alerts turn a lucky break into an actual purchase. Check alerts at least twice a day in the final week.
7. Check other dates and nearby cities
The sold-out Saturday show in your city may be one of twelve dates on the tour. A Tuesday show an hour away — or a second date the artist added after the first sold out — often has tickets at or near face value. Always search the artist’s full tour schedule before paying a resale premium.
8. Use fan clubs, presales and artist announcements
Fan club members frequently get presale windows that casual buyers never see, and presale allocations sometimes have separate inventory that never reaches the general onsale. Follow the artist, the venue and the promoter on social media: second dates, added shows and released production holds are announced there first, and that’s when fresh face-value tickets hit the market.
9. Check the box office on show day
It sounds old-fashioned, but venues routinely release production holds (seats held for the crew, VIPs and camera positions) in the final 24–48 hours — sometimes on the morning of the show itself. Call the venue box office or check the official event page the day of the concert. These are face-value tickets with zero fees from a reseller.
How to Avoid Ticket Scams for Sold Out Shows
Sold-out shows are a scammer’s paradise. Protect yourself:
- Never buy from social media DMs or strangers without a platform guarantee. Screenshots of tickets and payment-app transfers are the two biggest red flags.
- Insist on ticket transfer through the official app (Ticketmaster, AXS) rather than PDFs or screenshots, which can be duplicated and sold multiple times.
- Check the ticket’s transfer eligibility — some tickets (mobile-only, name-on-ticket) can’t be resold at all, and buying one leaves you locked out at the door.
- Use a credit card, not a debit card or wire transfer, so you have chargeback protection if the tickets turn out to be fake.
- Be suspicious of “too good to be true” prices for a genuinely sold-out show. Scammers undercut real listings to create urgency.
See our full guide: how to spot fake resale tickets.
FAQs
Why do concerts sell out so fast?
A mix of genuine demand, limited venue capacity, presale allocations that eat most of the inventory before the general onsale, and bots or bulk buyers grabbing tickets in seconds. For the biggest tours, the general public onsale may only have a fraction of the venue’s seats left.
Is it safe to buy resale tickets for a sold out concert?
Yes, if you buy through a marketplace with buyer protection — official exchanges, Tixel, CashorTrade, StubHub, SeatGeek and similar platforms guarantee valid tickets or your money back. The risk comes from informal sellers on social media, classified ads and messaging apps, where there’s no verification and no recourse.
Will ticket prices drop before a sold out show?
Usually, yes — unless the event is exceptionally in demand. Resale prices tend to fall as the event nears and sellers face the prospect of unsold tickets, with the steepest drops in the final two to three days. The exception: once-in-a-generation shows where demand keeps climbing.
What is a face-value ticket exchange?
A resale channel where fans can only list tickets at the original price paid (or less). Ticketmaster’s Face Value Exchange, Tixel and CashorTrade all operate this way, which keeps tickets affordable and cuts out professional touts — though availability depends on other fans listing their spares.
Can I get a refund if my resale tickets turn out to be fake?
Through a legitimate marketplace, yes — buyer guarantees cover invalid tickets and you’ll be refunded or given replacement tickets. If you bought from an individual with no platform involved, recovery is much harder, though a credit card chargeback may help.
