A presale is a special chance for eligible fans to access, explore, and purchase tickets for an event before tickets become available to the public.
Presales are common for concerts, sporting events, theater performances, festivals, and many other live events.
Why do presales exist?
Presales allow event organizers to offer early ticket access to groups that may have a special connection to the event.
Depending on the event, presale access may be offered to:
- Fan club members
- Season ticket holders
- Venue members
- Credit card holders
- Corporate partners
- Email subscribers
- Team or artist supporters
How does a presale work?
During a presale window, eligible fans can purchase tickets before the public sale begins.
Note:
Presale windows vary by event and could last anywhere from a few hours to weeks. If you are eligible for a presale, you will typically receive instructions from the organization, membership program, credit card provider, fan club, or other group offering access.
Many presales require an access code or other form of verification. Because presale requirements and timelines can vary, be sure to carefully review any instructions you receive before the presale begins, as some steps may need to be completed in advance.
Some presales require:
- An Access Code
- A specific account or membership
- A qualifying payment method
- An invitation from the event organizer
Note:
Once a presale window ends, remaining or additional inventory may become available during the public onsale. It's also common to see additional dates and even additional presales added for touring artists.
Participating in a presale does not guarantee access to tickets. Availability may still be limited, and demand can exceed the number of tickets available.
Are presale tickets different from regular tickets?
Usually not. In most cases, presale tickets provide the same event access as tickets sold during the public sale.
The main difference is when the tickets become available for purchase, not which tickets are available or what the tickets provide.
Some events may offer special ticket packages, experiences, or seating options during specific presales, but this varies by event.
Can tickets appear on SeatGeek before the public sale?
Sometimes, yes, as long as they are already owned by the seller. Ticket sellers may obtain inventory through presales, season ticket memberships, venue relationships, promotional allocations, or other legitimate channels before the public sale begins.
Because of this, tickets may sometimes be available on SeatGeek before the general public has access to purchase tickets directly from the event organizer.
Availability before a public sale does not necessarily mean tickets were listed improperly or before they existed. For all of SeatGeek's Seller Terms, read here.
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