Choosing when to start selling tickets is one of the first major decisions in your event plan. That date can shape how much time you have to attract buyers and build momentum.
Key Takeaways
- Most event organizers start selling tickets between four weeks and 12 months before the event.
- The best time to start selling tickets depends on the ticket price, venue size, travel requirements, and the type of audience you want to attract.
- Early-bird pricing usually works best when it’s available for a limited time or for a set number of tickets.
- Avoid offering large ticket discounts close to the event date because this can frustrate people who bought tickets earlier. Group discounts and ticket bundles are often better options.
Picking the date for your event is the easy part. Figuring out when to start selling tickets for an event is where a lot of first-time organizers get stuck. If you sell too soon, the buzz may fade. Sell too late, and people will have already made other plans on the day of your event.
The good news is that event ticket timing follows patterns you can learn, and once you know them, you can plan backward from your event date with much more confidence.
When Should You Start Selling Tickets for an Event?
You should start selling tickets the same day you publicly announce your event. For most events, that announcement happens between four weeks and 12 months before the date.
People are often most interested when they first hear about an event. If they cannot buy a ticket right away, they may lose interest or forget to come back later. A simple rule is to give yourself about one month of sales time for every 100 people you hope to attract, up to a maximum of one year.
After you choose your ticket launch date, build your event promotion timeline backward from it so every email, social post, and ad has a live ticket page to send people to.
What Factors Determine When To Start Selling Event Tickets?
The best time to start selling tickets depends on how much planning your attendees need before they can commit. These six factors matter most.
- Venue Capacity: Filling 2,000 seats takes far more time than filling 60.
- Travel Requirements: If people need flights, hotels, or time off work, give them at least three to six months.
- Ticket Price: A $25 ticket is close to an impulse buy. A $900 pass might need a manager’s approval, so start selling earlier.
- Audience Type: Business audiences plan months ahead. Casual local crowds often decide the same week.
- Marketing Budget: A small budget needs a longer window to build interest for free. A bigger paid budget can do the same job in weeks.
- New Versus Returning: An event with a mailing list can sell out fast. A first-year event needs extra weeks to earn trust.
When these factors suggest different ticket sale dates, focus on the one that requires the most planning from attendees. Expensive tickets and events that require travel usually need to go on sale the earliest.
How Far in Advance Should Tickets Go on Sale for Different Events?
How far in advance you start selling tickets for an event depends on the kind of event you’re running. Use these as a starting point, then adjust for the factors above:
- Conferences and Festivals: Six to 12 months out, since attendees book travel and often expense the ticket.
- Concerts and Touring Shows: Three to six months out, with a short presale for your email list first.
- Fundraisers and Galas: Three to four months out, leaving time for table sponsorships and corporate giving cycles.
- Workshops and Classes: Four to eight weeks out, since small-group sessions sell on a short, focused push.
- Community Events and Pop-ups: Four to six weeks out, when locals are actually looking at their calendars.
- Virtual events: Two to six weeks out, since there’s no travel to book and sign-ups arrive late.
If your event happens every year, you get a head start. Announce next year’s date at this year’s event and let loyal attendees buy on the spot. That brings in early revenue and proves people want to come back.
When Should You Announce That Tickets Are on Sale?
You can start teasing the event one or two weeks before tickets go on sale, but save the full event announcement for the day sales begin. A teaser might reveal the date, venue, or main speaker without sharing every detail. You can also ask people to join your email list so they’re notified when tickets become available.
On the official launch day, announce the event, open ticket sales, send an email, and share the news on social media. This gives people a way to buy as soon as they hear the full details.
After tickets go on sale, send about one reminder each week. Give people a new reason to pay attention each time, such as the schedule, a featured speaker, the lineup, or photos from a past event. Only use “almost sold out” messages when they are true.
When Should Early-Bird Tickets Go on Sale?
When you start selling tickets for an event, early-bird tickets should be the first and cheapest option available. They should go live on the first day of ticket sales. This rewards people who are ready to buy, brings in money early, and gives you an idea of how many people may attend.
For most events, early-bird pricing should last no more than two to four weeks. You can also limit it to a set number of tickets, such as the first 50 sold. Clearly show when the early-bird offer ends and what the regular price will be so buyers know how much they can save.
Don’t extend the deadline after you announce it. If buyers learn that your deadlines are flexible, they may wait for another extension. Raise the price on schedule and announce that regular ticket sales have started.
How Long Should Event Tickets Be on Sale?
Keep tickets available from your launch date until the event begins or the event sells out. The full sales period may last a few weeks for a small local event or several months for a large event that requires travel.
You can divide that time into different pricing stages. Start with early-bird tickets, move to regular pricing, and then offer last-chance tickets close to the event date.
Set a clear final sales deadline. You may stop online sales a few hours before the event, the night before, or when doors open. Choose a cutoff that gives your team enough time to prepare the final attendee list and check-in system.
When Should You Discount Your Event Tickets?
Consider offering a discount during the final two or three weeks if ticket sales have slowed and you still have many open spots. Selling tickets at a lower price may be better than leaving seats empty, especially after you have already paid for the venue, staff, and other event costs.
However, regular attendees may start to notice when tickets are the cheapest. If tickets always cost less right before the event, people may wait to buy instead of purchasing early.
You can also increase sales without lowering the main ticket price. Offer group rates, create packages that include parking or merchandise, or send private discount codes to partners and past attendees.
What Is the Best Way To Sell Tickets for an Event?
A simple way to sell event tickets is through a ticketing platform that works with your own website or online store. This keeps the sale under your brand and helps you collect customer information for future events.
Your event page should clearly show the date, time, location, ticket price, what the ticket includes, and the refund policy. You can also add photos or videos from a previous event to help buyers understand what to expect.
Make the buying process as easy as possible. Use a short checkout, test it on a phone, and make sure buyers receive their tickets by email as soon as they pay.
Review your ticket sales each day. If sales slow down, change your marketing message or give people a new reason to attend.
Evey Events Can Help You Start Selling Tickets for an Event
Knowing when to start selling tickets for an event is only useful if you also have a simple way to sell and manage them. Evey Events turns your Shopify store into a ticketing system, so you can manage ticket sales from the same admin you already use for products and orders.
With Evey, you can create different ticket types, choose when each price tier opens and closes, send branded confirmation and reminder emails, and scan QR codes at the door. Your ticket sales also appear alongside the rest of your Shopify reporting.
Launch your next event with Evey Events, a Shopify ticketing app built to manage every stage of your ticket sales timeline.
