Tickets for some events are available to book before they're released to the general public. You usually need a password or a secure link which is sent out by the venue, artist, team, promoter or event sponsors. These passwords are usually sent to exclusive members of fan clubs or customers of a particular company like O2 or American Express –it varies depending on the event.
Presales are usually sold from a separate allocation of seats, which may not be the same as the tickets being released to the general public. This gives you the chance to book before the general release, which often means there are fewer people competing for the pool of tickets available. But this doesn't necessarily guarantee you to get better seats. When an event's really popular, how close you are to the stage sometimes comes down to the luck of the draw and sometimes you might find that you get tickets closer to the stage during the general sale.
It's important to remember that we can't offer an exchange if you book during the presale and then find tickets that you'd prefer during the general sale, so please make sure you're happy with the seats before going ahead and booking them.
Please note that if you are unable to book in a presale that tickets are always limited availability and having access to the presale never guarantees tickets. Our best advice would be to try and book during the general sale. Please read our helpful booking tips by clicking here.
What are the different types of presales?
Verified Fan - Each event that is using Verified Fan has its own custom registration page, accessible via a link included in the announcement from the artist, team, or show. We also share it on Twitter. Tip: Follow us on Twitter.
O2 Presale - This is an exclusive presale for O2 Priority customers only.
American Express Presale - This is an exclusive presale for American Express customers only. You can only purchase these tickets if you are an American Express cardholder.
SSE Rewards Presale - This is an exclusive presale for SSE customers only.
Venue Presale - This is a presale directly from the venues. They will send you a direct link to the presale via email. For more info about venue presales, sign up to the venues mailing list.
Label Presale - This is usually a presale that can be accessed by pre-ordering merchandise from the bands/record labels online stores. Bands will sometimes advertise presale access if you pre-order their latest album for example. If there is a presale code involved, this will normally be sent directly from the bands label. If you have any issues with these codes, there will usually be contact info for the label in the original email sent out.
Live Nation Presale - For events where Live Nation are the organisers, an exclusive presale is available for customers who are registered members on their site. To gain access to the presale, you need to register on Live Nation and then log in at the time of the presale. Links will also be emailed out directly from Live Nation themselves.
Metropolis Presale - For events where Metropolis are the organisers, an exclusive presale is available for customers who are registered members on their site. To gain access to the presale, you need to register with them and then log in at the time of the presale. Links will also be emailed out directly from Metropolis themselves.
Cuffe and Taylor Presale - For events where Cuffe and Taylor are the organisers, an exclusive presale is available for customers who are registered members on their site. To gain access to the presale, you need to register on Cuffe and Taylor and then log in at the time of the presale. Links will also be emailed out directly from Cuffe and Taylor themselves.
Gigs in Scotland Presale - For more information about Gigs in Scotland presales, you'll need to register with them here.
Ticketmaster Presale - Ticketmaster presales are usually closed presales, so this isn’t usually something you can sign up to in advance. Typically, if you’re eligible for the presale, you’ll receive an email with a link that you can use for access. The criteria aren’t always the same, so we can’t confirm in advance whether you’ll be eligible –just look out for an email from us.
Don’t worry if you don’t receive presale access, as you can still access the general sale!
For more information about Presales, click here.