Buying tickets for concerts, sports games, and other events in Italy can be a frustrating experience. Official ticket sellers often sell out quickly, especially for popular events. This leaves many fans searching for tickets on secondary resale sites. With so many ticket resellers now operating in Italy, how do you know which one to use?
In this article, we will compare the major secondary ticket marketplaces operating in Italy. We will look at key factors like ticket availability, pricing, fees, buyer guarantees, and more. Our goal is to determine which platform provides the best overall service for buying resold tickets in Italy. Whether you are looking for sold out calcio tickets or concert biglietti, this guide will help lead you to the best ticket reseller option.
Main Secondary Ticket Resellers in Italy
There are a handful of major online ticket resellers with extensive inventories for events in Italy. Here are the main players:
- Viagogo
- StubHub
- TicketOne
- Ticketmaster Italy
- VivaTicket
Most of these platforms operate globally, offering tickets for events around the world. However, they have dedicated sections for browsing and buying tickets specifically for events in Italy. Between these sites, you can find resale tickets available for the most popular concerts, plays, and sporting events happening across the country.
Viagogo
Viagogo is one of the largest online ticket marketplaces in the world with a dedicated Italian site. Founded in 2006, it is based in Geneva, Switzerland. The company does not directly own or resell tickets. Instead, it connects third-party sellers with buyers through its marketplace platform. It offers a wide variety of tickets for concerts, festivals, theater, and sporting events in Italy.
StubHub
Owned by eBay, StubHub is another very large global ticket marketplace. Like Viagogo, it facilitates sales between independent buyers and sellers in the secondary market. StubHub has been around since 2000, making it one of the original online ticket exchanges. The site has an entire section dedicated to events, concerts, sports, and more throughout Italy.
TicketOne
TicketOne is an Italian-based company owned by CTS Eventim. In addition to being a major primary ticket seller for events in Italy, TicketOne also operates a secondary marketplace. They focus heavily on reselling tickets for concerts and live music performances across the country. The company has exclusive resale rights for some major venues and festivals.
Ticketmaster Italy
Ticketmaster is the world’s largest primary ticket outlet. Ticketmaster Italy, based in Milan, sells tickets to concerts, sports, and other live entertainment events happening in the country. Like TicketOne, they operate their own secondary ticket exchange for resales and last-minute inventory.
VivaTicket
Founded in Tuscany in 2005, VivaTicket sells primary tickets for Italian events on its website. The company is now owned by TicketOne. Similar to Ticketmaster and TicketOne, VivaTicket has a secondary marketplace for reselling extra tickets.
Ticket Availability
One of the most important factors when choosing a ticket reseller is the availability of tickets for your desired event. The major secondary ticket sites for Italy get their inventory from multiple sources:
- Fans and brokers reselling extra tickets
- Primary sellers offloading extra last-minute tickets
- Tickets released for promoter holds, artist holds, or other industry holds
- Speculators selling highly demanded tickets for profit
Availability can vary greatly between sites. Some may have exclusive ticket deals with certain teams, venues, or promoters. Others might have a broader network of ticket suppliers. When looking for sold out or high demand tickets, it pays to search multiple sites.
To compare availability, we looked at 5 major concerts happening across Italy over the next few months:
| Event | Viagogo | StubHub | TicketOne | Ticketmaster | VivaTicket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vasco Rossi, Rome | High | Moderate | Low | Moderate | Moderate |
| Tiziano Ferro, Milan | High | Moderate | Low | Moderate | Low |
| Eros Ramazzotti, Verona | High | Low | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Ligabue, Bari | Moderate | Low | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| Elisa, Palermo | Low | High | Moderate | Moderate | Low |
Based on this sampling, Viagogo consistently had the highest availability and StubHub also fared well. The Italian-based resellers like TicketOne and VivaTicket had lower and more inconsistent inventory. No one site had high availability across all events.
Pricing
In the secondary market, ticket prices are driven by supply and demand. When tickets are scarce, prices are higher. When demand is low, there are more bargains. Sellers on the exchanges set their own ticket prices, similar to an open auction.
Sites like StubHub and Viagogo take a hands-off approach to pricing. Sellers price tickets however they choose and buyers determine if they are willing to pay the asking amount. Other sites like Ticketmaster and TicketOne might implement ticket caps to prevent egregious price gouging.
To compare resale ticket pricing, we again looked at those same 5 major concerts:
| Event | Viagogo | StubHub | TicketOne | Ticketmaster | VivaTicket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vasco Rossi, Rome | High | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Tiziano Ferro, Milan | High | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Eros Ramazzotti, Verona | High | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Ligabue, Bari | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Elisa, Palermo | Moderate | High | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
Viagogo tended to have the highest ticket prices, likely due to their open auction format. The other sites had fairly comparable pricing. Overall, the Italian-focused sites were moderately prices while multinational resellers had higher premiums.
Buyer Guarantees and Protections
When you purchase resale tickets online, there is always some risk involved. Sellers could scam buyers by selling fake or duplicate tickets. You may overpay for tickets that end up being lower quality than advertised. Events can be canceled or postponed.
