An international student’s guide to securing Taylor Swift concert tickets

Taylor Swift has just announced a new world tour, which means one thing: a rush to find out when concert tickets will be released. As an international student, you might be excited to be in a country that gives you more opportunities to attend concerts like Swift’s. You might especially relate to this if you are an international student in the US, where the majority of high-profile concerts are usually held. 

The upcoming Taylor Swift concert will provide this in abundance. Opening acts include Paramore, Phoebe Bridgers, HAIM, beabadoobee, MUNA, and girl in red, among others. The cherry on top, however, is Swift’s dedication to performing beloved hits from her entire music career. It’s certainly an event that no Swiftie should miss out on. 

I’m enchanted to announce my next tour: Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour, a journey through the musical eras of my career (past & present!) The first leg of the tour will be in stadiums across the US, with international dates to be announced as soon as we can!https://t.co/KFuqvrhSGo pic.twitter.com/eVyTcuW8sK

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) November 1, 2022

Still, the process of purchasing concert tickets in the US may differ entirely from that of buying them in your home country. You might be confused about where to look and the normal dos and don’ts of ticket-purchasing customs. 

With that, here are some tips and tricks you should know about getting Taylor Swift concert tickets — and those sold by other upcoming artists. 

A guide to getting Taylor Swift concert tickets as an international student

Make sure to sign up to presales in advance to increase your chances of getting tickets for the 2023 Taylor Swift concert. Source: Dia Dipasupil/AFP

Set up a concert fund

Concerts are expensive — which can be difficult for students on a budget. The Taylor Swift concert was designed to be more affordable — starting at USD $49, according to USA Today — but other shows may not be the same. 

Artists have to pay for the equipment used, venues hired, efforts to train talent, showmanship, and more. Usually, this translates to expensive concert tickets. On average, it was found that pop concerts tend to cost around $100.65, while R&B shows go for $82.76. 

There are other ways of getting cheaper tickets, of course. You can try to land them last-minute, which is the most common way of purchasing them at a lower price. However, these will often be sold second-hand, which means that you’ll be at risk for getting scammed — and potentially losing more than just your hard-earned cash in the process. 

The best way to avoid this is by putting aside some money for your upcoming concerts. Find out who will be playing in your city in advance and when that will be. From then, try to set aside a small amount every month to save up for it. This way, you’ll be able to afford the cost of tickets by the time the concert comes around. 

Sign up for every presale

Want to get your hands on tickets before the rest of the crowd? A sure way of ensuring this is by registering for presale tickets. These are tickets that will be sold to an exclusive group of fans — or rather, those who register in time. They will be held for a limited amount of time before sales open up to the general public.

Not every artist allows you to register for presale tickets, so you’ll have to keep an eye out. You can do so for the upcoming Taylor Swift concert through Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan programme, in which you can sign up for a presale until 11.59PM on Nov. 9, 2022. 

Billie Eilish is another popular artist who sold out tickets to her world tour. Source: Kena Betancur / AFP

Register to retailer websites in advance

Concert tickets are usually sold on verified retail websites. This is to ensure that every concertgoer has complete transparency when buying their tickets — and through this, helps to avoid scams or inauthentic purchases. 

However, this also means that you’ll have to provide your details and (sometimes) verify your account before you are able to purchase a ticket. Many concertgoers fail to do this in advance and face the additional burden of signing up for an account when they are purchasing their tickets. This is a sure way to cause delays and website crashes, which can make you lose out on securing yourself a ticket. 

To avoid this, make sure to do your research and pick your retailer in advance. Better yet, try to sign up to all ticket retailers your artist will be using. 

Charge your devices

It’s no secret that securing concert tickets can be chaotic and stressful, and the Taylor Swift concert will be no different. No matter how prepared you are, things will go awry. You might find that your retailer’s website crashes or you’re stuck in a virtual queue — only for your phone to die once you reach the first few spots. 

In this, it’s best to use multiple devices and make sure they’re all fully charged. If you can, have a charger on standby to avoid any mishaps. Whatever you do, make sure not to refresh your page. You will surely lose your place in the virtual queue if you do so. 

Consider different options

As a fan searching for Taylor Swift concert tickets, you might be determined to secure seats that will give you a full view of the esteemed country-turned-pop singer herself. However, buying tickets can often be unpredictable — which means that more often than not, you might not get the seats you’re actually aiming for. 

In this, try to be open to other options. The best seats are not always the ones that sell out the fastest, so do your research in advance and scout out a few potential zones where you might feel comfortable. Make sure to familiarise yourself with the price ranges, as well, so that you know exactly how much you’ll be paying if you don’t manage to secure your first choice.