The Big Question: what are the best apps for buying sold-out tickets?
Unlike some sites, these apps won't charge you a penny more than face value...
Buying tickets for gigs, stand-up shows or sports events can feel like an ordeal of Tough Mudder proportions.
Firstly, there’s remembering exactly when the tickets go on sale. And even if you do that there’s every chance you’ll fall foul of tortuous queueing systems or cruel captchas (‘translate these Egyptian hieroglyphs then solve the resulting anagram’).
Things used to get even worse for those who then dared to dabble in the murky world of second-hand ticket resellers. But recently a heroic band of apps have emerged to connect genuine fans who can no longer make an event with fans who want to buy their ticket for no more than face value.
If you’ve given up hope of getting into that sold-out event you missed out on (for example, this weekend’s boxing at the O2 Arena), our pick of the best second-hand ticket apps might just come to your rescue…
1) The place to start: Twickets (iOS, Android)
The service that started as a humble Twitter account is now our favourite fan-to-fan ticket hub. Its founding principle – all tickets must be sold at face value or less – and virtually tout-proof system mean it’s our go-to place for finding unwanted tickets to sold-out gigs, comedy shows, theatre and sports events. It’s no longer just for Twitter users either.
Sign up for a free account and you can find, buy or sell tickets using its iOS, Android or Windows Phone apps. Its filtered search helps track down events in seconds, and you can now set up alerts to nudge you when someone lists a spare for that gig you agonisingly missed out on. It works well for events that use e-tickets, which you download from Twickets’ server after you’ve coughed up for the ticket (plus 10% commission) via card or Paypal.
But you can also buy physical tickets via post or by meeting the seller at the event. It’s always worked perfectly for us, but the ‘Twickets Guarantee’ ensures you’ll get your money back if anything goes wrong.
2) The mobile muso: Dice (IOS, Android)
This incredibly glossy iOS and Android app for music gigs has two main sells: it doesn’t charge booking fees, and it’s mobile-only to ensure tickets stay tied to their buyers’ smartphones. Which makes it a nightmare for buying spares then, right? Not so. Join its very British waiting list and it’ll tell you when someone with a Dice ticket can no longer make it.
You’ll then have an hour or so to snap up the ticket before it’s passed onto the next person in line. Dice only covers hand-picked music gigs, club nights and festivals in a few British cities, so it’s no Twickets – but it’s a very slick system if the band or DJ you’re desperate to see falls under its limited umbrella.
3) The social experimenter: Vibe (iOS, Android)
It’s name might suggest otherwise, but this app fortunately doesn’t have anything to do with R Kelly. Instead, Vibe is pitching itself as a social network for gig-goers with spare tickets, or a shinier version of the original fan-to-fan ticket exchange, Scarlet Mist.
It doesn’t handle payments, so buyers have to go on the trust of their fellow ‘Vibers’, which its users almost certainly don’t call themselves.
But with chat functionality and a ‘check-in’ option for meeting up with like-minded fans, it’s worth a shot for those who aren’t just after a faceless buyer-seller transaction.
Mark Wilson
Features editor 
