Feeling excited to go watch your preferred musician or a band in their next concert? Thinking when they will release their schedule so that one can book their dates to be part of such a tour? It never happens at any particular time, but here is some information about the normal tour announcement cycle.
Headliner Tours With major headlining artists and bands performing in arenas and stadiums, tour announcements are usually made 4-6 months before the first show. Large tours require much planning and advertising, so performers prefer to provide the audience with enough advance notice, for them to request time off work, book accommodations and set money aside for purchasing tickets and merchandise.
However, International pop icons such as Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, and the Rolling Stone group know to schedule their concerts as little as 1-2 months before. If you have millions of people who adore you and would set up a date to see your film in a minute, there is no need for years of promotion.
Sometimes headliners release the first run of dates 6 months in advance, then add more runs at a later date. This enables one to incorporate new cities and dates into the route in case early dates sell out quickly. It is better to announce multiple legs over time to build up interest and keep the momentum going.
Opening Acts When it comes to opening acts for major tours, they tend to be named 1-3 months before the tour’s commencement and the cities they are slated for. The headline act is usually revealed in bits over several weeks to keep the audience guessing as well as interested.
Secondary Markets For example, artists may state that they will be touring secondary markets such as Australia, Asia, Latin America, and Europe in 2-4 months. These markets have a huge fan base but need more organizational planning compared to the US and Canada tours.
Clubs and Theaters, Bands In the case of bands that will be performing in less significant settings such as clubs, theaters, and ballrooms, tour announcements are usually made between four to six weeks before the actual show. It is considerably easier for these artists to coordinate a club tour than a large-scale arena show so they should be able to solidify their plans with relatively little notice.
Of course, it is expected that the warning is anywhere from 6-8 weeks but some independent bands go as far as giving only 2-4 weeks of warning before the start of the tour. These are last minute and have the effect of catering to the most dedicated local fans who can constantly check the band’s website and Twitter.
The short announcement period is another plus for the band because it helps to determine the level of interest and increase the amount of dates offered. If a hall with a capacity of 650 people sells 400 tickets within a week, the band may announce a second concert due to demand.
Album Tours It is often found that a tour is announced either before or simultaneously as a new album is being prepared. Listeners appreciate new songs and, especially, live concerts, which means that the show offers a strong incentive for people to go out and spend money.
Next album drops are announced sometimes even months in advance, but the definite tour dates stick to the normal parameters. But the album preorder bundles give the fans the opportunity to get the tickets a few weeks before the general public does.
Exceptions to Typical Timelines While 4-6 months is the standard for major tour announcements, many exceptions exist: While 4-6 months is the standard for major tour announcements, many exceptions exist:
Reunion Tours When great bands like Rage Against the Machine, My Chemical Romance, or Swedish House Mafia come back together after years apart, they tend to schedule new concert dates with very short notice. They hear rumors of rejoicing and then tour dates are announced on social media shortly after. Super fans have described the desire to support impulsive travel plans to see these once dormant groups back together.
Rescheduled Tours Most 2020 and 2021 tours are either rescheduled for 2022 or 2023 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With return plans emerging based on public health measures, artists and bands offered continuous updates. It was ok to give short notice as these were new dates to replace the canceled tours and not entirely new tours. Audiences also kept their expectations low and were willing to adapt to the changes.
Farewell Tours For instance, when artists like Ozzy Osbourne, Elton John, or Kiss proclaim their subsequent albums and their concerts as their last, fans’ interest grows significantly. Waiting for 4-6 months does not seem logical. In some farewell cases, the first date on which the case has to be available for sale is as soon as a couple of weeks after the first announcement. Ticket selling is swift and mostly favors the most connected fans who frequently check up on websites and the fan club pre-sale options.
One-Off Shows If artists wish to preview new cities, venues, or stage setups for an upcoming tour, they may play a one-off regional show or festival many months before the tour is announced. Such events are special and suggest to the audience what the company has in store for them.
Seasonal Tours For instance, some artists visit summer amphitheaters and festivals or winter arenas depending on the demand of the fans during different seasons. Once they select consistent seasons, then fans are well aware of the time when new concert dates should be expected despite the absence of particular place information.
How do artists let their audiences know about the upcoming tours? Most of the tour announcements are done through Facebook, Twitter, and other newsletters. Social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or the official websites of the artists are usually given the first privilege of the tour poster images or announcements.
Artists might even work with streaming services like Spotify to make special playlists that contain songs from the tour, behind-the-scenes footage, or even a themed artist’s radio station, for example at the time of the tour announcement.
Fans who are registered with the various artist fan clubs, newsletters, and mailing lists are privileged to be notified as soon as the tour dates are released on the media and the internet. The major artists set up games and puzzles for the fans to solve in order to unlock cities and dates in an online scavenger hunt.
If provided, Spotify preorder links include fans to early ticket and or merch bundles before the general public is informed. Access code links are also forwarded around to only extremely dedicated fans first.
Once announcements go online, music publications quickly disseminate and relay fresh news. Some artists like Beyoncé might even engage in synchronizing press conferences or television appearances to declare enormous stadium tour agendas.
When Are Tickets Available? Ticket on-sales also follow a typical industry schedule: Ticket on-sales also follow a typical industry schedule:
Fan Club Presales: 1-7 days before general on-sale Artist Website Presales: 1 to 3 days before the release to the public. Spotify Presales: 1-3 days before the on-sale date Radio Presales: One day before on-sale Venue Presales: General On-Sale General On-Sale: This is from a few days to several months after the tour announcement.
This tiered structure on its initial level of addressing its followers, is going to reward the most loyal ones. Before performances take place, most floor tickets and good seats are sold immediately. But there are always die-hard fans who turn up when the tickets are on general sale in the hope of getting whatever is left.
In Conclusion, Of course, there are no strict guidelines here either! Tour coordination involves many factors such as recording events like the progress of recording, health complications, schedule changes, etc. Artists, however, take their time and finalize their plans when they feel that the time is right.
However, understanding general industry trends gives the fans knowledge of historical patterns of when they should expect tour news based on artists’ type and size. You will get those fabulous concert tickets within no time with the right combination of patience and persistence.
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