Presale type

O2 Priority Tickets in 2027: How the UK Mobile Presale Works

How O2 Priority Tickets work

When a tour is announced in Britain, the promoter decides which partners will receive early allocations. If O2 Priority is one of them, the announcement or the event page will normally say so, often with a line such as "O2 Priority presale from Wednesday at 10am". At that time, eligible customers open the Priority app, find the event and follow the link to buy, which in most cases takes them to a Ticketmaster checkout tied to the Priority allocation. Tickets are sold at the same face values as the later general sale; O2 states that there is no extra cost for getting tickets early, although standard booking fees from the ticket agent still apply. The window usually stays open until shortly before the next stage of the sale, or until the allocation sells out, whichever comes first. For popular shows the second outcome is common, and the first minutes after the start time are the most important part of the whole process.

The 48-hour O2 Priority window in practice

The typical shape of an O2 Priority sale is visible in the tours we track. For Ayra Starr's London date on 2 February 2027, O2 Priority opened alongside the artist presale on Wednesday 14 October 2026 at 10am UK time, followed by a Live Nation presale on the Thursday morning, a Spotify window at noon and the general sale on Friday 16 October. Nickelback's British dates followed a similar pattern, with an artist presale on Tuesday 13 October, O2 Priority on the Wednesday alongside OVO and Co-op presales, Live Nation on Thursday and the general sale on Friday. That 48-hour lead is the defining feature of the scheme: it gives customers two days before the public, but it usually overlaps with other early windows, so you are rarely the only group in line. Treat the Wednesday window as a strong chance rather than a guarantee, and keep the later windows in your plan in case the Priority allocation sells out first.

Who qualifies for O2 Priority

According to O2's help pages at the time of writing, Priority is available to O2 customers on both pay monthly and pay-as-you-go plans, and to Virgin Media customers. There is no separate membership fee: access is presented as a benefit of being a customer, and you register in the Priority app with your account details. Business accounts and some types of plan may be treated differently, so if you are unsure, check eligibility in the app before a sale rather than on the morning itself. A point that confuses many people is that several other mobile brands use O2's network infrastructure. Being on such a network does not by itself make you an O2 customer for Priority purposes; the scheme is tied to having an account with O2 or Virgin Media directly. If you are thinking of switching provider partly for presale access, read the current Priority terms carefully first, because benefits can change and early access never guarantees tickets for any particular show.

Virgin Media customers and O2 Priority

Since the merger that created Virgin Media O2, Priority has been extended beyond mobile customers. O2's help pages state that Virgin Media broadband, TV and landline customers can join Priority by downloading the app, at no extra cost. For households that use Virgin Media for home services but a different mobile network, that means O2 Priority presales may be available without changing phone contract. The registration process links your Virgin Media account to the Priority app, and from then on the same events and windows appear as they do for O2 mobile customers. Some offers within the wider Priority programme can differ between customer groups, so it is worth checking that ticket presales show up in your app well before a sale you care about. If they do not, contact Virgin Media O2's support rather than assuming you are excluded, as the problem is often an incomplete account link rather than an eligibility rule.

The O2 Priority app and the Ticketmaster checkout

Since 11 August 2025, Priority has been accessed through the Priority app rather than the website, as reported at the time when Virgin Media O2 ended web access to its rewards. Ticket presales still complete on Ticketmaster in most cases: you start in the Priority app, are logged into your Priority account, and are redirected to Ticketmaster to choose seats and pay. That two-step journey has practical consequences. You need to be logged in to both the Priority app and a Ticketmaster account, ideally the day before, and your payment card on Ticketmaster should be up to date. Switching between apps and a browser on the same phone can create delays, so some fans keep the Priority app on their phone and use it only to reach the event, while completing the purchase on the same device without closing anything. Whatever approach you choose, test the route on a smaller event or simply browse the Priority ticket section in advance so that nothing is unfamiliar on the morning.