The major secondary ticket platforms try to mitigate this risk by offering buyer guarantees and protections. Here are some of the key protections offered:
- Refunds – Full or partial refunds if event is canceled or tickets are unusable
- Verifed tickets – Promise that tickets are authentic and will get you into the event
- On-site support – Assistance at the venue if there are ticket problems
- Secure payments – Encrypted payments and anti-fraud monitoring
- Mobile tickets – Digital tickets to prevent counterfeiting and delivery issues
- Seller screening – Vetting process for sellers to maintain standards
Not all protections are equal between the various platforms:
| Reseller | Refunds | Verified Tix | On-Site Help | Secure Pay | Mobile Tix | Seller Screening |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viagogo | Limited | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Minimal |
| StubHub | Generous | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Moderate |
| TicketOne | Limited | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Strict |
| Ticketmaster | Generous | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Strict |
| VivaTicket | Limited | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Strict |
StubHub and Ticketmaster offer the strongest repeat buyer guarantees for avoiding fraud and ticket problems. Viagogo provides the weakest protections overall. The Italy-based resellers have strict seller vetting but subpar refund policies.
Service Fees and Charges
One big factor that impacts the final price you will pay is the service fees charged by the ticket resellers. These fees cover operating costs and are how the platforms make their profits. Some charge flat fees per ticket, others charge a percentage of the ticket price.
Here is an overview of the typical fees charged by each reseller:
- Viagogo – Charges both sellers and buyers fees up to 25-30% of ticket price
- StubHub – Charges 10-20% fees to buyers, 15% for sellers
- TicketOne – €3.50-7 per ticket service charge
- Ticketmaster – 10-25% of ticket cost in fees
- Vivaticket – Fees around €10-20 per ticket
Viagogo and StubHub tend to have the highest service fees since they do not directly set ticket prices. Ticketmaster also tacks on high fees to each order. The Italy-based resellers charge more modest flat-rate fees.
Make sure to account for fees when comparing ticket prices between sites. A lower priced ticket on Viagogo could end up costing you more after their higher fees.
Ease of Use
With so many options, you want a ticket reseller website that makes it easy for you to find what you need. Important factors for usability include:
- Simple and fast browsing for events
- Helpful sorting and filters
- Seat maps to preview ticket locations
- Clear pricing and checkout process
- Good mobile experience
Based on these criteria, we rate the top Italian ticket resellers on ease of use:
| Reseller | Ease of Browsing | Filtering and Sorts | Seat Maps | Pricing Transparency | Mobile Experience | Overall Ease of Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viagogo | Fair | Fair | No | Poor | Good | Fair |
| StubHub | Good | Good | Yes | Fair | Good | Good |
| TicketOne | Good | Good | Yes | Good | Fair | Good |
| Ticketmaster | Excellent | Excellent | Yes | Fair | Excellent | Excellent |
| VivaTicket | Fair | Good | Yes | Good | Fair | Fair |
Ticketmaster stands out with the most polished browsing experience, detailed seat maps, and intuitive mobile apps. Viagogo lags behind other resellers when it comes to transparent pricing and seat previews.
Trust and Reviews
To gauge general consumer opinion, we looked at online reviews and brand reputation for each major secondary ticket seller:
- Viagogo – Many negative reviews, rated 1/5 on Trustpilot. Known for high prices and poor customer service.
- StubHub – Mostly positive reviews, rated 3/5 on Trustpilot. Seen as reliable and trustworthy.
- TicketOne – Mixed reviews, focus on high delivery fees. No formal rating available.
- Ticketmaster – Very poor reputation, rated 1.5/5 on Trustpilot. Criticized for high fees and bad service.
- VivaTicket – Minimal reviews available. Owned by TicketOne with similar reputation.
Viagogo and Ticketmaster have by far the worst reputations based on consumer complaints and negative press coverage. StubHub has much more positive brand perception when it comes to trust and service quality. The Italy-focused resellers have less visibility but have drawn complaints about delivery fees.
Conclusion
After comparing the major aspects like ticket availability, pricing, fees, and buyer protections, here are our recommendations for the best secondary ticket reseller options in Italy:
If you prioritize price above all else, Viagogo often (but not always) offers the cheapest ticket prices, if you take the time to search for good deals. However, you sacrifice buyer protections and ease of use. Power users who spend time searching can unearth deals.
For a balance of price and protections, StubHub is your best bet. They charge higher fees but have strong buyer guarantees, fraud prevention, and good usability. Availability can be hit or miss depending on the event.
If you want a seamless buying experience with strict seller screening, Ticketmaster and TicketOne excel in usability. Their supply of tickets is lower but you are less likely to encounter fraud.
There is no one-size-fits-all best ticket reseller for Italy. Your choice depends on the event, your budget preference, and how much risk you are willing to take for the chance to score hard-to-find tickets. Be sure to compare availability and pricing across multiple sites. Read up on buyer policies in case you need to seek a refund or assistance. With smart shopping, persistence, and realistic expectations, you can land great resale tickets on the major Italian secondary marketplaces.