Which Event Ticket Sites Have the Best Deals?
Ticket revenues have risen significantly since the lull caused by the COVID-19 lockdowns. We may never want to take live performances for granted again, and it seems like every major artist is on tour right now to catch up, so there are plenty of opportunities for us to see our favorite performers, bands, or artists. However, with all this fun ( and, you know, inflation ), it’s worth trying to save a few bucks since festivals , shows, and games are already quite expensive. Let’s take a look at some of the leading ticketing platforms to see which one is the best.
Here’s what regular ticket buyers say
According to knowledgeable Reddi users, it’s best to go to the box office in the arena or event venue for a ticket, as the fees are usually pretty low when you buy them in person. Of course, for events with waiting lists or those you plan to go to, this is not always an option. Plus, buying tickets online—hell, from your phone—is so convenient that it could cost you a few extra bucks. Let’s just make sure you don’t spend too many extra dollars.
The most recommended ticketing apps on Reddit are definitely SeatGeek and TickPick. Vivid Seats has been mentioned multiple times while big players like Ticket Master and Stubhub are widely criticized for all the fees they charge on prices.
Ticket platform testing
Let’s do a real test of the main sites: Ticketmaster , StubHub , Vivid Seats , SeatGeek and TickPick . We’ll also look at a service called GameTime , but it’s specifically designed for last-minute pickups. For our purposes here, let’s say we want to go to the September 20th game at Yankee Stadium, during which the Bronx Bombers will face the Pittsburgh Pirates. We’ll take two tickets to section 231, row 10.
Ticketmaster: Ticketmaster does list the total price you will pay for each ticket as $73.75 each, breaking it down into $62 per ticket and $11.75 in fees. This is more than many sites, which is a plus, but these fees are high. Also, this amount should be $147.50 for two tickets, but you are asked $150.80 at checkout. There’s another board out there somewhere, but it’s not disclosed or explained. Also in favor of Ticketmaster is the fact that it displays a picture of what the field looks like from these seats.
SeatGeek: SeatGeek also displays the total price you’ll pay, including fees…but it’s $61 a piece compared to Ticketmaster’s $73.75. The fees for each ticket are $18, which is higher than Ticketmaster, but the price of each ticket without fees is $43. The nice thing is that while SeatGeek says you’ll pay $61 each, which should work out to $122, the checkout total is $120.76. There are no explanations, but don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Again, SeatGeek displays a picture of what the field looks like from the seats.
Vivid Seats: For the same tickets, Vivid Seats charges $53.66 each, of which $13.66 is fees. This is lower than SeatGeek and much lower than Ticketmaster. Once again, you get a picture of what your presentation will look like. Vivid Seats leads the way. There are no additional fees for registration.
StubHub: There are no section 231, row 10 tickets at all on StubHub. This shows that not only prices differ on these platforms, but also the selection. For comparison, let’s look at two tickets in the front row of the same section. They are listed at $50 each, which includes “estimated taxes and service fees” but not performance fees. This fulfillment fee ends up being $2.48 each, so the total you’ll pay is $105.61, but you don’t know it until you’ve gone through almost all of the checkout pages, which is a con. . StubHub also doesn’t display a photo of the expected view.
TickPick: TickPick lists tickets in our chosen section and row at $50 and stays true to its “no service charge” promise throughout. The presence of two people at the game will cost a flat fee of $100. You will also receive a very valuable photo of what the field will look like from the ground.
Now about GameTime . Tickets on this platform are more limited and the site is designed for “last minute” purchases. Section 231 only has one set of seats available, but it’s two seats together in row 7, and they cost $17 each. With fees included, they are $28 each and there is no additional processing fee, so your total is $56.
If you don’t care about a specific location, GameTime is your best bet. If being in a certain place is important to you , or you just want to have options and plan ahead, TickPick is your best bet, followed by Vivid Seats. Of course, your mileage may vary depending on the size of the place you choose and the popularity and frequency of what you’re trying to visit, but this field test aligns with what repeat buyers on Reddit say, so at least you can feel comfortable by simply excluding Ticketmaster and SeatGeek from the jump.