How To Guarantee Your Wolf Trap Tickets

Mar 15, 2017

As soon as summer shows are announced, tens of thousands of fans line up for tickets to see their favorite artists. But, every year, we hear from fans who are disappointed that their favorite show is sold out, or confused because a show they thought was sold out is being touted online in ads.

The PROBLEM: Scalpers and third-party resellers whose sole motivation is to scoop up tickets and profit off of high demand.

The SOLUTION: Plan early and purchase your tickets through Wolf Trap or Tickets.com, Wolf Trap’s only ticket provider.

What is scalping, and why is it a problem?

Scalpers are a serious problem in the music industry. They prey on fans, drive up prices, and create headaches for patrons, artists, and venues. Scalpers purchase tickets and resell them at a higher than face-value price. Their goal is to profit off of high demand, and the problem is often escalated with very popular shows. It’s often hard to tell if tickets showing up on third-party sites are legitimate, because some scalpers sell speculatively, claiming to have inventory that they may not have. Every year, fans are turned away at the gate because they unwittingly purchased counterfeit tickets through scalpers.

What’s Wolf Trap’s position on scalping?

As a not-for-profit organization, accessibility and affordability are a part of Wolf Trap’s mission. Wolf Trap opposes scalping and employs all means within its control to prevent it. Wolf Trap has several measures in place including ticket purchase limits, no resale partnerships, and monitoring and refusal of services and memberships for known scalpers. While group sales are permitted, groups receive personalized concierge service, which helps ensure that group purchases are not being resold. Wolf Trap cannot guarantee tickets sold by third parties – if you purchase through a third-party and there is a problem with your ticket (lost, duplicate, seat/show exchanges, etc.), Wolf Trap may not be able to assist you.

How can I guarantee tickets?

Always know and trust your source for tickets, and plan to buy tickets early, before a show sells out.

Wolf Trap’s ticketing is handled exclusively by the Wolf Trap Box Office and authorized ticket provider Tickets.com. Even when artists offer fan presales, ticketing is handled through Wolf Trap’s systems; Wolf Trap has no affiliation with third-party sites that resell tickets. Tickets for Wolf Trap shows can be purchased online at wolftrap.org or tickets.com, in-person at the Filene Center or The Barns Box Offices. If you are not on wolftrap.org or tickets.com, you are not buying tickets from Wolf Trap.

What about early access to the best seats for your favorite shows?

Many performances sell out before the Summer even starts, and a few shows will sell out within hours or days of going on sale to the public.

Wolf Trap membership has its rewards. Presales for all shows at the Filene Center and The Barns are available to Wolf Trap members, whose tax deductible donations in support of Wolf Trap’s nonprofit mission allow Wolf Trap to offer top-notch artists and award-winning education programs nationwide. Members always have early access to all available seats, so if guaranteeing great seats is important to you, consider becoming a Wolf Trap member to get legitimate tickets before the general public.

Have additional questions? Send us an email at patronservices@wolftrap.org.