Artist presale guide

ABC Presale 2027: How to Get Tickets, Country by Country

The ABC presale, the real facts, and the one date that matters

The single date in the sale calendar is 7 August 2026. On that Friday the shows went on general sale across both countries, and the platforms named in our data are Ticketek and Ticketmaster, together with the box offices of the individual venues. That is a different structure from the large stadium campaigns of the same season, where fans see an artist window on a Wednesday, a partner window on a Thursday and a public sale on a Friday. For this tour, the structure was simpler, and there is no recorded promoter, card or fan-club allocation in the information we hold, so nothing for a code to attach to. Why does this matter to you now? Because the heavy demand happened months ago, and what is left follows a different pattern. Most of the remaining chances come from three places: seats that were held back by the venue, seats returned by buyers whose plans changed, and shows that are added if the first ones go well. Knowing the source helps you choose how to look. We cover each below, along with a few notes for readers who are not based in Australia or New Zealand and may be unsure how the local rules and platforms work.

An ABC presale for the committed fan: the first-row mindset

If you are the sort of person who wants to be close to the stage, the on-sale day has already passed, so your approach should be to improve your seat rather than to find one. Official platforms let you swap tickets in some cases, and they release batches of seats on the final days before a show. People who want the best view should watch the seat map for the venue's lower tiers around the week of the performance, when production reviews are completed and stalls that were blocked for cameras or monitor desks are sometimes opened. The change is quiet, with no announcement, but it can be significant in older theatres where a few rows near the aisle give an excellent view. A committed fan should also sign up to the venue's own mailing list for each city, because venues sometimes email subscribers when new inventory is released. Remember that a ticket purchase is a contract: if you buy a second ticket to swap your first, you will need to resell the original through the official exchange, and the platform may charge a handling fee. Read the terms before you commit, and avoid holding two tickets for the same night unless you are confident of the swap.

ABC presale logic for fans who want the Sydney and Melbourne shows

Sydney is at the Enmore Theatre on 14 March 2027 and Melbourne is at the Palais Theatre on 11 March 2027, each for a single night. These two venues carry the highest demand because of the size of their local audiences, and one night each means that nothing will be there to catch you if the first fails. The Enmore combines a flat floor with a raised gallery, and the Palais is a classic raked theatre with a stalls area and a dress circle. If your date is fixed, watch both rooms in the last three weeks for returned seats, and make sure your account is logged in on a device you trust so that you do not lose seconds on a password reset. If you are flexible, think about the neighbouring cities. Brisbane's show, on 13 March 2027 at The Fortitude Music Hall, falls between Melbourne and Sydney, and is usually less pressured. A flight on a weekend morning can be an effective way of securing a good seat while seeing a different city. The shows are one after another in the week of 9 to 18 March, so a mini-tour of two cities is possible, but only if you buy both tickets before you commit to the flight.

ABC presale options for casual listeners and one-night-out buyers

Many buyers for a veteran new-wave act are not die-hard collectors. They remember the hits from a school disco or a family car, and they want one pleasant night in a seat with a good sound. For this audience, the trick is to be patient and flexible. Weeknight shows, the less central cities and the middle price tiers often have seats weeks after the first sale. Perth's show at the Astor Theatre on 9 March 2027, Hobart's at the Odeon Theatre on 16 March, and Adelaide's at The Gov on 18 March are all smaller rooms where a casual buyer can often find an acceptable seat without a fight. Smaller rooms have a benefit that bigger tours lack: you can see the stage from nearly anywhere. The downside is that there are not many seats in total, so waiting too long is a gamble. A good rule is to decide on a maximum price and a minimum seat quality, and to buy the first option that meets both. Waiting for a perfect seat can end with nothing at all. The checkout on the official platforms shows the full price including fees, so compare that number with your limit rather than the headline price.

New Zealand: how the ABC presale worked for Auckland and Wellington

The New Zealand pair opens the tour. Auckland is at The Civic on 4 March 2027 and Wellington at the St James Theatre on 7 March 2027. These are historic, ornate theatres, and the seating is on several levels. Sales were handled by the Ticketek and Ticketmaster family, the same as in Australia, on the same 7 August 2026 launch. New Zealand buyers sometimes assume that their country has a different timetable from Australia, but the available data does not suggest one. If you live in Aotearoa, you were in the same queue as everyone else, on the same morning, albeit in a different time zone. Time zones can matter even long after the on-sale. When a platform releases returned tickets or extra inventory at a stated hour, it is usually in Australian eastern time unless the page says otherwise, so a New Zealander may see the release an hour or two later than expected. Always read the time zone on the notice. Our page about New Zealand presales explains the most common patterns in more detail.

