Concert Tickets

There are two golden rules that you must follow in order to keep the cost of your tickets down:

Using a credit card, usually the safest method for payments, at the venue will incur a charge. In most cases ticket websites won’t reveal their extra charges until the final stage of the sale. By this point consumers don’t want to give up their ticket, and will simply give in to paying the extra fee.

If you can visit the actual concert venue to pick up the tickets. You won’t have to pay a booking or postage fee. If you are able to, try and pay in cash ensuring you are paying for the ticket and nothing else. In some cases you may even be able to get a student discount – something you won’t get from ordering online.

Tickets for gigs often go on sale on the bands website before they are released across the whole market. Make sure you check their websites regularly - you may even be entitled to a discount for being a member of the fanclub or website forums.

Make sure that you compare the price of your tickets across a range of different  websites. The main ticket websites are:

• ticketmaster.co.uk
• seetickets.com
• ticketweb.co.uk
• stargreen.com

Check the terms and conditions of the individual website before you buy - most websites wont give a refund under any circumstances. Be sure to use these sites as a starting point for comparisons as the price of postage and packaging will vary. Ticketweb.co.uk is the only site which allows tickets for different events to be sent at once – reducing the cost and making the already fee easier to accept.

Once big events have sold out, tickets will appear on eBay very quickly at hugely inflated prices. There is a more ethical ticket website which re-sells tickets at their face value price - scarletmist.com. However, remain cautious when buying from reseller sites, be 100% sure that the tickets are real – ask to see a ticket stub or other evidence to prove authenticity before purchasing.

Make sure you know your rights. If a gig is cancelled, rescheduled or the venue is changed you are legally entitled to your money back including the cost of any charges - regardless of the sellers willingness to refund. Similarly if the tickets don’t arrive in time for the gig you are entitled to a full refund.

Keep an eye on ticket-text.com as it develops. The site aims to allow users to enter gigs and events by simply flashing a barcode which they have received by text. Although not fully national it has the potential to be huge and completely change the way gigs are ticketed. 

If you can’t get tickets for your gig hang about outside the venue instead of going on eBay. You are more likely to get returns or non-pickups if the weather is miserable or there is a big sporting event the next day, allowing you to take advantage and purchase the tickets at a reduced rate, as sellers are desperate to flog their tickets.

Cinema Tickets

The way to get cheap cinema tickets is by making use of Orange Wednesday.  This allows customers on the orange mobile network to claim 2for1 cinema tickets simply by texting “FILM” to 241 or calling 241 to be sent the text. Even if you aren’t on the Orange network it is possible to take advantage by getting hold of a free SIM card, and only using it to claim cinema tickets.

If you don’t want to have two SIM cards, Cineworld cinema offers a yearlong cinema pass for £11.99 a month allowing you to visit any Cineworld cinema in the country as often as you like. The card even works in conjunction with Orange Wednesday so you can take someone else for free as long as you get the text code.

Most cinemas will give student discounts and very often they hold special events where they will show two or more films for a fixed price. Lastminute.com sells half price cinema tickets for shows on the same day – although this is only currently available in London.

Theatre Tickets

Follow these tips to get the best price for your tickets:

1. Lastminute.com has an online theatre section enabling users to get tickets for up to half price and in some cases for under £10. Although the site does occasionally have tickets for national events, the majority of the seats available are for London.
2. Theatremonkey.com is a review website which sells tickets for London’s West End shows working on a completely independence basis. It often has half price deals as well as reviews of smaller fringe shows. It provides information on how to avoid booking fees, based on your show selection, by providing the names of the cheapest ticket sellers.
3. Weekend editions of newspapers often have special offers for theatre breaks in London. When phoning up to book, don’t mention which paper you have seen the information in. Instead let the booking agent work on their own assumption, often giving you the best and lowest priced deal.
4. Matinee shows are often lower priced than night time shows. If you go for the cheapest seats, the theatre may move you to ensure the seats nearest the stage are full, making the theatre look busier and allowing you to get better seats for a reduced cost.
5. Make sure you use your student discount card at all time – you can get up to 70% in some smaller theatres. The website hitthetheater.co.uk is scheme designed to get young people to visit the theatre with tickets available for a third of the price if you sign up to the website.
6. If you are in London and want to see a show on the same day, go to the Half Price Official Ticket Booth in Leicester Square to get on-the-day tickets for West End Shows.