Scoring Tickets to Sold Out Music Festivals

by Kelly DayApr 26, 2016Adulting 101, Tips and Tricks

So, you kept eyeing up that one music festival. The lineup looked great, the location looked amazing and you heard it was super awesome in the past. But you kept putting off buying the music festival tickets because you just didn’t have the funds.

Now it’s sold out, and you really want to go! How are you supposed to score tickets to a sold out music festival now?

Well, slacker, lucky for you there are a few options to get you tickets to that sold out music festival after all.

FACEBOOK: Seems obvious, right? That’s because it is. Perhaps the easiest way to score tickets to a sold out music festival is just by heading on over to Facebook and letting others know! Post on your wall, post on the music festival page or post on the event itself. Did you know? Most music festivals have created a Facebook Event where you can post comments. Often, people will post that they are looking for tickets or that they have tickets they need to sell. To find a Facebook Event, you can either search for the actual event in the Facebook search bar OR visit the music festival’s Facebook Page and click on their EVENTS tab.

VOLUNTEER: If you are going to go, why not go for free (or at least a hugely discounted price)? Most festivals are looking for volunteers to help them out before, during and after the music. This is a great way to lock in those tickets if you can’t cough up the money before they are sold out. Perhaps the best part is that you get to meet an amazing group of people right off the bat.

Here are some music festivals that typically recruit volunteers every year:

Northwest String Summit

Northwest String Summit isn’t cheap, but it is at the top of the list of the best festivals of the summer. Unless you live in Pacific NW, you might have to add in the cost of travel to get to North Plains, OR on top of your ticket. So, why not volunteer? That’s exactly how I got to NWSS the first year I attended – and I made friends for a lifetime, camped in the best spots and got in a day early! Sign up here: http://stringsummit.com/volunteers/

DelFest

Delfest is sort of in the middle of nowhere, which is part of what makes it so great. It is also known for having one of the biggest festival families – DelYeah! – which also makes it, well, so great. They take a limited amount of volunteers every year to help with promotions, merchandise, ticket sales and more. Sign up here: http://delfest.com/eventinfo/volunteering/

Mountain Jam

Another festival that has been running strong for over a decade, Mountain Jam has an impressive lineup with a beautiful mountain view. You can even take a lift up the mountain to catch some killer views! Their set up is no joke, so they take volunteers from the Monday before to the Monday after the festival – which means you may not even have to work during the festival at all! Bonus for a chance to not miss music!! Sign up here: http://mountainjam.com/volunteering/

Clean Vibes

Looking for more options? Check out Clean Vibes! These guys organize recycling programs at a bunch of music festivals across the nation, educating festival-goers on how to recycle and compost. The best part is that they are probably at a festival you want to attend. Check out their upcoming volunteer opportunities and fill out their application to get started: http://cleanvibes.com/events.cfm

Street Teams: Helping to promote the festival itself is another great way to earn some free or discounted tickets to the show. Sure, it takes some of your free time and it does take some actual work, but what could be more fun than helping to promote a music festival or one of your favorite bands?

Blackspy Marketing, located in Colorado, has been heading the Street Team game in all the major touring markets across the country. They are always looking for hardworking individuals that want to hit the streets handing out flyers or hanging up posters to help promote shows or festivals in exchange for perks like backstage passes, guest list spots, and maybe even a chance to meet your favorite musicians. You can apply on their website: http://www.blackspymarketing.com/app/

Cash or Trade: There is nothing more frustrating than people selling their tickets for a profit. It is a total disgrace. Luckily, there are plenty of honest, good-hearted souls at there that just need to sell tickets to shows they can no longer attend for one reason or another. Cash or Trade is the perfect platform for selling and buying tickets at cost. If you missed the boat on buying those music festival tickets, search CashorTrade.org and you may just find that you are helping out the seller as much as they are helping out the buyer.