When is the best time to buy concert tickets?

The honest answer: it depends on demand — but demand follows readable patterns. Here's the typical price journey of a resale ticket, and how to act on it.

The typical price curve

• On-sale week: prices spike. Excitement is highest, supply on resale is thinnest, and casual buyers panic-purchase. Usually the most expensive time to buy a non-sellout show.
• The quiet middle: weeks to months out, attention fades and listings accumulate. Prices drift down. For average shows this stretch is your friend.
• The final week: sellers holding unsold inventory get nervous — their tickets are worth zero at showtime. For under-sold shows, this is where genuine below-face bargains appear. For hot shows, the opposite happens: scarcity bites and prices climb.

So: buy now or wait?

Ask two questions:

• Will this show actually sell out? Arena-filling superstars, farewell tours, small rooms for big-name artists: yes — buy early, waiting punishes you. Mid-size acts playing large venues on long tours: usually not — patience pays.
• How much do you care about specific seats? Waiting trades price for choice. If you need that exact aisle, buy earlier and pay the certainty premium.

Signals worth checking

• How many listings exist for the show — abundant supply means sellers will compete on price.
• Whether the artist added a second night in the same city (a strong signal the first isn't scarce).
• Weekday vs weekend — mid-week shows are structurally cheaper regardless of timing.

The practical playbook

For most shows: check prices when the tour is announced, note the number, and revisit two to three weeks before the date — buy when the price beats your benchmark. For genuine hot tickets: buy the moment you can afford to, because it rarely gets better. Find your show on our popular shows page or search all events — every purchase funds shelter supplies at no extra cost.