10 Smartest Ways to Score Free or Insanely Cheap Festival Tickets (Without Getting Scammed)
Written by Wit
If you're trying to find deals on cheap festival tickets then you just stumbled upon the holy grail, because I, Wit, am often referred to as the Michael Jordan of getting into festivals for free.
Allow me to teach you my ways.
Festival Drip's Guide to Finding Free and Insanely Cheap Festival Tickets
Now, if you haven't noticed, festival tickets are expensive. Like, stupid expensive. Or, at least they are when you're buying your tickets from the festival's official website a few weeks before the event (like 90% of people I know).
Raving is NOT an inexpensive hobby - BUT - there are ways to rave on a budget. Remember a second ago when I said 90% of people I know buy their tickets at the last minute? That's because the other 10% gets into festivals for free on the regular. I'm a person I know, so this includes me.
For years, Festival Drip has been trying to eliminate all of the barriers and roadblocks that prevent people from attending music festivals. When we asked what was the biggest obstacle that stopped people from going to the last festival they really wanted to attend, the #1 answer was the price of tickets is too damn high. (followed closely by - "Some Ol' Bullshit")
You're not alone if you're spending more than 50% of your paycheck on festival-related paraphernalia such as travel to and from the event, camping supplies, sick rave outfits, food, party favors, and of course, the motherfuckin festival tickets.
But with a little bit of effort and frugal ingenuity, you can cut the cost of your current festival spending in half. And the best part about saving thousands of dollars each year on festival tickets is that you get to spend that money on buying even more festival tickets.
Just think about what your life would be like if you started going to twice as many festivals as you do right now. Or, you could always give your wardrobe a lift with a spicy new outfit from Festival Drip - I'm jus' sayin'.
Top 10 Smartest Ways to Score Free and Cheap Festival Tickets (Without Getting Scammed)
If you’re anything like me, your year revolves around the next music festival. But between tickets, outfits, travel, and hydration packs, those weekend raves can get expensive fast. Don’t worry—scoring cheap music festival tickets is totally possible if you know where (and when) to look.
I've compiled a list of every possible festival hack you could think of to get into your favorite music festivals at little to no cost. And for the record, these are all methods that I have personally used in the 10+ years I'm been raving.
Quick note - I recommend reading all of the methods listed here before spending any money. Often, it's not one single method that will help you find crazy cheap festival tickets, but a combination of several methods.
1. Get in Early: Pre-Sale Is Your Best Friend
The best way to grab cheap festival tickets is to jump on early bird or pre-sale deals. Most festivals release heavily discounted ticket tiers before announcing the full lineup. While you’re taking a bit of a gamble, you’ll save anywhere from 20–50% compared to last-minute prices.
Pro Tip:
Sign up for your favorite festivals’ mailing lists to get exclusive early access codes. Set calendar reminders for pre-sale drop dates so you don’t miss out.
2. Festival Facebook Groups, Reddit Threads, & Radiate App
Festival communities on Facebook and Reddit are gold mines for ticket trades, giveaways, and discounts. Groups like Festival Ticket Exchange or subreddit r/festivals often feature legit sellers unloading tickets last-minute due to cancellations.
Also, I'm in love with the Radiate App lately. Not only can you meet other ravers around the world, but you can buy tickets and... other stuff... from local festival goers in your area.
Download the Radiate App on the Apple App Store here or Google Play Store here.
And once you're on Radiate, send me a message @Wit or @FestivalDrip
Watch Out For:
Scammers. Never send money without verifying the seller. Use PayPal Goods & Services or a secure third-party platform when making transactions.
3. Set Up Google Alerts for Ticket Drops
This one’s a sleeper move. Head to Google Alerts and create alerts like:
-
“cheap EDC las vegas tickets”
-
“Lightning in a Bottle ticket resale”
-
“Electric Forest promo code”
You’ll get an email every time someone posts new info—perfect for catching last-minute deals.
