When buying tickets for popular concerts or events on Ticketmaster, joining the waiting room early is crucial to increase your chances of getting tickets. Ticketmaster’s waiting room system allows fans to queue up online ahead of when tickets go on sale. This prevents Ticketmaster’s website from crashing due to too much traffic all at once.
The key is to join the waiting room as early as possible. But how early can you actually join? When does the waiting room open prior to tickets going on sale? Here’s a quick rundown of what time you can typically join the Ticketmaster waiting room for different events:
For major concerts:
You can join the waiting room around 30-60 minutes prior to the scheduled on-sale time. So if tickets are supposed to start selling at 10am, expect to be able to enter the waiting room by 9am or 9:30am latest.
For high demand events like playoffs or finals games:
Join 2-3 hours early. If on-sale time is 10am, get in line by 7 or 8am. The waiting room may open even earlier than that.
For regular season sports games or smaller shows:
1 hour prior is usually enough. A 10am on-sale would mean joining at 9am.
During presales:
Anywhere from 1-3 hours ahead depending on demand. Check the presale details for specific waiting room open times.
The takeaway is the bigger the event, the earlier you’ll need to join the queue. For massive concerts or championship games, get in the waiting room at least 2-3 hours before tickets go on sale, or even earlier to be safe. Have your Ticketmaster account already signed in and ready to go.
Factors That Determine Waiting Room Open Time
Several factors go into when Ticketmaster will open up the waiting room for a particular event:
Expected demand
The higher the demand, the earlier the waiting room access time. If an event is likely to sell out quickly, Ticketmaster will give fans more lead time to queue up in the waiting room. Small club shows may only need an hour, while stadium concerts can open the waiting room 3+ hours early.
On-sale time
If tickets are going on sale earlier in the day, say 10am, the waiting room will open earlier than for a 7pm on-sale time. Afternoon on-sales generally mean joining the waiting room in the morning, while evening sales allow joining in the afternoon.
Presales
During presales, the waiting room opens 1-3 hours prior depending on demand. The more exclusive the presale, like for fan club members or credit card holders, the shorter the waiting room time since less people can access. Public presales require longer wait times.
Venue size
Larger venue = longer wait room time. If it’s an arena show, the waiting room will open earlier than for a small theater. Venue capacity greatly impacts demand.
Artist popularity
The more popular the artist, the longer fans will wait. Adele or Taylor Swift can open the waiting room 6+ hours early, while smaller acts may only need an hour.
Promoter decisions
The event promoter or artist management can request when Ticketmaster opens the waiting room, especially for major tours. Top artists want ample queue time for fans.
Tips for Joining Waiting Room Early
Here are some tips for making sure you join the Ticketmaster waiting room as early as possible:
Check fan forums
Fan forums and concert sites like Reddit often share details on when the waiting room opens. Other fans will post updates.
Follow fan accounts
Twitter accounts dedicated to certain artists will give real-time waiting room info on when queues open. Turn on notifications so you’re alerted immediately.
Sign up for Ticketmaster updates
Register your email on Ticketmaster to get alerts about when waiting rooms open for anticipated shows or games.
Use the app
The Ticketmaster app may give access to the waiting room a few minutes earlier than the website. Have the app ready to go.
Pay attention to Ticketmaster social media
Their Twitter and Facebook accounts will share waiting room open times and presale codes. Enable notifications.
Look for announcements from the event promoter
Concert promoters like Live Nation will announce waiting room start times across their social channels.
Test waiting room early
Try joining the waiting room 30-60 minutes before the stated open time to see if you get access early.
