Catch the on-sale

---
name: concert-tickets-lookout
description: Keep watch on an artist, tour, or festival and ping someone at every moment that matters, from a tour announcement to presale registration deadlines, presale and on-sale start times in their time zone, face-value waitlist spots, and resale prices dropping under their budget. Use this whenever someone says "tell me when X goes on tour", "remind me about the presale", "let me know if tickets drop under $150", wants to catch a sold-out show, or asks to be alerted about concert, festival, or comedy tickets, even if they never say "alert".
---

# Concert Tickets Lookout

Last verified: September 2026. Ticketing platforms, presale partners, and resale laws change often. Items marked **(verify)** were uncertain when written.

## Why this skill exists

Getting good concert tickets is mostly about timing. Registrations close days before a presale, presale windows open at 10am in a time zone the person isn't in, card presales change from tour to tour, and resale prices move in the final days before a show. Missing one deadline means paying resale markup. Your job is to turn "I want to see this artist" into a standing watch, nudge the person before each deadline, and flag the resale moments worth acting on. The `concert-tickets` skill covers choosing and buying seats; this skill makes sure the person is in the right place at the right time.

## Step 1: Set up in one message

Don't interview. One short message with defaults they can correct:

> I'll keep watch. Quick setup, answer what you can:
> 1. **Who?** Artist, tour, or festival
> 2. **Where and when?** Cities you'd go to, and any date limits
> 3. **How many tickets, and your max all-in per ticket?** (Plus a "grab it now" price if you have one)
> 4. **Presale access?** Fan club, Citi / Amex / Capital One / Chase cards, Spotify, Live Nation, or venue lists
>
> I'll assume seats together, any section with a clear view, and alerts any time during sale windows but not overnight otherwise.

Rules:
- If they already gave some of this, only ask for the rest.
- For card presales, the card network and issuer are enough. **Never ask for card numbers, account passwords, or presale codes tied to someone else's account.**
- Ask about accessible seating only if they bring it up or the seat choice depends on it.

## Step 2: Check right now

Figure out where the tour is and tell the person in one line:

- **Not announced**: watch for the announcement (Step 3)
- **Announced, registration open**: send the registration links and deadlines immediately. This is the most time-sensitive moment.
- **Presales or on-sale scheduled**: list each window in their time zone, with what they need for each
- **On sale now**: hand off to the `concert-tickets` skill to find the best seats and price
- **Sold out**: watch face-value waitlists and resale prices

Also suggest the free official alerts that do part of the job for them, and offer to walk them through setting each one up:
- Favorite the artist on Ticketmaster and follow on Live Nation (alerts for new dates and fan presales)
- Track the artist on Bandsintown or Songkick (new shows near them)
- Subscribe to the artist's newsletter or fan club (often the only source of the artist presale code or registration link)
- For a sold-out show: the DICE waiting list if it's a DICE event, and price alerts on SeatGeek or StubHub

## Step 3: Start the watch

Save a **watch spec** to memory so every check is identical, then schedule recurring checks and reminders with your scheduling or reminder tool.

```
Watch: concert-tickets-lookout
Artist/tour: <name>, cities: <list>, date limits: <window>
Tickets: <n>, together: <y/n>, seats: <preference>
Budget: max <$ all-in per ticket>, grab-now <$>
Presale access: <fan club, cards, Spotify, Live Nation, venue lists>
Person's time zone: <zone>, quiet hours: <e.g. 11pm–8am, overridden for sale windows>
Key dates: <registration deadlines, presale and on-sale times, converted>
Lowest resale seen: <$ per ticket all-in, section, date checked>
Stop: <tickets bought | last show in window passed | user says stop>
```

**How often to check:**

| Phase | Cadence |
|---|---|
| No tour announced | weekly; daily during an album cycle or strong tour rumors |
| Tour announced | daily until registration closes; remind 24 hours and 2 hours before each registration deadline |
| Presale or on-sale week | reminders the day before, then about 60 and 15 minutes before each window |
| Sold out, show more than 2 weeks away | every 1–3 days for resale, leaning on marketplace price alerts |
| Final 2 weeks | every 6–12 hours |
| Final 72 hours | every 1–2 hours |
| Show day | every 30 minutes until about an hour after doors |

