According to official statistics, the likelihood of getting tickets to Taylor Swift’s 2023/2024 The Eras Tour sat at just 2% - meaning many fans were left disappointed after failing to land those sought after tickets.
After Taylor took to Instagram on 20 June to inform her 266 million followers of the international dates for her The Eras Tour, the entire world jumped on their phones to try and register. Luckily for Swifties, Taylor added multiple extra dates to try and satisfy the huge demand. After going live, all 15 stops of her UK leg sold out instantly.
With Swifties now prepping their Eras Tour outfits and making friendships bracelets in anticipation of the tour, many fans who were unsuccessful are now on the hunt for resale Taylor tickets.
However, buying resale tickets online doesn't come without risks. A major bank has estimated that UK fans have already lost more than £1m to con artists selling fake tickets.
Lloyds Bank has issued a warning to fans based on a recent analysis of purchase scams reported by customers, as well as those of Halifax and Bank of Scotland, where Taylor Swift and/or the Eras Tour were featured in the claim. Since the tickets went on sale last summer, more than 600 Lloyds customers have been scammed out of an average of £332 - with some cases showing losses of more than £1,000.
Fans aged 25 to 34 trying to buy tickets online are most likely to be targeted on social media. In most cases, scammers advertise the tickets, before vanishing once upfront payment has arrived.
However, this doesn't mean that finding last minute tickets to the Eras Tour is impossible. If you want to shake it off to Taylor Swift this summer, here's how to land yourself legitimate tickets.
Are Taylor Swift Tickets sold out?
Ticket sales of Taylor's Eras Tour sold out instantly when they were released last summer, leaving thousands of unlucky fans without. But while tickets sold out instantly in both the pre-sale and general sale, many resale tickets are beginning to pop up online.
How to buy Taylor Swift tickets?
Some third-party ticket sites such as Viagogo do have resale tickets listed on their site, but at extortionate prices. While your average seated ticket cost originally anything from £57.90 - £182.75, the resell site has some seats priced as high as £600.
For Swifties hoping to attend the Eras Tour, your best bet is to go through the original merchant website. Fans who no longer need their tickets are able to sell via the original merchant, with the price of tickets also capped. To buy, all fans need to do is be registered with either Ticketmaster or AXS, and purchase via their sites when resale tickets become available.
Buying through the official merchants is by far the safest way to get your hands on Eras Tour tickets, making sure that any money you pay will secure you legitimate tickets that will get you through the doors.
How do I tell if tickets are a scam?
With many fans desperate to get their hands on tickets, it's an unfortunate reality that scammers are ready to take advantage.
Purchase scams involve someone being tricked into sending money via a bank transfer for items that do not exist. In other words, you may send someone £150 pounds for a Taylor Swift ticket, only for them to vanish...
When it comes to covering your back when buying resale tickets, one way is to think carefully about how you pay. Lisa Webb, Consumer Law Expert at Which?, has said those buying gig tickets should use a credit card or Paypal, as both of these methods can provide protection.
She also shared that fans should be realistic when considering ads and listings online. 'Unfortunately, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is,' she said, 'adding 'Don't be tempted to buy tickets from anyone other than authorised sellers, as your rights can be significantly reduced if something goes wrong.'
Ultimately, the safest way to avoid any scams is to purchase tickets only through official channels and resale options. If you believe you've been a victim of ticket scams, you should contact your bank, and report it to Action Fraud.
Can I get into the Eras Tour without the person who bought the tickets?
For those lucky Swifties who did nab themselves tickets, Ticketmaster has made an important change to the rules for those heading to shows in the UK and Ireland.
Originally, fans who brought a Taylor Swift Eras Tour ticket through Ticketmaster were warned that the 'lead booker' - the person whose name was on the payment card - would need to be present when arriving at the concert. This was introduced as a way to prevent people buying and reselling tickets for profit.
However, it also meant that those fans whose names were not on the tickets could be refused entry. Swifties who had received tickets as a gift or purchased them on behalf of someone else were left panicking whether they would be able to enter.
Now, Ticketmaster has confirmed that they will be scrapping the lead ticket holder requirement for Taylor's UK tour dates.
In an email to buyers, they wrote, 'The "lead booker" policy has been removed, meaning that the person whose name is on the Ticketmaster account used to purchase the tickets is no longer required to attend the event. We hope you enjoy the show!'
When did Taylor Swift tickets go on sale?
Tickets for Taylor's London dates went on sale Monday 10 July at 10am BST, tickets for Edinburgh and Dublin went on sale Tuesday 11 July at 10am BST and tickets for Liverpool and Cardiff went on sale Wednesday 12 July at 10am BST.
At checkout, fans were only allowed to purchase a maximum of four tickets.
Although Taylor's tickets are all sold out, here are some top tips from TicketSource about how you can increase your likelihood of getting tickets to other popular tours.
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Be prepared. Make sure you know the exact date and time that tickets go on sale. It's also good to know which kind of tickets you’re looking for and have your card details to hand to make the purchasing process as smooth and efficient as possible.
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Get friends and family involved. Even if they don’t want to go themselves, get them to try for tickets too in order to increase your odds.
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Don’t give up. Ticketmaster previously crashed when too many Taylor fans headed to the site in an attempt to buy tickets. Even if it says ‘No tickets available’, be patient as some may appear. Don’t refresh the page however as that could lead you to lose your place in the queue.
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Only purchase tickets from vendors you trust. With such high demand for tickets, people may be tempted to con fans. Remember, screenshots of tickets aren’t valid and always send the money after receiving the tickets.
How much are Taylor Swift Eras Tour tickets?
It's always a good idea before purchasing resale tickets to know how much the original sale was. Prices for the UK leg of the Eras Tour varied from city to city.
Typically, prices started at around £58.65 for the cheapest seated tickets, with other seats costing as much as £194.75. General admission standing tickets cost £110.40, with standing tickets that will get you closer to the front setting fans back £172.25.
Alongside these tickets, Taylor Swift's team also offered three different VIP packages. They ranged from £222.60 to £387.40 - with the most expensive, called 'Karma Is My Boyfriend,' including 'one phenomenal reserved seated floor ticket', a number of onsite VIP 'perks,' and exclusive merchandise.
The Eras Tour dates for UK and Europe are below.
Charlotte Roberts is a News and Entertainment Writer for Grazia, writing interviews and features around everything pop culture.