How to get presale tickets in Australia (and presale alerts from TIX)

What a presale is (and isn't)

A presale is a sale that opens before tickets go on sale to the general public, usually a few days earlier and often for 24 to 48 hours. It sells a limited allocation of seats chosen by the promoter.

• It isn't cheaper. Presale tickets are normally the same prices as the general sale.
• It isn't better seats. Ticketek says presales "do not guarantee better seats and are not a preferential seating service", and Frontier Touring says its member presales don't offer preferential seating.
• It isn't a guarantee. A presale code or invitation gives you a chance to buy; the allocation can sell out.

For popular concerts and musicals, a presale is still the best chance of getting tickets at face value before the show sells out.

Types of presales in Australia

Artist and fan club presales

Artists often give their mailing list or fan club the first chance to buy. Sign up on the artist's official website or the tour sign-up page, which is usually announced with the tour. Some fan clubs charge a fee, so check before you join.

Promoter presales

• My Live Nation: registration is free. When a Live Nation presale starts, log in and click Buy Tickets; no code is needed.
• Frontier Members (Frontier Touring, Chugg Entertainment and MG Live): free to join. Each member gets a unique presale code, shown in the sign-up email and on the member's details page. Member presales usually run for 24 hours.

Ticket seller presales

• Ticketek: some events have a My Ticketek presale. Enter any presale password on the event page, usually below the venue list or the Find Tickets button.
• Ticketmaster: create an account and favourite the artists, teams and venues you like; Ticketmaster emails presale access to eligible fans. Favourites set only in the app don't generate presale emails. Some artist presales need you to sign up in advance, then need no code.

Venue presales

Some venues run their own presales for their mailing lists and email a direct link. Theatre and arts companies also often give subscribers and members priority booking before tickets go on general sale.

Card and phone company presales

• American Express: presales for selected events, bought with an eligible Amex card.
• Mastercard: presales for selected tours for Mastercard cardholders (details at priceless.com/music).
• Telstra Plus: free to join for people 18 and over with an active Telstra service; members get presale access to selected concerts.
• Vodafone: presales for selected tours for Vodafone mobile customers.

Each tour lists its own presales, so check the promoter's tour page for the order and times.

How to get presale tickets

1. Sign up early. Join the artist's list, My Live Nation, Frontier Members and the venue's mailing list before a tour is announced. TIX emails presales and Lasttix deals for your state.
2. Find the presale times. Check the promoter's tour page for every presale, its start and end times (in local time) and whether it needs a code.
3. Set up the ticket seller account. Create or log in to your Ticketek or Ticketmaster account and save your payment details before the sale.
4. Join the waiting room early. Waiting rooms often open about 15 minutes before the sale. Use one device and one browser tab, and don't refresh the queue.
5. Enter the code exactly. Codes can be case-sensitive. If a code doesn't work, contact whoever issued it.
6. Stay within the ticket limit. Orders over the published limit, or several orders using the same code, can be cancelled.

Presales for musicals and theatre

Big musicals often open bookings to their own waitlist first, then to the producer's and venue's mailing lists, before the general on-sale. Subscribers to theatre companies usually get priority booking for the new season. If you missed the presale, the best value often comes later: weeknight and matinee performances, and limited-time Lasttix deals when a season needs to fill seats.

How TIX helps

• Presale label. Show pages on TIX mark presale offers with a Presale label until the presale ends, and link to the official seller.
• Alerts for your state. The TIX email covers presales and Lasttix deals for shows in your state, usually 2 to 4 emails a week.
• Deals after the presale. When a show has seats to fill, its Lasttix deals appear on tix.com.au/deals.

Related: how to find legitimate discount event tickets and why Australians miss last-minute ticket deals.