**Where to look:**
- **Announcements**: the artist's site and socials, the promoter's and venue's event pages, music news, Bandsintown and Songkick. The Ticketmaster Discovery API is an official, rate-limited way to check event and on-sale dates if you have access.
- **Resale**: prefer the person's own marketplace price alerts, plus light checks of event pages at a person's pace. Ticketmaster's terms prohibit bots and automated searching, and the federal BOTS Act makes getting around purchase limits, queues, or CAPTCHAs illegal. Never script heavy polling, retry through blocks, or use multiple accounts.
- **Show times are the venue's local time.** Presales are usually announced as, for example, "Tuesday 10am local." Always convert to the person's time zone and say both.

## Step 4: Alert at the moments that matter

Send an alert for: a tour announcement in their cities, registration opening, a registration deadline approaching, a presale or on-sale about to start, a face-value or waitlist spot opening, or resale at or under budget. Otherwise stay quiet. Only re-alert on resale if the price drops at least another 5–10% or the seats get noticeably better.

**Before a sale window:**

> 🎟️ **Citi presale in 1 hour: [Artist], Chicago (United Center), Sat Mar 14**
> Starts 10:00am CT = **11:00am your time** · join the waiting room by 10:45
> You're eligible with your Citi card · limit 4 tickets
> Checklist: log in to Ticketmaster, card saved, pick a backup section
> **Event page:** [link]
> Next up: artist presale Wed 10am CT (your code arrives by text the evening before if you're selected)

**Resale under budget:**

> 🎟️ **2 together under your $150: Sec 112, Row 8**
> **$138 per ticket all-in** ($276 total, taxes included) · face value was $95
> Lowest in the past 7 days: $161 · 14 similar listings left
> StubHub, with its buyer guarantee · mobile transfer, arrives 72 hours before the show
> **Listing:** [link]
> Reply "got them" to stop, or "hold out for $120" to change the target.

Every resale alert needs: all-in price per ticket and total, whether tax and delivery are included, section and row, whether seats are together, the platform and its guarantee, delivery method and timing, and how the price compares with face value and recent lows.

## Step 5: Hand off the purchase

- **The person buys, logged in as themselves.** Never join queues, add to carts, hold tickets, or buy for them automatically. When they're ready, use the `concert-tickets` skill to compare checkout totals and pick the listing, and `safe-purchasing` before anything is paid for.
- **Waiting rooms**: people who join before the start time get a random place in line, and people who join after go to the back. "Be in by T−15" beats "be first." Don't suggest multiple tabs or devices if the platform prohibits them.
- **Face Value Exchange tours**: when an artist restricts resale to face value on Ticketmaster, watch Ticketmaster's own face-value resale instead of other marketplaces. Tickets bought elsewhere may not transfer or may be cancelled.
- **Delivery timing is normal**: many tickets (for example, Ticketmaster SafeTix) aren't released until about 72 hours before the show. Say so, so a delayed transfer doesn't read as a scam.

## What to tell people about resale timing

- There's **no guaranteed last-minute drop**. For huge sellouts, prices often stay near their peak through show day. Shows with less demand can fall substantially in the final 24–48 hours.
- More tickets appear about 72 hours out, when mobile tickets become transferable.
- Early listings right after an announcement are often **speculative**: the seller doesn't own the tickets yet. Flag them.
- Since May 2025, the FTC fee rule requires ticket sellers, including resellers, to show the total price with mandatory fees up front. Taxes and delivery can still be added later, so compare checkout totals **(verify)**.

## Don't

- Don't buy, sell, or share presale codes that are tied to an account, and don't register for presales under other people's names to get around ticket limits.
- **Don't send links to tickets offered in social media DMs, comments, or group chats.** Ticket scams there are common: new profiles, payment by Zelle, Venmo friends-and-family, gift cards, or crypto, and screenshots as "proof." Use the `scam-checker` skill if they're tempted.
- Don't alert overnight during quiet hours unless a sale window or a registration deadline is imminent.
- Don't keep watching after they've bought, the last show in their window has passed, or they've stopped responding.