The Complete List of Places to Buy, Sell, and Exchange Festival Tickets

We've compiled a thorough list of trustworthy places where you can buy heavily discounted festival tickets, often even for shows that have long since sold out.  All of the sources included in this list have been personally vetted from trusted sources who have successfully purchased tickets. 

Sure, the safest way to cop your festival tickets will always be directly through the event's website. But the smart, savvy, and experienced festival frequent fliers know that people almost always bail on the last second and try to get rid of their tickets on ticket reseller and exchange marketplaces. Which brings us to the first rule of finding the best possible price for festival tickets:

Festival Tickets are almost always cheapest the week before the festival!

Okay, so this one is moreso my personal experience rather than a rule... The assumption here is that tickets in the reseller and exchange marketplaces haven't completely dried up yet.

As soon as you're certain you want to buy tickets to a specific festival, ask around and check prices frequently. 

Trusted Ticket Resale Platforms

These platforms offer secure transactions and buyer protection:

• Viagogo – My personal favorite because they always seem to have the lowest prices and offer a wide selection of tickets with a 100% Money-Back Guarantee, so I don't hesitate when I see a killer price. 
• TicketSwap – A fan-friendly marketplace known for fast, safe, and fair ticket resale. 
• StubHub – A major resale platform for concerts, sports, and theater events. 
• Ticketmaster Resale – Official resale option for verified tickets.

• Lyte – Provides official fan-to-fan exchanges for sold-out events.

💬 Festival Community-Based Ticket Exchanges

Engage with fellow festival-goers for buying, selling, or trading tickets:

• Reddit: There are several solid threads on Reddit with a strong raver community where you'll be able to cop second hand tickets. These are the ones I've personally used: Reddit.r/Tickets, Reddit r/festivals, & Reddit r/aves
• Facebook Groups: While you'll find Facebook groups for individual festivals, including ticket exchange specific groups, both of these two specialize in electronic dance music event tickets in the SoCal area:  SoCal Ticket Exchange Facebook Group & SoCal EDM Ticket Exchange Facebook Group 
• Radiate App: For years, I always knew that there was something missing in the rave scene, but couldn't put my finger on it. Then the Radiate App came out, and I was like, "How did I live without this?" 

Hey us on Riadiate @FestivalDrip

You can download the Radiate App here: For Apple iTunes | For Google Play Android

⚠️ Tips to Avoid Scams

"My personal philosophy in life has always been that people are inherently trustworthy and have good intentions until I have a reason to believe otherwise. It's a very PLUR way of thinking, but also a constant source of disappointment in the real world."

- Wit

Negotiate Ticket Prices with PLUR - But Don't Be Naive!

• Trustpilot. If you're about to buy tickets from an online reseller that you've never used before, you can always check out their reviews on Trustpilot before you buy!
• Verify Sellers: Always check the credibility of the seller. Look for reviews or mutual connections.
• Use Secure Payment Methods: Opt for platforms that offer buyer protection. Avoid direct bank transfers. Paypal and credit cards are always safe because you can chargeback fraudulent purchases. 
• Read the Terms & Conditions of any ticket selling sites that give you a bad vibe. 

Is Buying Tickets IRL Still a Thing?

• Is it a scalper or serendipity?
  Remember when you used to be able to actually buy your tickets at the festival box office the day of the event? While this may still hold true for smaller events, most of the major music festivals around today have occupancy limits that restrict the total number of tickets they're allowed to sell. 

The general rule for dealing with IRL ticket scalpers standing outside the gates is this:

1. Always get a good look at the tickets they're trying to sell you before pulling out any cash. (Same rule for buying drugs at a festival)
2. If their asking price is equal or higher than the event's ticket price, there is a good chance they're trying to scam you with fake tickets.

3. If their asking price is reasonably below the event's ticket price, there is a good chance that their tickets are legit and they're just trying to get rid of the extra tickets for their friend who didn't show up. 

4. Don't be afraid of people offering you tickets when you actually need tickets! They're not evil money-grubbing monsters. They're music fans, just like you and me.

Here is a good way to tell if a scalper is trying to scam you with fake tickets: As soon as the cash trades hands, you'll see them take off running so fast that you'd think they were giving out free molly at Will Call. 

Did we miss something? 

If you have a different method for getting your tickets below the official festival prices, share it with us so we can add it to the list! Contact us with the name of your trusted ticket source.

If you're looking for tickets to a specific festival or need assistance navigating these platforms and don't know where to start - just ask the Festival Drip fam community!