The Eras Tour. The very mention of this monumental moment in the zeitgeist is enough to send shivers of anticipation through the spine of every Swifitie in the land. Even the merely Swift adjacent are beginning to find themselves embroiled in an eras frenzy. Despite Taylor now scheduled to perform 13 U.K dates, competition for tickets is intense, with an estimated 3.5 million people registered for the verified fan presale. Ticketmaster has warned that over 70 percent of those registered will be left heartbroken and ticketless.
This leads us to Friday 14th of July – judgement day. Those who didn’t have access to the fabled Midnights Presale waited anxiously to receive news of their status, hoping that they would not be placed on the dreaded waitlist.
But, if you’re one of the chosen few who has been selected for the I registered fan on-sale, follow the tips below to make sure that you’re guaranteed success:
- Have a clear plan of attack
This is no time to be casual. Each show has a designated on sale time, with multiple sales taking place each day. Know what dates you want and get your sales times in your diary ASAP. You’ll want to aim to enter the online waiting rooms thirty minutes before the tickets go on sale, so it’s best to get alarms set. Familiarise yourself with what to expect by watching TikToks from those who have braved the battlefield before you. Rachel Lord’s are particularly good!
2. Save your card details ahead of time
If your code is for Ticketmaster, ensure you have your card details saved ahead of time. This will save valuable time at checkout and decrease your stress levels massively. With AXS, unfortunately, you cannot save your card details ahead of time, so make sure that you have your card to hand at the time of the sale. However, you can save your card details to your browser as a way around this!
3. Only use one browser
Ticketmaster and AXS are on a crusade against bots (quite rightly!) and if you are using multiple devices or are queuing on more than one browser, you may be mistaken for a pesky bot-like fiend. In a worst case scenario, this will result with you being kicked out of the queue and having to start again (a risk you can’t be willing to take!). Since you can only use one browser, it’s worth considering your options: Chrome is widely regarded as the fastest browser available. However, if using an Apple device, Safari can be viewed as a great option due to having greater stability. I had planned to use Chrome but I had problems entering the waiting room on AXS, I then switched to Safari and was able to enter immediately.
4. Be flexible
If you have your heart set on one particular date, you’re more likely to be disappointed. You will increase your chances by being flexible about your show date and location, keep trying different sales until you are successful! London is by far the most popular location, with many international fans aiming to see Taylor perform at Wembley. Your odds are slightly improved if you are aiming for the other cities on the U.K leg.
5. Have your code ready
Copy and paste your entry code ahead of the sale time. It’s also helpful to write your code down on paper, as well as any other important details that you will need. Trust me, once you get in, you will forget how to spell your own name!
6. Co-ordinate with friends
Work together as as team to secure your best chance of tickets. If you have more than one code, you should arrange to both be in the queue at the same time – either for the same show or different shows depending on your action plan. If you are working together to secure your tickets, make sure you have a reliable line of communication that is separate to your ticket buying device.
7. DO NOT REFRESH
Repeat after me: I will leave the refresh button alone. It’s tempting to take fate in to you own hands but trust me, it will end in tears. The best course of action is not to refresh at any point but especially not in the queue. Ignore this at your own peril.
8. Avoid Wifi
This is a controversial one but I swear that it is what gave me the edge in the Midnights presale. Wifi can be slow and unreliable and if you are on a shared network, Ticketmaster or AXS may suspect that you are a Bot, which could result in you receiving an error message or getting kicked out of the queue. If possible, use your phone as a 5G hotspot and connect to your iPad or laptop. This will often give you the fastest results!
9. Embrace your Swiftie superstitions
If there was ever a time to paint the number 13 on to your hand, it’s now. Eras tour day is not fun, but you can settle your nerves by employing Taylor themed distraction techniques. Waiting in the queue while blasting Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) definitely helped to keep my nerves from spiralling out of control!
10. Be patient
Good things come to those who wait. Be prepared to hunker down at your device, with everything that you need to be there for the long haul. In the Australian general sale, some fans reported waiting for up to six hours before they secured their tickets, so don’t give up! Whatever you do – do not step away from the laptop.
Wishing you all the best of luck Switfies. If anyone can do it, you can x
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