How to Get Live Concert Tickets for Beginners and What to Expect: Major Artists Edition
This time, we’ll introduce how to obtain live concert tickets, along with the pros and cons of each method.
We’ll explain everything step by step—from the very basics—in a clear way for those who are new to live shows.
I don’t know how to get tickets.
This may be sudden, but I’ve been getting my hair cut by the same hairstylist for a long time.
He’s a hairstylist my age who runs a salon in Ginza—what you’d call a highly capable go-getter.
It’s a bit—no, actually quite—strange on the inside, you know.
Their skills are reliable.
He says he’s been listening to ONE OK ROCK lately under the influence of his girlfriend, whom he’s currently living with.
Since they apparently used to listen to ELLEGARDEN, they must like emo and alternative music.
When I went for hair maintenance late last year and casually said, “ONE OK ROCK is going on tour, huh?”, this is what they said back to me.
What? Really? I want to go, but Riko, how do you get tickets? Can I buy them too?
As someone who’s been going to live shows for, well, several dozen-something years now, I was taken aback by those words.
It’s been quite a while since society went online, and I felt getting tickets had become much easier—so I can’t believe there are still people who don’t know how to get them!
But if you've never bought one, of course you wouldn't know.
Come to think of it, people at work often ask me for advice (or help?) on getting tickets.
How to get tickets for major artists
Please note that the ticket acquisition methods I’m about to describe are simply those I recognize as commonly used patterns, and they do not necessarily apply to all artists.
It is also written mainly with methods for obtaining tickets for major artists in mind.
If there seems to be enough demand, I’m thinking of introducing separately how to get tickets for underground artists.
Fan club presale
First of all, the fastest way to get tickets is through the fan club presale.
As the name suggests,Ticket sales intended for hardcore fans who have joined the artist’s fan club by paying an annual membership fee.It is (described/defined) as such.
It appears that the number of tickets reserved for that alone often accounts for more than half of the venue’s capacity.
Because it’s the fastest method and offers the largest ticket allotment, this is the quickest and most reliable way to secure tickets.
If you’re absolutely determined to go to the concert, join the fan club as soon as possible and take part in this pre-sale.
The usual process is to enter during the specified period on the members-only webpage via the internet, followed by a lottery.
Occasionally, items are sold on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to read the notes carefully.
Just because many tickets are fan club presales doesn’t mean front-row seats are always guaranteed, but among the reserved seats there are definitely some in the front.
Conversely, it’s almost impossible to get front-row seats through anything other than the fan club presale (excluding side or partially obstructed-view seats).
For all-standing shows, entry order always starts with the fan club presale, so if you’re particular about being near the front, it’s essential to take part in the fan club presale.
Again, please keep in mind that this only means front-row seats are included in the pool; it does not guarantee you will get a front-row seat. (For the record, I’ve even ended up in the very last row. Haha.)
Additionally, depending on the artist, multiple seat categories (like S seats and A seats for stages, etc.) may be offered, and some may guarantee front-row seating.
Many of these S seats can only be purchased by fan club members. (In rare cases, non-members may accompany them.)
They often come with exclusive merchandise and can be a great deal, but the prices are also quite aggressive, often running into the tens of thousands of yen.
Even so, it is often fiercely competitive.
Benefits of the fan club presale
- Get tickets the fastest
- Since a large number of units are secured, it has the highest likelihood of being obtainable.
- There is a possibility of obtaining front-row seats.
- There may be cases where picture tickets (tickets with the artist’s photo or other unique designs) are used.
- There are times when S seats, which can only be purchased by members, are available.
Disadvantages of fan club presales
- It costs money to join the fan club.
- In addition to the ticket price, there is a high likelihood that substantial presale fees and ticket shipping costs will be incurred.
- Most of the nearby seats are taken by hardcore fans who are in the fan club, so if you go casually without knowing the vibe, you’ll stick out.
Mobile members presale
The next presale that often takes place after the fan club presale is the one for paid members of the artist’s official mobile site.
This is also aimed at hardcore fans who are willing to pay, but unlike the fan club’s annual fee (estimated at around 5,000 yen), it only requires a monthly fee (estimated at around 300 yen), so the barrier to joining is much lower.
all the more soCompared to the fan club presale, there will be more competition, so for popular shows, if you don’t secure tickets around this stage, it’s likely to become a tough battle later on.
It’s possible that the seats include ones that are closer to the stage than those from the fan club presale.
Of course, just like with the fan club presale, it doesn’t guarantee you’ll get seats in the front.
Benefits of mobile member presale
- You can join an earlier presale at a lower price than the fan club presale.
- There’s a chance to get seats closer to the stage than the fan club presale.
- can secure tickets earlier than the general public (those who aren’t necessarily devoted fans)
Disadvantages of mobile member presales
- It costs money to become a mobile member.
- Because the barrier is lower than a fan club, it will create more enemies.
- Considering you have to pay, the number of seats available is often smaller than in the fan club presale.
CD purchasers' presale
In cases like nationwide tours, there are instances where, after releasing a CD (album), performances are held to promote that album.
In that case,It’s common for advance notices to be included with albums released earlier, often inside the lyrics booklet.It is.
Although this presale is limited to those who purchased the CD, many fans who couldn’t get tickets through the fan club presale or the mobile members presale will go after it, so the competition ratio will be slightly higher.
Because fans who are enthusiastic enough to become fan club or mobile members generally buy CDs.
However, since this is a presale that the general public tends to overlook, I think it’s overwhelmingly easier to get tickets than the presales that take place afterward.
Benefits of the presale for CD purchasers
- be able to get tickets relatively early
- General customers tend to miss it.
