Click here to learn how to score tickets to the best concerts and shows in 2019!
The popularity of streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music means that artists can’t rely on record sales to make their money anymore. Instead, they’re turning to tours–and people will shell out tons of money to see a live show. In 2017 alone, the concert industry made eight billion dollars.
That means that there are a lot of artists putting on amazing shows this year that you’re not going to want to miss. There’s stiff competition for tickets, though, since the big-name concerts are so popular. So how do you get tickets?
We’ve got your back. Read on to discover the best concerts of 2019–and how you can get tickets.
Best Pop
Pop artists tend to draw some of the biggest crowds at concerts, and pop music’s biggest names have shows scheduled through the end of 2019. These are our favorites:
Lady Gaga
From her breakout debut “Just Dance” to her Oscar-winning performance in A Star Is Born, Lady Gaga has proven that she has the versatility and talent worthy of a pop culture icon. While she’s not on tour right now, she does have a show-stopping Las Vegas residency that will run through May 2020.
You can choose from two different shows. If you want to see her trademark theatrics and hear all her biggest hits, head to “Enigma.” If you’re looking to hear her show off that classical training, though, get tickets to her “Jazz & Piano” show.
Either one is sure to be one of the best shows you’ve ever seen.
Ariana Grande
Nicki Minaj said it best in her 2016 collaboration with Ari–“Young Ariana run pop.”
That’s never been truer than in the past year and a half. Ariana Grande dropped two albums: the Grammy-winning Sweetener and chart-topping thank u, next, which was written after her public breakup with Pete Davidson and the death of her ex-boyfriend, the rapper Mac Miller.
The singles from both albums have been topping the charts for months. You can hear her perform them and the rest of her hits on the Sweetener tour, ending in December.
Best Rock
Besides pop, rock acts bring in the biggest crowds and the most money. There are two classic rock acts touring in 2019 that you’re not going to want to miss!
Queen and Adam Lambert
You might know Adam Lambert from American Idol. You know Queen because…well, it’s Queen.
Although they famously lost frontman Freddie Mercury to AIDS in 1991, the remaining members of Queen are still touring–and putting on amazing shows. Adam Lambert is currently filling in the role of lead singer as the band performs all of their greatest hits.
Go watch Bohemian Rhapsody, fall in love with the band all over again, and then see them on tour.
The Rolling Stones
The creators of iconic rock songs and some of the most memorable moments in pop culture are still touring, more than fifty years after their formation in 1962. Although their tour had to be rescheduled for Mick Jagger’s heart surgery, the band is back at it and touring through the end of the month.
They’ll be playing the biggest hits from their albums from 1971 all the way up to 2016, along with some fan-favorite deep cuts. Rumor has it they still bring an incredible amount of energy to the stage, electrifying the crowd every time they perform. Don’t miss this chance to see the Stones live.
Best Musicals
Of course, it’s not just recording artists who are going on tour and putting on fantastic shows. If musical theater is more your style, we’ve got some shows for you, too. Make sure you see them when they come to your city!
Rent 20th Anniversary Tour
Rent first opened on Broadway in 1996, but it’s still on its 20th-anniversary tour.
Even people who aren’t big into musical theater have heard of this show–it’s one of the most popular musicals of all time. It finally ended its Broadway production in 2008 after 12 years, making it one of the longest-running Broadway shows of all time.
If you never got a chance to see it on Broadway, now is the time to find your fellow RENT-heads and get tickets to its anniversary tour.
Hamilton
Who would have thought that a hip-hop musical about one of the United States’ founding fathers would become one of the most popular musicals of all time?
It’s famously difficult to get tickets to the Broadway production of Hamilton, but now that it’s touring various cities, your odds of seeing it have definitely gotten better.
The multi-award-winning musical (seriously–Tonys, Grammys, a Pulitzer prize…) is currently touring, with no signs of slowing down. Although the show’s creator Lin-Manuel Miranda is no longer part of the cast, you’re still going to want to be in the room where it happens.
How to Score Tickets
So how do you make sure that you get tickets to all of these great concerts?
You don’t have to stress about fighting other fans for access to the best seats. For shows like Rent, you can use this site to get presale codes. Presales get you access to buy tickets before the rest of the general public, so you don’t have to worry about spending tons of money on a back-row seat.
It might seem old-fashioned, but to get tickets to these shows without all the fees, you can also buy directly from the box office. It does require you to actually drive to the local box office, but you’ll avoid spending all the extra money that’s usually tacked onto the ticket price.
Head to the Best Concerts of 2019
No matter what your music tastes are, there’s bound to be a concert or show that you’ll love this year. With this guide, you can score tickets to the absolute best concerts of 2019. This isn’t even the full list–there are even more great shows that we didn’t have space for here!
Don’t see any shows near you? Take a trip to the closest show and make a vacation out of it. While you’re at it, check out our tips for creating the perfect vacation playlist.
