Ticket Vendor 101 - getting the right price.

Finding cheap concert tickets takes a little strategy, but with the right approach, you can save a lot. Here are the top tips to score great deals on concert tickets—especially useful for Midwest venues where options vary.

🔍 1. Buy Early—or Super Late

• Presales: Sign up for artist newsletters, venue alerts, or credit card presale access (e.g., AmEx or Citi cardholders).

• Last-minute deals: If a show isn’t sold out, resale sites (like StubHub, SeatGeek, TickPick) often slash prices close to showtime—sometimes cheaper day-of than face value.

  
  

💳 2. Use Presale Codes & Fan Clubs

• Join artist fan clubs or mailing lists for early access.

• Sites like Presale.Codes and Reddit’s r/Concerts often list working codes.

• Some credit cards unlock exclusive pricing or early entry.

  
  

🪙 3. Skip the Big Sites for Smaller Ones

• While Ticketmaster and Live Nation dominate, try these for potential deals:

  • MIDWESTIX (Iowa/Midwest-focused)

  • Eventbrite (great for indie/local shows)

  • Dice.fm (used by many up-and-coming artists)

  • Venue box offices often waive fees if you buy in person

    
    

📅 4. Be Flexible with Dates and Locations

• Artists may have cheaper shows in smaller cities (like Des Moines, Grand Rapids, or Peoria) than big ones like Chicago or Minneapolis.

• Weekday shows tend to be less expensive than weekends.

  
  

📲 5. Use Deal Sites & Discount Codes

• Check Groupon and Goldstar for local event discounts.

• Use coupon sites like RetailMeNot for ticket vendor promo codes.

• Some venues offer email subscriber discounts—sign up in advance.

  
  

💬 6. Buy Direct from Fans (Safely)

• Check Reddit, Facebook Event Pages, or local community groups where fans sell tickets at face value or below.

• Use TicketSwap or Lyte for verified fan resales.

• Always avoid buying tickets via screenshots or Venmo/CashApp with strangers—scams are common.

  
  

🎟 7. Go General Admission

• GA tickets are usually cheaper than reserved seats and give you flexibility—just show up early for a good spot.

  
  

🏷 Bonus Tips

• TickPick shows all-in pricing—no hidden fees.

• SeatGeek’s Deal Score highlights best value per section.

• Check resale prices for different seating zones—sometimes closer seats drop in price due to demand shifts.

Here’s a solid list of ticket vendors—both primary and resale—that are widely used by music venues and fans across the Midwest:

🎟 Primary Ticket Sellers

These platforms sell tickets directly for concerts, festivals, theaters, and sports:

1. Ticketmaster – The go-to source for verified tickets and presales at most major venues nationwide ticketmaster.comispytunes.com.

2. Live Nation – Operates Ticketmaster and venues like House of Blues; often controls last-mile ticket distribution livenation.comthetimes.co.uk.

3. AXS – Commonly used by arenas and mid‑size venues for ticket distribution (mentioned by concert-goers) reddit.com.

4. MIDWESTIX – A regional, full-service ticketing & event company based in Des Moines, serving venues and festivals across Iowa and the Midwest midwestix.com.

5. Eventbrite – Ideal for smaller or indie gigs and local music events; excellent for DIY promoters eventbrite.com.

   
   

🔁 Resale & Secondary Markets

These platforms let you buy/sell after-market tickets, often with flexible pricing or unique availability:

6. StubHub – A leading resale marketplace with large inventory of concert and festival tickets stubhub.comispytunes.com.

7. SeatGeek – Aggregates inventory from both primary and resale sources; features deal score and seat previews for Midwest events seatgeek.com.

8. TickPick – Fee-transparent style, often ranks low in price; recommended by fans for resale ticket hunting reddit.comtickpick.com.

9. TicketNetwork – A broad resale marketplace, powering many smaller broker sites; buyer beware on speculative listings en.wikipedia.org.

   
   

🏷 Broker & Localized Options

Often used for premium or sold‑out events:

• Chicago-area ticket brokers – Top Yelp-reviewed include AAA Tickets, Gold Coast Tickets, Tickets First Class yelp.com.

• Facebook Event Pages / TicketSwap – Casual peer-to-peer resale channels that sometimes pop up for local Midwest shows