Disadvantages of the CD purchasers’ presale
- I have to buy a CD.
- Although it's a front-running position that costs money, you can't expect a good seat location.
Official website presale
This official website presale refers to the advance tickets listed on the artist’s official website, typically a few weeks before general sales begin.
This is the last opportunity to obtain it before the battle in the general walkthrough, so if you haven’t gotten it yet, make sure to secure it here.
Unlike previous lotteries, apart from the money needed to obtain the ticket itself, there is often no additional spending required. However, as it gradually comes to the attention of the general public, the competition rate will skyrocket.
There are various cases such as lotteries and first-come, first-served, so you need to check the advance details as soon as possible.
Benefits of early access via the official website
- Despite being a relatively early presale, it often doesn’t cost anything beyond the price of obtaining the ticket.
- This is the final presale before general customers join.
Disadvantages of the official website pre-sale
- Since it doesn't cost extra money, you'll suddenly gain a lot of enemies.
Play guide presale
This is the final way to obtain tickets in the so-called "pre-sale" before the general sale.
Ticket Pia、eplus、Loppi Ticket (Lawson Ticket)You can register for a free membership with ticketing services such as these and enter the lottery.(Occasionally, first-come-first-served presales are also available)
Since free members can participate, it becomes quite difficult to win tickets for popular performances.
Moreover, not only fans and general attendees but also those aiming to resell will flock to participate, so for shows expected to sell out, it will likely be fiercely competitive.
For hugely popular shows like this, it’s hard to get tickets in the general sale unless you’re very experienced. I recommend asking a friend who has a ticketing service account to help you with the presale entry.
As an aside, there used to be something known as the “e+ maximum-tickets theory” — the idea that if you entered the e+ presale with the maximum number of tickets allowed (for example, four if the limit was 1–4 per person) and won, you’d be assigned better seats.
It's quite a well-known story, isn't it?
In fact, I used to get good seats with this… but it seems that lately this “strongest strategy” has been falling apart.
It's completely up to luck.
Benefits of advance ticket sales via play guides
- You can join early by registering for a free membership.
- Easy for beginners to enter
Disadvantages of the play guide presale
- Membership registration required
- For popular performances, the competition ratio becomes quite high.
- Depending on the ticketing service, high advance handling fees may apply, making it more expensive.
General sale
This is a first-come, first-served acquisition method available through various ticket agencies.
Mainly using the internet, purchase directly from the ticketing site's homepage by selecting the venue, number of tickets, and other options.I will do it.
Since it's first-come, first-served, your odds will be better if you use a PC with a fast connection, use a feature phone with fewer competing connections instead of a smartphone, or, if you're not confident in your internet environment, purchase directly from a terminal installed at a convenience store, such as Loppi or FamiPort.
By the way, many people are thinking the same thing, so be ready in front of your device a bit before ticket sales start (often at 10:00 a.m.).Let's do that. (If customers who are not involved in picking up tickets line up behind you, please be sure to let them go ahead.)
Also, for popular performances, it's not uncommon for tickets to sell out instantly.
However, don’t give up here—target “reservation fall-throughs” (tickets where the user proceeded to the purchase page but didn’t complete the final purchase due to issues like a dropped connection) and “payment fall-throughs” (tickets where the purchase was confirmed but payment wasn’t made by the deadline). Check the page persistently to catch these.
In the end, the person who doesn’t give up wins.
Benefits of general sales
- You can see your seat location at the time of purchase.
- Since there are no extra fees, you can get the tickets at the lowest price.
Disadvantages of the general sale
- Since it’s first-come, first-served, buying tickets for popular performances is practically hopeless.
- Since there are many people who bought tickets on a whim, if you're overly enthusiastic, those around you might be put off.
In conclusion
That concludes the introduction of the main ways to obtain tickets.
I think there are also various ways of doing presales, depending on the artist.
Also, if the tickets do not sell out, same-day tickets will be available.
Be sure to carefully check the official website so you can definitely attend the performance you want to go to.
A live show on a given day only happens that day, and even if you think you can just go next time, if the artist goes on hiatus, disbands, or retires, you might never get to see their live performance again.
These days, you can enter lotteries and purchase tickets online and pay by credit card, so I feel it’s become a very convenient time when you can just apply quickly from home.
Back then, phones were the main way to buy tickets, so I’d head out to a public phone—rumored to have better connections than the home line—and keep feeding in phone cards endlessly, somehow managing to get through the general sale.
There were times when I lined up at the Pia stores from early in the morning. It was a real test of endurance that drained a lot of energy.
I even entered the fan club presale by calling through a push-button (tone) phone.
Naturally, since we also had to check the results by phone, it was really tough when we entered for multiple performances.
I’ve spent hours looking into the results.
Every time I heard the automated message saying, 'Unfortunately, we were unable to secure the tickets you wanted,' I couldn’t help thinking, 'Give me my phone charges back!!' (lol)
These days, as it’s become easier to get hold of things, there’s also been an increase in shady resellers.
Even if you buy a ticket at an inflated price from a scalper, the artist won’t earn a single yen from it.
It is also not uncommon to get caught up in problems such as fraud.
These days, organizers are tightening regulations, and people with resold tickets may be identified and denied entry.
And in the end, you might even end up on a blacklist.
If that happens, you’ll be forcibly removed from the fan club you went to the trouble of joining, and you’ll never be able to participate in presales again.
There are various penalties for both the seller and the buyer.
Make sure to obtain tickets only through official channels.
A concert you attend with tickets you worked hard to get on your own will always be more special than one you see with resold tickets.