Waiting Room Opening Times for Major Events
Here are some examples of how early Ticketmaster opened the waiting room for major concert tours and sporting events:
Event | Waiting Room Open Time | On-Sale Time |
---|---|---|
Adele 2022 Tour | 8am | 10am |
Harry Styles 2022 Tour | 7am | 9am |
Super Bowl 2022 | 7am | 10am |
NBA Finals Game 1 | 8am | 10am |
BTS 2022 Stadium Tour | 7am | 10am |
The Weeknd 2022 Tour | 6am | 10am |
Taylor Swift 2023 Tour | 8am | 10am |
As you can see, most major tours open the waiting room between 6-8am for a typical 10am on-sale. The biggest bands like BTS and Taylor Swift had 7-8 hour early waiting room access. Sporting events like the Super Bowl and NBA Finals also allowed a 3 hour run-up.
The waiting room for these high-demand events was open extremely early compared to smaller shows. Bigger acts = earlier waiting room times.
How the Waiting Room Works
Here’s a quick rundown of how the Ticketmaster waiting room operates when you try to buy highly coveted tickets:
Join waiting room during open period
Get into the waiting room anytime after it opens, usually 1-6 hours before on-sale. You want to join as early as possible.
Wait in virtual “line”
You’ll see your estimated wait time and “line” position while in the waiting room queue. Your spot is random.
Wait for access to tickets
Once tickets go on sale, fans are slowly let through the waiting room to access seat selection. This staggers traffic.
Choose tickets
Select your tickets from available inventory before time expires. Have backup sections in case your first choice sells out.
Complete purchase
Finish payment and delivery selection as quick as possible. Tickets are reserved for only 10-15 minutes usually.
Then hope you get confirmed tickets! It takes luck, but joining the waiting room early is key.
Waiting Room Tips & Strategies
Mastering the Ticketmaster waiting room takes skill. Use these pro tips:
Use multiple devices
Join on 2 phones, laptop, desktop, etc. Whichever device gets through first, use it to buy tickets.
Ensure fast internet
Lagging WiFi or data speeds kill. Connect to reliable high-speed internet.
Have accounts ready
Make sure your Ticketmaster account is set up beforehand. Also Facebook or Google sign-in.
Try both app & website
App sometimes works better than desktop site. Have both open.
Don’t refresh too much
Refreshes will make you lose your spot. Be patient once in line.
Clear cookies/cache
Start fresh by clearing your browser history and website data/cookies.
Watch the countdown
When waiting room opens, join as soon as the countdown hits zero. Don’t hesitate!
Enter presale codes fast
Have presale passwords or codes copied to paste in quickly.
Pay with saved payment method
Add credit card/PayPal to your account first. Don’t waste time entering new payment.
Choose e-tickets
Electronic tickets get you confirmed faster than mail delivery.
Practice these techniques to become a waiting room master!
Presales Waiting Room Time
Getting waiting room access during presales requires fast action too. Presales give members first crack at tickets 1-3 days before the general on-sale. Here are typical waiting room open times for presales:
Artist fan club presales
1 hour prior – If a presale is at 10am, waiting room opens at 9am. Smaller window since less people qualify for access.
Venue/promoter presales
1-2 hours – For venue newsletters or promoter like Live Nation presales. 9-10am for a 10am start.
Credit card presales
2 hours – Citibank or American Express may open rooms at 8am for a 10am presale.
Radio presales
1 hour – Join at 9am for 10am on-sale. These fill fast since radio has big audiences.
VIP package presales
30 minutes – Small window as fewer fans buy the expensive packages.
Spotify presales
2 hours – Open at 8am for popular Spotify presales. Big audience on Spotify.
General presales
3 hours – Largest pools can open as early as 7am prior to 10am sales.
Timing is critical to gain the presale upper hand before the broad public on-sale.
Insider Tricks for Getting Waiting Room Access
Beyond just joining early, try these sneaky tricks to improve waiting room access:
Use a little-known Ticketmaster link
This secret link sometimes grants waiting room access: http://www.ticketmaster.com/waitingroom
Join via Ticketmaster’s event page
The waiting room can open a few minutes early on the specific event ticket page versus the homepage.
Check fan forum tricks
Concert forums share hacks like using Firefox browsers or incognito windows to possibly skip the line.
