Artist presale guide

Empire of the Sun Presale 2027: How to Get Tickets, Country by Country

Wednesday 16 September: the first Empire of the Sun presale day

The opening day of any staged sale is usually the one with the narrowest door. Our data records pre-sales on 16 and 17 September but does not break out exactly which group had which day, and it does not name the programme in each case. In Australia and New Zealand, the first slot of a ladder is commonly reserved for the artist's own list, meaning people who registered through the official website or a mailing list. The second slot often goes to partners such as a bank, a mobile network or the venue. Because the announcement text we hold does not specify, we avoid guessing which was which. What can be said is that the first day carries the greatest advantage for people who did their homework. Registered fans have the freedom to choose from the full seat map, including the front sections of the arenas and the best-positioned rows on the grass or terraces of the outdoor venues. Those who wait for the public sale are looking at what remains after two days of selection. If you want to understand how artist windows work in general, see our page on artist presales, and for the general rules of the country, our page about Australia.

Thursday 17 September: the second Empire of the Sun presale rung

The second day tends to be where partners and venue lists get their turn. In Australia that can include card-issuer programmes, telecom offers and local venue members, each with a different sign-up and a different level of competition. Our data does not say which of these was used for this tour, and we will not name a programme without a source. What we can say is that the second day often has broader eligibility but also a larger crowd, because far more people qualify. A fan who has two possible routes into the second window should use the one with the lower competition, which is often the venue's own list. Regardless of the route, the experience on the day follows a standard pattern. A waiting room opens a few minutes before the start time, each visitor is assigned a random position, and a counter shows the estimated wait. Once you reach the front, you have a few minutes to select seats and pay. A common mistake is to refresh the page; doing so can send you to the back of the queue. Stay put, keep one tab open and wait. Our page about the presale queue explains the mechanics in more detail.

Empire of the Sun presale windows for outdoor shows in Brisbane and Melbourne

Two of the six Australian dates are outdoors: Riverstage in Brisbane on 21 February 2027 and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne on 27 February. Outdoor venues change what people want from the seat map. A grass area in front of the stage can be the most popular zone, but it is exposed to rain and sun. A raised terrace may offer a drier and more comfortable view, but at a distance. Late summer in both cities brings heat and the occasional storm, so read the venue's weather policy, which says what happens if a show is delayed or cut short. Plan what you will wear and bring in line with the venue's bag and bottle rules, which are published on the venue pages. Also read the entry policy for chairs and rugs, which differs between the two. In some outdoor venues, tickets for the grass area are general admission with no seat number, and the first arrivals take the best positions, which means the time you arrive matters as much as the ticket you hold. This is a practical difference compared with the enclosed arenas in Auckland, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth.

Friday 18 September and the general Empire of the Sun presale aftermath

By the time the public sale opened on Friday 18 September 2026, a good share of the best seats had already gone. The general sale had Ticketek and Ticketmaster as the main platforms, and the venues' box offices were also available. This is the day on which many casual fans buy, including people who heard about the tour from friends or from a news item. The queue is usually long, and the sold-out label can appear on the most popular nights within hours. The shows in Sydney and Melbourne, which are large and located in the biggest markets, are the most sensitive to this effect. If you were not able to buy on the Friday, do not assume everything is gone. Large arenas hold back sections that need a final sightline check, and the promoter releases them a few weeks before the show. The official exchange also shows returns daily. In arenas like Spark Arena and RAC Arena, with several thousand seats on different levels, a determined buyer will usually find something. The challenge is to decide quickly when a ticket appears, because the window to complete a purchase can be less than a minute.

Six cities, one Empire of the Sun presale story: reading the route

The route begins in New Zealand with a single arena night, crosses the Tasman to Brisbane, goes down the east coast to Sydney and Melbourne, then moves west to Adelaide on 2 March and Perth on 6 March 2027. For travellers, this order creates opportunities. A fan in Brisbane who cannot get a ticket for their home show has an easy flight to Sydney four days later. A Perth fan with no seat could look at Adelaide, which is closer than the east coast, but a flight across the country still costs real money and time. Each city has its own local pattern. Sydney's show is at an arena in the Olympic Park district, which has good public transport but is busy on the night. Adelaide's date at the Entertainment Centre is a relatively intimate arena, with a reputation for good sound. Perth's RAC Arena is the final date and, because it is the last, it carries an air of occasion. Check the box office pages for each of these, and read our page about the New Zealand market if you plan to start your trip in Auckland.

