How To Get Free Concert Tickets: Tips and Tricks, Plus a Guide to Free Summer Concerts 2024

By fromermedia@gmail.com On Apr 17, 2024

Seeing live music is magical. Paying for live music, less so.

We’re living in the era of the $1,000 concert ticket, where even the cheapest nosebleed seats can set you back hundreds and the best seats will cost you a month’s rent or more. The reason tickets are so expensive has to do with a complicated mix of hefty service fees, rising inflation and soaring demand.

Are we to let rising ticket costs keep us from seeing our favorite bands? Heck no! Determined to stand up to so-called “funflation,” our editors have schemed up ways to get concert tickets for less — or even free.

Ahead, we’re sharing some of our most compelling findings with you. First up are hacks for getting free concert tickets, verified by our editors, followed by our guide to some of the most exciting upcoming free concerts around the country in 2024.

Insider Hacks for Scoring Free Concert Tickets

Don’t think it’s possible to see concerts for free? Allow us to blow your mind with these industry insider hacks for landing free tickets to the hottest shows:

1. Volunteer

Many concert venues and festivals depend on volunteers to help out with tasks like giving out wristbands, directing parking, picking up trash and setting up and taking down. In exchange for helping out, organizers and venues may give out free tickets and/or other perks, like drink or meal tickets.

To find volunteer opportunities, you can check a venue or event website or contact the organizers directly. Googling “how to volunteer in [your city name]” is a good place to start — we tested this for Austin and were immediately hit with a bunch of intriguing options from local venues.

2. Become a Seat Filler

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To beef up an audience, promoters and venues may hire “seat fillers” — people hired to fill empty seats at award shows, TV tapings, and other events. As a seat filler, you are usually given a free ticket in exchange for attending an event, arriving on time, and dressing and behaving appropriately.

You can sign up to be a seat filler through an online platform. There are many local and national seat filler websites out there — some of the more reputable ones are SeatFillersandMore.com, Seat Junky, OTL City Guides and SeatStir. Note that SeatFillersandMore is free to join, but others may charge a $10 to $15 monthly membership fee.

3. Browse Free Events on Eventbrite.com

Online ticketing platform Eventbrite.com is a treasure trove of free and low-cost events, including concerts. To find free concerts in your area, use the search bar and filter your results by location and “free.”

4. Search ‘Free Concerts Near Me’

As a seasoned internet user, Googling “free concerts near me” might have been the first step you took. Still, it’s worth highlighting this obvious but effective tip, as it may yield targeted results listed by local venues, community newspapers and city-specific websites.

5. Win Free Tickets

Radio stations, promoters and venues often run contests and giveaways for upcoming shows. It’s worth following your favorite artists, stations and venues on social media, where they may announce promotions.

6. Attend a Free Summer Concert Series in Your Town

Many cities run a free concert series in the summer. These concerts often showcase a variety of music genres — from rock to children’s music — and feature food and drinks from local vendors.

Free Summer Concerts 2024

We’ve hunted down the best free concerts in major cities around the country. Bookmark our guide to free summer concerts 2024:

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Blues on the Green — Austin, Texas

A quintessential Austin event, Blues on the Green is an annual free summer concert series in Zilker Park. The two-day concert, an Austin tradition for more than three decades, showcases an eclectic mix of up-and-coming talent and celebrated musicians from Austin.

After a scare in early January 2024 — when the event organizers announced Blues on the Green was canceled due to rising costs — the concert series is back on thanks to support from the Austin City Council and Texas grocery store H-E-B. Dates haven’t been announced yet, but the concert typically takes place on two weeknights in mid-July. The 2024 lineup is expected to drop in late June.

Blues on the Green 2024 Event Details

Location: Zilker Metropolitan Park
Dates: TBD
Time: Starts at 7 p.m.
Lineup: TBD
Food & Drink: Available for purchase from local vendors.

Millennium Park Summer Music Series — Chicago, Illinois

a group of people performing on a stage to a large crowd outside — _{Image: ChooseChicago.com}

The Millennium Park Summer Music Series is a twice-weekly concert at the Pritzker Pavilion, the iconic downtown Park. Concerts are held Mondays and Thursdays and feature emerging and established musicians from across genres. Bring a blanket or folding chair and join hoards of concertgoers basking in the summer weather and enjoying stunning views of the famous Chicago skyline.

Millennium Park Summer Music Series 2024 Event Details

Location: Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park
Dates: Mondays & Thursdays, July 1 — Aug. 8, 2024
Time: Gates open at 5 p.m.
Lineup: TBD
Admission: Free
Food & Drink: Available for purchase from local vendors.

Summer Free For All — Portland, Oregon

Portland’s annual Summer Free for All event takes place in parks around the city. The event runs all summer long and features performances from local bands and other entertainment. In addition to live music, the series includes outdoor movie nights and cultural events ranging from dance to comedy performances.

Summer Free For All 2024 Event Details

Location: City parks around Portland
Dates: Thursday — Saturday in July & Aug., 2024
Time: 6:30 p.m. — 8:30 p.m.
Lineup: TBD
Admission: Free
Food & Drink: Available for purchase from local vendors

Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage — New York City, New York

A New York City tradition for nearly four decades, SummerStage is an annual concert series occurring in Central Park and parks across the five boroughs. The series typically includes around 80 shows, the majority of which are free. The SummerStage typically boasts a diverse, impressive lineup. Last year, the series included Indigo Girls, Grandmaster Flash, Kool and the Gang and Regina Spektor, among others.

Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage 2024 Event Details

Location: Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, plus neighborhood parks around the city
Dates: June — Aug.,. 2024
Time: Vary
Lineup: TBD
Admission: Free
Food & Drink: Available for purchase from local vendors

Summer’s Fifth Night at Utica Square — Tulsa, Oklahoma

Summer’s Fifth Night Concerts have been a Tulsa summer staple for more than three decades. Every Thursday in June and July, the stage serves up music performances spanning rock, pop, country and more. The outdoor concerts take place in Tulsa’s sophisticated Utica Square neighborhood.