4. Follow Promoters and Artists on Social Media
Festival organizers, headlining artists, and even local DJs often give away tickets or post promo codes to their followers. If you’re serious about saving cash, follow:
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The festival’s official pages
-
Artists on the lineup
-
Local venues or EDM blogs
Turn on post notifications so you never miss a giveaway or flash sale.
5. Volunteer for Free Entry
This is an awesome move that not enough people think about. Festivals are always looking for volunteers—and in return, you can get free or heavily discounted festival passes.
You’ll likely work a few hours checking wristbands or helping with crowd control, but the rest of the weekend is yours to vibe out.
Check festival websites for “Work Exchange” or “Volunteer” tabs. Spots fill up quickly, so apply early!
6. Use Discounted Ticket Resale Platforms
Skip Craigslist. Instead, get deep discounts on legit resale sites like:
Need some examples?
These platforms offer buyer protection and often display below-face-value options as the event approaches.
7. Work Inside the Festival
Another brilliant life hack. How do you fancy the idea of getting paid to attend festivals?
Jobs that will get you into festivals for free include:
- Press & Music Journalist
- Work at a vendor booth selling merch
- Photographer
- Stage hand
- Production assistant
- "Security" detail that just kind of stands around
Insomniac is a massive company that's always hiring new employees, and from what I hear, it's not a bad place to work.
The company that hires all of the Yellow Shirts you see walking around every festival in California is called CSC Staffing. They're always hiring event staff and they actually let you choose which events you want to work at!
Having a press pass at a festival is like having a golden ticket that gets you everywhere, and nothing is off limits. If you're in school, music magazines are always looking for interns to work for free in exchange for access to festivals and events. I did this for many years, so if anyone is interested in becoming a music journalist or photographer, just leave a comment below and I'd be happy to go into more detail about how it's done.
Pro-tip: Running a festival takes a ton of people to put it all together, and there are many other jobs that will get you into the festival AND pay you for work, but many of those jobs fucking suck compared to the fun and not particularly time-consuming jobs listed above, which will actually allow you some time to enjoy the festival instead of cleaning out the port-o-potties.
8. Buy Single-Day Passes Instead of Full Weekend Tickets
If the lineup is stronger on one day (hello, Saturday headliners), consider buying a single-day pass instead of the full weekend ticket. You’ll save serious cash and still get the festival experience—without the three-day hangover.
Bonus: One-day tickets are often easier to find at a discount last-minute from resellers.
9. Split Costs With Friends (Group Discounts FTW)
Some festivals offer group ticket deals—buy four tickets, get the fifth free. Even when they don’t, splitting bundle packages, Airbnb costs, and rideshares with your festie crew can drastically reduce your total spend.
Make a spreadsheet and assign costs so nobody gets stuck paying for the friend who disappears halfway through the weekend. (You know the one.)
10. Enter Every Giveaway You See
You’d be shocked how many brands, influencers, and music blogs run festival ticket giveaways leading up to big events.
Festival Drip does 4 ticket giveaways every year. Right now, we're running our biggest festival ticket giveaway ever. You can find our latest festival ticket giveaway here.
To find more free festival ticket giveaways (there are many, but naturally, Festival Drip's is the best), you just search for certain hashtags on social media, such as:
- #freefestivaltickets
- #ticketgiveaway
- #freetickets
- #EDC(or any festival name)TicketGiveaway
Just follow the entry steps (usually tag friends, share, and follow the account). Even if you don’t win, you might get hooked up with a discount code as a consolation prize.
Final Thoughts: The Festival Drip Way to Save 💸
Going to festivals shouldn't mean maxing out your credit card. With a little hustle and the right strategy, you can easily find discount music festival tickets and still have budget left for the important stuff—like an iconic outfit from Festival Drip, duh.
So whether you’re heading to EDC, Ultra, Lost Lands, or a smaller underground rave, these hacks will keep your wallet happy and your drip on point.
Now you just need to find upcoming raves and EDM events in your city. Good thing we've compiled a list of every single upcoming EDM event here.
