One of the most common questions we get at SeatCompare is simple: when should I buy? The answer depends on what type of event you're attending — concerts and sports events follow very different pricing patterns on the resale market.
Understanding these patterns won't guarantee the lowest price every time, but it will consistently put you in a better position than buyers who purchase on impulse.
For concerts, the best window is typically 2–4 weeks before the show. For sports, buy as early as possible for marquee matchups and last-minute for regular season games. The day of week and time of purchase also matter more than most buyers realize.
Concert tickets follow a fairly predictable price arc on the resale market. Understanding where you are in that arc is the difference between a great deal and an overpriced purchase.
This is the worst time to buy on the resale market. The moment primary tickets sell out, resellers list immediately at inflated prices to capture the frustrated demand. Prices on resale sites in the first 24–48 hours after on-sale are typically at their highest point.
Prices settle as the initial rush subsides. If you need certainty and the show is likely to sell out completely, this window balances reasonable prices with availability. Not the cheapest, but a fair time to buy.
This is often the first dip in prices. Sellers who bought speculatively start to get nervous about holding inventory and begin lowering prices to attract buyers. For shows that aren't completely sold out, this is frequently the best window.
Historically the sweet spot for many concerts. Speculative sellers have been dropping prices for weeks, primary tickets are sold out for popular shows, and there's still enough time before the event that sellers feel urgency to move inventory.
High risk, potential high reward. If the show is sold out, prices typically spike as desperate buyers compete for remaining inventory. If the show has unsold seats, last-minute sellers panic and prices can hit their lowest point ever. Only buy this late if you're comfortable with the risk of prices going the other way.
Best window for concerts: 2–4 weeks before the show for most popular events. Set a price alert now and act when prices drop to your target.
Sports tickets behave very differently from concerts because the stakes of individual games vary dramatically — a regular season game in October has a very different demand profile than a playoff game or a rivalry matchup.
Regular season games — particularly early in the season — often have significant resale inventory. Prices for these games tend to drop as the game date approaches, especially if the team is underperforming. Buying 1–3 days before a regular season game, or even day-of, frequently yields the lowest prices.
High-profile matchups — a Toronto vs Montreal game, a Western Conference clash — behave more like concerts. Prices spike at announcement and hold firm. Buy earlier rather than later for these games if you want to attend.
Playoff ticket prices are volatile and generally expensive throughout. The earlier rounds are somewhat more predictable in pricing — later rounds as teams advance become increasingly expensive. If your team makes a deep playoff run, ticket prices for home games can reach multiples of face value. For playoff games, earlier is almost always cheaper.
For regular season games, day-of prices often represent the lowest point as sellers who couldn't move tickets face a hard deadline. For playoff games, day-of prices are typically higher as urgency drives demand.
Best window for sports: Day-of or 1–2 days before for regular season. As early as possible for playoffs and marquee matchups.
Yes — and this is underappreciated by most buyers. Research on resale market patterns consistently shows that ticket prices tend to be slightly lower midweek (Tuesday through Thursday) compared to weekends. There are two reasons for this:
If you have flexibility on when you purchase — and the event is still weeks away — Tuesday or Wednesday morning is historically a favorable time to buy.
Less impactful than day of week, but worth knowing: resale platforms see the most buyer traffic in the evenings (7–10 PM local time). Some sellers price their listings slightly lower during off-peak hours to compete for the smaller audience. If you can, browsing in the morning rather than the evening may surface better prices.
Rather than trying to time the market perfectly, a more reliable approach is to set a price alert at your target price and let it notify you when prices hit that level. This removes the anxiety of watching prices daily and ensures you act at the right moment.
SeatCompare's price alert system monitors prices across all major platforms and notifies you when the combination of price and deal score meets your criteria — taking into account both the current price and whether it's genuinely below the historical average for that event.
Stop watching prices manually. SeatCompare monitors every major platform and alerts you when tickets hit your target price.
Search tickets and set an alert →For primary tickets — yes, if you want the best selection. For resale — generally no. Resale prices are typically at their highest immediately after primary on-sale and tend to drop over the following weeks for most events.
Yes, for sold-out or high-demand shows. For less popular events or shows with remaining availability, last-minute prices can be significantly lower. The risk increases proportionally with the popularity of the event.
Buy when you find a price that works for your budget. Trying to time the market perfectly can lead to missing the event entirely. A good deal is better than a perfect deal you never got.
Sometimes — for regular season sports and less popular concerts, yes. For sold-out or playoff events, prices often spike on the day of. Set a price alert to capture any last-minute drops automatically.