No, You Can No Longer Buy Ticketmaster Tickets at Walmart

If you want to score tickets for upcoming concerts, sports games, or other events, you‘ll need to purchase them directly from Ticketmaster or other authorized sellers. Ticketmaster‘s partnership with Walmart ended years ago.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover:

• The history of Ticketmaster and Walmart’s ticketing partnership
• Why you can no longer buy Ticketmaster tickets at Walmart
• How to purchase Ticketmaster tickets directly
• Other major ticket marketplaces comparable to Ticketmaster
• Self-serve kiosks still found at some Walmart stores
• Expert tips for saving money on event tickets

A Short-Lived Partnership: Ticketmaster at Walmart from 2010-2014

Ticketmaster is the world’s largest ticket sales and distribution company, with global ticket revenue exceeding $10 billion in 2021. They sell tickets for concert tours, professional sports leagues, Broadway shows, festivals, and more.

In 2010, Ticketmaster and Walmart announced a partnership to sell event tickets in select Walmart stores and on Walmart’s website.

This partnership launched in 2011, with Ticketmaster self-serve kiosks debuting in 45 Walmart locations across the U.S.

For context, there are over 4,700 Walmart stores in the U.S. So those initial 45 locations were a very small footprint.

Walmart’s website also gained a dedicated Ticketmaster section for customers to purchase tickets.

However, this partnership ended after just 3-4 years in 2014, according to Billboard.

So for a very brief period, Walmart did sell Ticketmaster tickets both online and in select stores. But this is no longer the case as of 2023.

Why You Can No Longer Buy Ticketmaster Tickets at Walmart

Based on Walmart ending their collaboration with Ticketmaster back in 2014, here are the key facts to know:

• No more Ticketmaster website section – Walmart‘s site no longer features any Ticketmaster-related pages or ticket purchasing options.

• Unclear if any kiosks remain – Only 45 select Walmart locations ever had Ticketmaster kiosks. It‘s unknown if any of those original kiosks still exist after nearly 10 years.

• Ticketmaster recommends their own platforms – Ticketmaster‘s website and app state that tickets should only be purchased directly through them for reliability and security.

• No recent partnership announcements – There have been no announcements of Walmart and Ticketmaster renewing any ticketing agreement.

Essentially, the short-lived Ticketmaster pilot program at Walmart ended years ago. Walmart is no longer an official point-of-sale for Ticketmaster.

Your only options for guaranteed Ticketmaster tickets are to use their website, mobile apps, or buy at the event venue‘s box office.

How To Buy Ticketmaster Tickets Directly in 2023

Since Walmart is not a Ticketmaster retailer anymore, you’ll need to purchase tickets directly from Ticketmaster instead. Here are some tips to get started:

Search Ticketmaster‘s Event Listings

Ticketmaster has the largest inventory of any ticket seller. You can browse upcoming events a few different ways:

• By event name – Search for a specific concert tour, sports team, festival, etc.

• By location – See events near you by entering your zip code or city. You can also search within a radius of your location.

• By date – Search for events happening on certain dates.

• By category – Filter events by category like Concerts, Sports, Arts & Theater, Family events, and more.

• Top sellers – Ticketmaster shows currently trending events across all genres and locations.

Set Up Ticketmaster Alerts

To get notifications when tickets officially go on sale for an event you want to attend, set up a Ticketmaster alert.

On an artist’s page, venue page, or event page, look for the "On Sale Alert" button and click it. Enter your email address to create an alert.

You’ll then receive an email notification as soon as tickets go on sale to the general public. This helps you buy at the initial release before tickets sell out.

Use Presales and Preferred Seating

Ticketmaster offers presales and preferred seating options for certain events which give you early access:

• Verified presales – If you have a Ticketmaster account or use a verified fan presale, you can access tickets before the general on-sale.

• Official platinum seats – These are top tickets priced according to demand with premium seat locations.

• VIP packages – Special ticket bundles may include perks like exclusive merch, pre-show parties, premium seating, and more.

• Season ticket holder presales – If you’re a season ticket holder for sports teams or theaters, you can access presale tickets.

Taking advantage of these special offers is key to getting the best tickets as soon as they‘re available.

Buy on Ticketmaster‘s Website or Mobile Apps

When you‘re ready to purchase, you can complete your transaction right on Ticketmaster‘s website or via their iOS and Android apps.

The mobile apps make it easy to buy tickets on the go from your iPhone, iPad, or Android device. But for printing physical tickets, it‘s best to use Ticketmaster‘s full website on a desktop or laptop computer.

