Trying to get tickets to popular concerts and events through Ticketmaster can be a stressful experience. With high demand tickets selling out in seconds, many fans try to increase their chances by joining multiple virtual waiting rooms at once for the same event. But is this allowed on Ticketmaster, and does it actually improve your odds of getting tickets?
How Ticketmaster’s Virtual Waiting Room Works
For very high demand events, Ticketmaster uses a virtual waiting room system to control traffic and prevent their website from crashing due to too many people trying to purchase tickets at once. About 30 minutes before tickets go on sale, fans can join the waiting room through a link on the event page.
Once in the waiting room, fans are assigned a random place in line. This line is not necessarily first come, first served – everyone in the waiting room has an equal chance at getting a good spot when the line starts moving. This prevents people from overwhelming the site right at the waiting room opening time.
When tickets go on sale, customers are slowly let through from the waiting room to the ticket purchase page. This staggered entry is meant to ease the traffic load on the Ticketmaster servers.
Is It Possible to Join Multiple Waiting Rooms?
Since the virtual waiting room is accessed through a link on the specific event page, it is technically possible to open multiple browser tabs and join two or more waiting rooms for the same event. Some fans attempt this strategy in hopes it will increase their odds of getting a good place in line.
However, Ticketmaster actively discourages and works to prevent fans from joining multiple waiting rooms. Their terms of use prohibit this, stating that they “may limit the number of browser windows or tabs you may use or have open.”
Methods Ticketmaster Uses to Limit Multiple Waiting Rooms
Ticketmaster utilizes several methods to try to block users from joining multiple waiting rooms:
- Cookies – Joining a waiting room sets a cookie on your browser indicating you are already in line
- Queue-it system – Third party vendor Queue-it helps manage virtual queues and can detect duplicate sessions
- IP address tracking – Joining from the same IP address multiple times can get blocked
- CAPTCHA – Requires proving you are human each time you join a waiting room, hampering automation
These protections mean that most fans are now prevented from accessing more than one waiting room for the same event. Some workarounds like using multiple browsers or devices might still work occasionally, but Ticketmaster heavily discourages this.
Does Joining Multiple Waiting Rooms Help Anyway?
Even if you manage to join two waiting rooms, it likely won’t increase your chances very much, if at all. Here’s why:
1. Duplicate Place in Line
Both waiting rooms will assign you a random place in line. These spots will likely be different across the two browser sessions. When you finally make it through one waiting room to the ticket page, the other session will lose its place and be redirected to the new spot you were given.
2. Duplicate Ticket Purchases
If by chance you make it through both waiting rooms and are allowed to access the ticket purchase page on two separate browsers, you run the risk of buying tickets twice. Any duplicates would be invalid and Ticketmaster may penalize your account.
3. IP Address Blocking
As mentioned above, Ticketmaster can identify users joining multiple times from a single IP address and may invalidate the extra sessions. So you likely wouldn’t get ahead by joining twice on the same wi-fi network.
4. Added Server Load
Trying to join multiple waiting rooms only adds more strain on Ticketmaster’s systems. This extra load could actually slow down the queues and make tickets more difficult to get for everyone.
Tips for Gaining an Advantage Within the Rules
While joining multiple waiting rooms often won’t help your odds these days, there are a few tactics you can use to get ahead in line legally:
- Use different Ticketmaster accounts – Join on one browser logged into your account, and a second browser in an incognito/private session to essentially join as a guest.
- Stagger join times – Instead of joining both exactly at open, join one right away and the other a few minutes later.
- Use one mobile and one desktop – Mobile devices sometimes get preference in queues.
- Check for presales – Take advantage of fan club and payment presales before the general onsale.
While frustrating, the virtual waiting room allows Ticketmaster to handle huge demand without their website crashing. Abusing the system by duplicating your spot in line usually won’t help gain an advantage. Your best bet is to thoroughly prepare with the approved tips above.
Conclusion
Due to Ticketmaster’s security measures, it is extremely difficult and largely ineffective to try and join multiple waiting rooms for a single event. You will likely just end up with duplicate spots in line, risk buying tickets twice, or potentially get your sessions invalidated. Your best chance is to join only one waiting room per event and use preparation techniques like stagger join times, separate accounts, and take advantage of presales. While not a guarantee, this strategy plays by the rules and may increase your shot at securing those coveted tickets.
