Where to Buy Music Festival Tickets in 2025

If you’ve ever stood in line at 5 a.m. hoping to snag tickets to a festival your favorite band is playing, you know how fast they vanish. By the time you wake up, refresh your browser, and click ‘Buy,’ the whole lineup’s sold out. It’s not just bad luck-it’s a system designed to move tickets fast. But there’s a smarter way. Knowing where to buy music festival tickets isn’t just about finding a website. It’s about avoiding scams, saving money, and actually getting in.

Official Ticketing Platforms Are Your First Stop

Always start with the festival’s official website. If the event is called Soundwave Festival, go to soundwavefestival.com-not a random site that looks similar. Official sites list authorized sellers clearly, usually under a ‘Tickets’ or ‘FAQ’ section. For big festivals like Splendour in the Grass or Falls Festival, they partner with a single primary vendor like Ticketmaster, Moshtix, or Eventbrite. These platforms handle everything: payment, digital tickets, seat maps, and refunds.

Why does this matter? Because unofficial resellers often mark up prices by 200% or more. In 2024, Ticketmaster reported that over 60% of resold festival tickets on third-party sites were sold above face value. And many of those aren’t even real. Fake tickets are one of the biggest problems in live music right now.

Authorized Resellers You Can Trust

Some festivals allow a few trusted resellers to sell leftover or returned tickets. These aren’t scalpers-they’re partners with strict pricing rules. In Australia, Moshtix is the go-to for most major festivals. If you’re looking at a festival in Melbourne or Brisbane, check if they use Moshtix. For Sydney events, Ticketek is common. Both have buyer protection policies: if your ticket turns out to be invalid, they’ll refund you or replace it.

Eventbrite is another safe option, especially for smaller or emerging festivals. It’s popular with indie acts and local events because it lets organizers set their own rules. You’ll often find early-bird tickets or group discounts here that aren’t available elsewhere.

What About Resale Sites Like Viagogo or StubHub?

They’re everywhere. Ads pop up on your phone, your Instagram feed, even your YouTube videos. But here’s the truth: these platforms make money off you, not the artist. They charge buyers huge fees-sometimes 30% on top of the ticket price. And there’s no guarantee the ticket you buy is real. In 2023, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) warned consumers about StubHub and Viagogo after receiving over 1,200 complaints about non-delivery or fake tickets.

Even if you get in, you might pay $500 for a ticket that originally cost $120. And if something goes wrong-say, the festival gets canceled-you’ll likely get no refund. Official sellers refund you automatically. Resale sites make you fight for it.

How to Spot a Fake Ticket Site

Not all sites look shady. Some look professional. Here’s how to tell if you’re being scammed:

• Check the URL. Does it end in .com.au or .au? Fake sites often use .info, .xyz, or .co
• Look for a physical address and phone number. Legit sites list them clearly
• Search the site name + “scam” on Google. If five people say they got ripped off, walk away
• Check if the site accepts secure payment methods like PayPal or credit card. If it only takes bank transfer or crypto, that’s a red flag
• Compare prices. If it’s cheaper than the official site, it’s probably fake

One real case from 2024: a Sydney woman paid $480 for ‘Falls Festival’ tickets through a site that looked identical to the real one. She got an email with a PDF attachment. When she showed up at the gate, the barcode didn’t scan. The festival staff told her it was a known scam. She lost her money and missed the show.

Waitlists, Presales, and Memberships

Most big festivals offer presales before tickets go on general sale. You don’t need to be rich-you just need to sign up. Join the festival’s mailing list. Follow them on Instagram. Many send presale codes to subscribers a few days early. That’s your best shot at getting tickets before the rush.

Some festivals also partner with music streaming services. Spotify and Apple Music users sometimes get exclusive presale access. If you’re a regular listener, check your app for promo codes. Even if it’s just 10% off, it helps.

Membership programs like Ticketek’s ‘Tix’ or Moshtix’s ‘MOSH’ give you early access, discounts, and priority customer support. For frequent festival-goers, it’s worth the small annual fee.

What If You Missed Out?

Don’t panic. Festivals often release a small batch of tickets a few days before the event-usually from returns or unclaimed group bookings. Check the official site daily, especially 48-72 hours before the festival starts. Some even release last-minute tickets on the day of the event, right at the gate.

Another trick: follow the festival’s social media. Sometimes they announce surprise pop-up tickets or giveaways. In 2025, Splendour in the Grass gave away 50 tickets via a live Instagram story to followers who tagged a friend. That’s how one guy from Newcastle got in for free.

Always Get a Digital Ticket

Physical tickets are rare now. Most festivals use mobile entry. When you buy, make sure you get a digital ticket sent to your email or app. Save it to your phone’s wallet (Apple Wallet or Google Pay). That way, even if your phone dies, you can show the barcode from another device.

Never rely on screenshots. Many festivals use dynamic barcodes that refresh every few seconds. A screenshot won’t work. And never share your ticket QR code with anyone. Scammers can copy it and use it to get in while you’re locked out.

Final Rule: If It Feels Too Good to Be True, It Is

There’s no magic trick to getting tickets. No secret website. No insider connection. The only real advantage is being prepared. Know the official site. Sign up early. Set reminders. Avoid the hype. And never pay more than you have to.

Music festivals are about the experience-not the stress of getting in. Do it right, and you’ll spend your time dancing, not debugging a fake ticket.