Empire of the Sun presale tactics for travellers from the UK, Europe and Asia

Fans from other regions often look at the Australasian leg because a band known for spectacular visuals is playing in its home territory. The time difference is the first thing to manage: a sale opening at 10am in Sydney is the previous evening in London, so you could be buying after dinner. The second thing is currency, since prices are in Australian or New Zealand dollars and your card may charge a conversion fee. The third is entry rules: some countries require a visa or travel authority for Australia, which needs to be arranged before you book flights. Many visitors combine the tour with a holiday, and the late-summer timing is attractive. Book the concert ticket first and keep the receipt, since you may need to show it to your insurer if a date changes. Be careful about packages from third parties which bundle tickets with flights and hotels; check the terms and confirm that the ticket is for the right date and section. Do not rely on any promise of guaranteed entry from someone who is not the platform itself.

Resale and transfers after the Empire of the Sun presale days

Once the staged sale is over, the market turns to the second-hand route. Ticketek and Ticketmaster each offer an official exchange or transfer function in Australia and New Zealand, and these re-issue the barcode in the new owner's name, which is what makes them safe. Independent marketplaces also operate, with their own terms. State rules in Australia limit resale prices for certain events, and those rules can change; check the current terms for the state where the show takes place rather than relying on a summary, and read the platform's policy on refunds if a date is postponed. Always compare the total price, including fees, with the original face value. If a seller asks for payment outside the platform, or insists on sending the ticket as a screenshot, step away. For a wider guide, read our page about resale rules. If you are the seller, use the official return route so that the buyer is protected and your account is not flagged. A good seller also provides the exact section and row, so that the buyer can check them against the venue's map before agreeing.

An Empire of the Sun presale checklist for the next announcement

Bands with elaborate stage shows often return to the same territories, and a tour of this kind may be followed by festival slots or extra shows. We have no such dates in our data and will not make them up. What you can do is keep your preparation current. Check that your ticketing accounts are signed in and that the payment cards are valid. Join the band's mailing list and the venue lists in your own city. Decide in advance how many tickets you will buy and for whom, so that nothing needs debate during the sale. Then set an alert on this page so that we can tell you when and where the next window opens, whether it is an artist signup, a partner programme or a general on-sale. On the day of a future sale, use a stable connection, close extra apps and be at your device a few minutes early. The best result is a calm purchase, not a frantic one, and a ready person usually beats a fast one. Keep the confirmation email until the show is over.

Empire of the Sun presale FAQ

These answers are based on the information in our network at the time of writing: pre-sales on 16 and 17 September 2026, general sale on 18 September 2026, and six tour cities listed between 19 February and 6 March 2027. We have not recorded any announcement for other regions. Check the current terms on the official platform for the show you want before you pay, since conditions can change. Nothing on this page guarantees availability, and the checkout screen of the platform you use will show the ticket limit, the fees and the refund conditions that apply to your order, which are the details that matter in the end. If you notice a conflict between this page and an official notice, believe the notice.

When was the Empire of the Sun presale?

Our records show pre-sales on 16 and 17 September 2026, with general sale on Friday 18 September 2026 at the Ticketek, Ticketmaster and venue box-office outlets. The exact split of who could buy on which day is not stated in our data. The windows are now closed, so the remaining routes are the official exchange, returned tickets and released production seats. Check the listing for your city regularly in the weeks before the show. Keep your confirmation emails and screenshots of the order page, since they help if you ever need support from the platform about a duplicate or a missing ticket.

How can I get access to an Empire of the Sun presale in future?

By being registered where the official access is issued: the band's mailing list, the venue lists, the ticketing accounts and, where relevant, the card or operator programmes that partner with promoters. No code is for sale, and we do not publish any. When the next window opens, our alert tells you the day, hour and platform, and the official channel then provides the access. If you are asked to pay a stranger for early access, decline, because it is not how the system works. The lists cost nothing to join, and the habit of being signed up before an announcement is what separates people who get seats from people who only watch the queue.

Are the outdoor Empire of the Sun presale shows different?

In practice, yes. Riverstage in Brisbane and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne have grass and terrace areas, weather policies and sometimes general-admission zones. Read the venue's conditions before you buy, including what happens in heavy rain or extreme heat, and what you may bring in. The seat map at the time of purchase shows which areas are numbered and which are not, and that detail should guide your choice more than the price alone. Also note that a general-admission area has no assigned spot, so arrival time and the venue gate rules become part of the plan. Check the gates-open time too.

Is there an Empire of the Sun presale outside Australia and New Zealand?

Not in our records. The only 2027 dates we hold are the six listed above, one in New Zealand and five in Australia. If a European, British or North American run is announced, the sales structure would depend on the market, with a typical artist signup followed by partner windows and a general sale. Until an official announcement exists, treat rumours as unconfirmed, and use the alert form here to hear about it as soon as it is real. Even then, nothing would be guaranteed, since each market sets its own rules for names, limits and resale. Check back with us whenever the news changes.