The on-sale day checklist: what to do before 10am

The useful work happens before the queue opens. Use this as a repeatable run sheet, not a promise that any seller can guarantee a ticket.

The day before

1. Confirm the sale, time and time zone. Start with our on-sale calendar, then verify the linked seller page because promoters can move a sale.
2. Rank dates and sections. Write down a first choice and an acceptable fallback. Decide whether restricted-view, standing or upper-tier seats are a hard no before a checkout timer is running.
3. Set a total budget. Use the amount you are prepared to pay after mandatory fees, not the headline ticket price.
4. Finish account admin. Check the email address, mobile number, password and saved payment method on the actual seller's site.

Twenty minutes before

• Use the exact event or presale link. A search result can lead to a resale page.
• Sign in and keep the screen awake. Ticketmaster currently recommends joining its waiting room up to 15 minutes early and using one account, one device and one browser.
• Turn off a VPN or aggressive privacy extension only if the seller says it is blocking access; do not make speculative changes once you are already queued.

When the queue opens

1. Do not refresh. A genuine queue moves automatically.
2. Read the product name. “VIP”, “premium”, “platinum”, hotel packages and resale tickets can look like ordinary seats at a much higher price.
3. Check the final total. Confirm quantity, date, city, section, restrictions and the all-in price before paying.
4. Save the confirmation. Keep the order number and confirmation email; a payment authorisation alone is not proof that the order completed.

If it says sold out

Do not jump straight to a stranger on social media. Check the venue and other authorised allocations, then watch for production holds, extra dates and the organiser's official fan-to-fan exchange. Availability can return when baskets expire.

Useful source: Ticketmaster UK queue guidance.