UPDATE - 10/12@10:30PM: NOTE: it looks like Ticketmaster did send out an email to fans that also include the code. So that's a good thing - it will be available in that email as well as this link.
The first round of pre-sales for Rush's Fifty Something tour are winding down, and will end tonight at midnight local time. Those pre-sales are sponsored by Citibank (AMEX in Toronto), and require the use of a Citibank (or AMEX) credit card. Next up is the Artist pre-sale, which does NOT require any specific Credit Card, but fans needed to have registered for the pre-sale by this past Thursday at midnight via this link. Fans could select up to 4 shows to participate in, and you can check your selections here, although you will no longer be able to edit them. Also, the registration will have been automatically attached to your Ticketmaster account so no code is required EXCEPT for the Cleveland shows. Cleveland uses Seatgeek, so in that case a CODE IS REQUIRED, and is now available to view at Ticketmaster here on the pre-sale registration page - they are not being emailed out as some of us originally speculated (they are also being emailed out as well). These 8-character, alphanumeric codes look to be unique to the user/show so DO NOT SHARE THEM, although I'm guessing they won't work in someone else's account anyways. One general note about pre-sales; each pre-sale is given an allotment of tickets to make available. So even if the CITI/AMEX pre-sales sell out, that does not have any affect on what's available in subsequent pre-sales. So there will be plenty of tickets/packages available tomorrow. I'd also suggest avoiding the secondary/resale markets until the pre-sales are exhausted and tickets are on sale to the general public.
Preliminary Steps
It's critical that you check your Ticketmaster and/or Seatgeek accounts prior to the sale to make sure all your info is correct and up-to-date. Secondly, confirm that you've signed up for the Artist pre-sale at this link to check your selections and - for the Cleveland shows ONLY - get your access code (and you should have also received an email with the codes). Make a plan for which of your 4 selected show(s) you want to get tickets for, how many, and how much you are willing to spend BEFORE the sale, and be realistic; you will likely be spending at minimum $500 total for a pair of tickets (and those are upper deck). It's also really important to get familiar with the seating chart for the venue(s) you plan to attend. Lastly, don't wait until the actual pre-sale time to get into your TM/Seatgeek account - get there 15-30 minutes early (see below).
Timing
The Artist pre-sales for the 6 US/CAN cities begins tomorrow at 12PM LOCAL VENUE TIME - meaning that first up are Cleveland, Toronto and New York, then Fort Worth and Chicago (12PM CDT) an hour later, and finally LA 2 hours after that (12PM PDT). Ticketmaster will open up their queue 15-30 minutes prior to the pre-sale (this can vary), so log on early to get the best place in line. For the CITI/AMEX pre-sales, it was normal to get in the queue and have tens of thousands of people ahead of you. Don't fret, the queue will die down and you'll eventually get in. Also be careful using multiple browsers/devices linked to the same Ticketmaster account, as this may cause TM to kick you out of the queue (lots of reports of this happening).
Pricing
Although we now have a general idea of the ticket price range, it varies greatly by city/venue and whether the tickets have any VIP package attached. There's also no comprehensive price breakdown anywhere online. From what I've seen, face value tickets run from $120-$1200 (give or take) with the VIP prices much higher, and fees driving it up even further. The Limelight VIP package with front row and a M&G run at least $2500 while the Stick it Out level ones are in the $500 range, and the Closer to the Heart (first several floor rows) around $1K. Your best bet is to do some research online in Rush social media groups/accounts, and talk to people who have already purchased tickets. If you have access to the CITI/AMEX pre-sales, you can also take a look to see what's still available and at what price, but there's not much left at this point.
VIP Experience
Just like in the last pre-sale, VIP and Travel packages will be available and mixed in with all the other face value tickets. Fans can visit this website to see all the details. VIP packages are a good way to ensure you have a seat in the section you want, but they are expensive. Different from past tours, fans ARE able to choose their seats for the VIP. If you filter by the various VIP/Travel packages, it will show you any seats that apply to that package, and you choose the ones you want. Ticketmaster shows the VIP tickets on their interactive seat maps in yellow, with face value tickets in blue. Seatgeek does something similar. Also note that the VIP packages are not transferable and cannot be resold. Again, all the details and an FAQ are available here.
Related Posts:
[What Rush fans need to know for TOMORROW'S 1st round of pre-sales for the band's Fifty Something tour]
[Additional dates added to Rush's Fifty Something tour due to overwhelming demand!]
[Rush to re-form with new drummer Anika Nilles and embark on a 7 city, 12 date Fifty Something tour in 2026!]