Follow presale password accounts
Accounts like Presale Password Info leak the codes early. Sign up and enter quickly.
Try clicking back/forward after entering
Clicking back or forward buttons sometimes kicks you through fast.
Have 5+ devices ready
Greater chance one squeaks through if you have multiple laptops, phones, and computers queued.
Pray to the ticket gods!
Luck plays a role too…May the ticket odds be ever in your favor!
Waiting Room Alternatives
Third-party tools claim to help skip Ticketmaster’s waiting room completely when buying hot tickets. But are they legit?
Ticket buying bots or “ticket brokers”
Illegal ticket scalping bots sneak in and buy up tickets, but get caught often now by Ticketmaster’s security. Avoid them.
Ticket membership clubs like Ticket Club
Legit, but pricy. Pay a yearly fee for access to tickets before public on-sales.
Concert ticket share groups
Groups for sharing extra tickets with fans. Can find last minute tickets, but carries risk.
Ticket resellers like StubHub
Reputable, but you’ll pay high markups. Prices can exceed 10X face value.
Fan ticket exchanges
Some teams/venues run exchanges for season ticket holders to sell extra games/shows.
While other options exist, the waiting room remains the best way to get face value tickets during on-sales if you join early enough.
Recent Case Studies
Let’s examine some real world examples of waiting rooms for megastars within the past year:
Taylor Swift Eras Tour Waiting Room
Taylor Swift’s new tour going on sale caused Ticketmaster’s site to crash from massive demand. Some fans reported joining the waiting room at 8am EST, a full 6 hours before tickets went on sale! Swift is the definition of high demand.
Even patrons who waited hours ran into errors grabbing tickets as 14 million people hammered the system. This shows that sometimes even waiting rooms don’t run smoothly for the hottest tours.
Bad Bunny Waiting Room Waits
Demand for the biggest Latin pop artist Bad Bunny has skyrocketed globally. His recent tour put waiting room waits at 5 hours or longer according to fans on social media.
Again, Bunny is a prime example of an artist with ravenous demand that mandates getting in line 4-6+ hours pre-sale. International superstars like Bad Bunny require special waiting room diligence.
Bruce Springsteen Queue Chaos
Even seasoned veteran artists like Bruce Springsteen can stir up waiting room madness. The Boss’ 2023 tour on-sale dates caused fans to sit in 2 hour long queues just to access tickets. And this was for a relatively smaller theater tour versus massive stadiums.
It proves that legacy artists with loyal older fans warrant big waiting room efforts too in order to secure the best seats. Older crowds may be less tech savvy, increasing demand.
BTS Army Waiting Room Camping
Global K-pop phenomenon BTS has some of the most passionate fans in music, affectionately called ARMY. For the band’s latest Las Vegas residency dates, believers camped out in the waiting room a full 18 hours before tickets went on sale – a new record!
This demonstrates how for the most in-demand artists, some fans will go to extremes, waiting overnight online just for a chance at tickets using any means necessary.
Waiting Room Timelines
To visualize typical Ticketmaster waiting room timelines, here are two examples:
Major Tour or Sporting Event
6 hours before sale | Earliest waiting room access opens |
3 hours before | Most fans join waiting room |
1 hour before | Last call to join queue |
15 min before | All fans loaded into waiting room |
On-sale time | Tickets go on sale, fans granted access slowly |
Regular Concert or Smaller Event
1 hour before sale | Waiting room opens |
30 min before | Fans begin joining waiting room |
15 min before | Last call to join waiting room |
On-sale time | Tickets go on sale, fans get access |
Conclusion
Ticketmaster’s waiting room can be frustrating, but joining it early is your best shot at securing in-demand tickets. Opening times vary, but the standard is 1-6 hours pre-sale for big events and 30-60 minutes for smaller shows. Have accounts ready, use the app, join on multiple devices, and pray for ticket fortune! What strategies have worked for you? Let us know in the comments.