Print Your Tickets at Home

After buying tickets on Ticketmaster’s site, you can conveniently print them yourself at home. Just log into your Ticketmaster account, find your order, and select “Print Tickets.”

You‘ll need to use Adobe Reader to print the PDF files containing your ticket barcodes and QR codes.

Printing at home is the best way to get physical mementos of tickets purchased on Ticketmaster.com. Some venues now exclusively use digital tickets though.

By purchasing directly through Ticketmaster, you’re guaranteed authentic tickets delivered straight from the source.

Other Major Ticket Marketplaces

In addition to Ticketmaster, which sells the widest event inventory, here are some other popular ticket marketplaces to consider:

StubHub

Reputable secondary ticket marketplace where fans can resell extra tickets. Owned by Viagogo.

Pros

• Huge selection with 60 million visits per month
• FanProtect Guarantee on all purchases
• Reliable mobile apps

Cons

• Must enter payment info just to see final prices
• Higher fees than some competitors

Vivid Seats

Ticket reseller that offers a loyalty program and promo codes for buyers.

Pros

• Rewards program incentives like free ticket credits
• Often lower service fees than other resellers
• RateYourSeats reviews help narrow choices

Cons

• Smaller inventory than StubHub or SeatGeek
• No mobile apps

SeatGeek

Consolidates listings from multiple sellers in one spot. Owned by Live Nation.

Pros

• Deal score and interactive maps help find deals
• Very transparent on all fees upfront
• Robust mobile apps

Cons

• Prices not always the absolute lowest
• No loyalty programs

Razorgator

Specializes in discount tickets and last-minute deals.

Pros

• Consistently low prices, often 30-40% below average
• Easy-to-use site and mobile apps
• Grades each ticket deal

Cons

• Limited loyalty program
• Smaller inventory for very popular events

For the widest ticket availability, Ticketmaster can’t be beat. But StubHub, VividSeats, SeatGeek, and Razorgator are all solid marketplaces for discounted tickets.

Self-Serve Kiosks Still Found at Some Walmarts

Although Ticketmaster self-serve kiosks have likely vanished from Walmart locations, you may still find other convenient kiosks like:

• ecoATM – Trade in used phones, tablets, and electronics for cash payment.

• MinuteKey – Make duplicates of your house keys or office keys in minutes.

• Money transfer – Services like MoneyGram allow quick money sending and receiving.

• Photo printing – Print smartphone photos instantly at photo kiosks.

• Redbox – Rent DVDs and Blu-Ray discs from Redbox movie rental machines.

So while you can no longer buy event tickets at Walmart kiosks, they still offer useful tech trade-in, financial, and entertainment services.

Tips for Saving Money on Event Tickets

Here are some of my top tips as an ecommerce analyst for getting deals on concert, sports, and entertainment tickets:

• Sign up for presales – Getting early access helps you score tickets before they sell out or surge in demand. Set up Ticketmaster alerts so you‘re notified right when presales launch.

• Join fan clubs – Artists and teams often hold presales exclusively for their official fan club members. Joining free fan clubs unlocks access to these presale codes.

• Use seat rating sites – Check crowd-sourced seat reviews on sites like RateYourSeats before choosing your tickets. This ensures you don‘t buy seats with obstructed views.

• Buy upper level or corner seats – You can often save 25-40% versus lower level mid-field seating. As long as you avoid the furthest rows, upper sections still provide decent views.

• Avoid convenience fees – Buy at the box office to bypass sometimes high convenience fees when ordering online. Box office hours are limited though.

• Purchase group tickets – Look for group ticket rates which unlock discounts for buying 4, 6, 8 or more tickets together. Great for families or friend groups attending together.

Using presales and discounts, along with flexible dates, you can secure major savings on the events you want to experience live.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that Walmart no longer sells Ticketmaster event tickets broadly online or in stores. The two companies parted ways back in 2014 after a short-lived 3-4 year ticketing partnership.

Today, the only way to reliably buy authentic Ticketmaster tickets is directly through their official website or mobile apps. You can also purchase at the box office if the event venue utilizes Ticketmaster.

Once you buy Ticketmaster tickets online, you can conveniently print them at home to bring to the event. And Ticketmaster provides easy search tools to find events in your area, track your favorite performers and teams, and set sale alerts.

While Ticketmaster has the largest inventory, StubHub, VividSeats, SeatGeek and Razorgator are worth checking too for discounted secondary market tickets.

So next time you want to score tickets to a hot concert, playoff game, or Broadway musical, go straight to the source at Ticketmaster.com or their mobile apps. With just a few quick clicks, you‘ll score access to the most in-demand live entertainment events.