Crossing the Tasman: ABC presale planning for visitors

If you are planning to fly from Australia to see the New Zealand shows, or the other way round, know that the two countries have separate platforms for some venues even when the brand is the same. An Australian account does not always carry across, so create the New Zealand login in advance and check that your phone number format is accepted. Most credit cards work in both countries, but some banks flag cross-border bookings, so inform your bank if the transaction is large. Accommodation near a historic theatre is often limited, and the nights of the shows are not the only ones that matter. Allow for a travel day before the show, particularly in March when Australia and New Zealand also host sporting and cultural events. We do not have those dates, so we cannot say which weekends are busiest; the safest approach is to buy the ticket first, then book refundable accommodation, and only then commit to non-refundable flights.

Safe ways to buy when the ABC presale is over: transfers and exchanges

When the early rounds are gone, the next question is how to buy safely from another person. In both countries, the official platforms provide a transfer tool or an exchange that reissues the barcode in the new buyer's name. This is the best route, because it removes any risk of duplication. Independent marketplaces also exist, and they publish their own terms about pricing and guarantees; read those terms and compare the all-in cost before paying. State rules in Australia on resale prices differ and can change, so check the current terms for the state of the event rather than relying on a general rule. A few habits help. Ask the seller to send the ticket through the official transfer function, not as a screenshot. Check that the section, row and seat match the venue map. If the seller offers a price well below face value on a night that is otherwise full, ask why. And if you are the seller, use the official return route, because it protects both parties. For a broader explanation, see our page on resale rules and our guide to presale queues.

What an ABC presale could look like if more dates are announced

Nothing in the data says that more dates are coming, and it would be speculation to predict them. But if the band adds shows, the pattern from other heritage tours is that the extra nights go to general sale quickly, with at most a short mailing-list head start. Extra dates are often announced a few weeks before the first show, once the promoter sees the demand. In that scenario the best preparation is exactly what it was for the original sale: have your accounts ready, your payment saved and your group agreed. It is also possible that a later announcement covers new territories, such as a British, European or North American run. We do not have any such dates, and we will not invent them. If an announcement happens, the usual pattern in the United Kingdom is a presale for subscribers on a Wednesday or Thursday and a general sale on a Friday, which you can read about on our United Kingdom page. We will only mention it here when it is real.

ABC presale FAQ

Below are the questions that come up most often for this tour. The answers are based on the information in our network at the time of writing: a general sale on 7 August 2026 and shows in New Zealand and Australia from 4 to 18 March 2027. If anything is changed by the promoter, the official platform will show it first, and you should always check the current terms for the show you plan to attend. None of this guarantees a seat, and a platform may apply ticket limits, booking fees and refund conditions that are not described here, so read the checkout page closely and keep your confirmation email until the night of the show.

Was there an ABC presale for The Lexicon of Love Tour 2027?

Our records do not show one. They show general sale opening on Friday 7 August 2026 through Ticketek, Ticketmaster and the venues' box offices, with no artist, fan-club or card window listed. It is possible that a venue mailing list received a short head start, which happens on theatre tours, but we cannot confirm it. If someone advertises an exclusive early link, ask them for an official source before paying anything. Official access is always issued by the platform or venue, never through a stranger, and we do not publish codes. If you do find an official notice that we missed, the alert form on this page lets you tell us, and we will update the facts here.

Where are the ABC presale seats now, if the sale was in August?

They are in three places: unsold inventory in the less pressured cities, seats returned through the official exchange, and rows released by the venue close to the date. Check the booking page for each venue every few days, particularly in the fortnight before the show. For popular nights in Sydney and Melbourne, patience helps, because returned tickets appear without warning and often disappear within minutes. An alert from us tells you about major changes, but the platform pages are the real source for seats, so keep them bookmarked. It is a good idea to decide in advance how much more you would pay for a better view, so that you can act in seconds when a row appears rather than debating it.

Is an ABC presale likely if the tour gets extra dates?

Possibly a short one, but you should not count on it. Extra nights usually appear on general sale, sometimes with a mailing-list head start of a day or less. The safest approach is to be signed up to the venue lists, the platform accounts and our alerts, and to have payment details ready. If a new run in another country is announced, the type of presale will depend on the market, and we will explain it on this page only after an official announcement. Until then, treat rumours with caution. Remember that a short head start usually favours people who are already registered, so the work you do beforehand is what counts.

Can I use an ABC presale route if I live overseas?

Yes, with a little preparation. The platforms accept international cards, but a few ask for a local phone format or a billing address that fits their form. Create the account early, test the checkout with a small purchase if possible, and tell your bank about the transaction. Choose a city with a straightforward flight and make sure the date works for your work calendar. Keep in mind that the rooms are theatre-sized, so a single missed purchase can leave no near alternative. If a payment fails twice, stop and contact your bank before trying again, as repeated attempts can lock the card and cost you the window.