Setting up the O2 Priority app before a sale

A few minutes of preparation remove most of the problems people report. Install or update the Priority app, sign in and confirm that the account is linked to your current O2 or Virgin Media plan. Turn on notifications, because new presales are often added to the app shortly after a tour is announced. Next, log in to your Ticketmaster account, check the email address, mobile number and billing address, and store the card you intend to use. If a sale involves a venue or agent other than Ticketmaster, register with that agent too. On the day, open the Priority app ten minutes before the start time, find the event and wait on the event page rather than repeatedly closing and reopening the app. Use one device and a stable connection, and avoid opening several browser tabs for the same account, which can trigger security checks. Finally, decide in advance how many tickets you need and which price bands you are willing to pay, so you can act quickly when you reach the seat selection.

Allocations, quotas and limits in O2 Priority

The single most important thing to understand about O2 Priority is that it releases an allocation, not the whole venue. The promoter decides how many tickets each partner receives, and those figures are rarely published. For a large arena show, the Priority share may be a few thousand tickets spread across price bands; for a small theatre or club date it may be far fewer. When demand is high, the Priority allocation can sell out within minutes, even though more tickets will be released in later windows and at the general sale. Ticket limits are set event by event and are shown on the purchase page; they are sometimes lower in a presale than at the general sale, and they usually apply across your whole account and payment card. Buying the maximum in the Priority window may prevent you from buying again later for the same date. If you need tickets for a group, agree who is buying before the window opens to avoid wasted attempts or duplicate orders.

O2 Priority and the O2-branded venues

O2's presence in British live music goes beyond the app. The company holds naming rights to The O2 in London and, under a long-running agreement with Academy Music Group and Live Nation, to the O2 Academy network of around nineteen venues in thirteen UK cities, from Brixton to Glasgow. In July 2026 the Belfast arena previously known as The SSE Arena became The O2 Belfast, and Virgin Media O2 has since promoted O2 Priority presale access for newly announced shows there, up to 48 hours before general sale. These links mean Priority presales are especially common for shows at O2-named venues, although they are by no means limited to them: the scheme also offers early access for tours playing arenas and stadiums with other sponsors. If a tour you follow is playing an O2-branded venue, it is reasonable to expect a Priority window, but only the official announcement confirms one, and some tours at those venues do not include it.

Venue perks linked to O2 Priority

Beyond presales, the Priority programme has offered extras at some O2 venues, and these can matter as much as early access on the night itself. Virgin Media O2 has promoted benefits such as queue-skip entry and cloakroom offers for customers at certain O2 venues, and the Blueroom at The O2 in London has hosted private shows offered to Priority members by ballot in past years. For The O2 Belfast, Virgin Media O2 announced that Priority members would be able to access an O2 Blueroom at the arena from September 2026, reserved through the Priority app. These perks vary between venues and change over time, and they are usually allocated separately from tickets, so check what is available in the app for the specific venue and date you are attending. None of these extras replaces having a valid ticket, and the availability of a lounge or fast-track entry should not be assumed simply because a venue carries the O2 name.

O2 Priority compared with Three, Vodafone and other presales

Other mobile brands in Britain offer rewards too, but none has built a presale strand as consistent as O2 Priority. Three UK has historically listed music presales in its Three+ app, where customers generate an access code on the morning of a sale. Vodafone's VeryMe Rewards has focused more on competitions and offers, such as ticket draws for major sporting and cultural events. Since Vodafone UK and Three UK combined as VodafoneThree in 2025, both rewards apps have continued at the time of writing, but no detailed plan for their presale offers in 2027 has been published. Outside the mobile market, Nickelback's British sale showed how a network window can sit beside retail and energy-company presales from brands such as Co-op and OVO, as well as American Express card presales on some tours, such as Harry Styles' 2027 London dates. In Ireland, where O2 no longer operates as a network, the closest equivalent is the Three Ireland presale.

O2 Priority versus artist and Live Nation windows

Many British tours stack an O2 Priority window alongside an artist presale and a Live Nation presale, and fans often ask which one gives the best chance. There is no fixed answer, because allocations are set per tour and are not published. Artist presales often open first and may require registration days in advance, while Live Nation's window tends to follow on the Thursday. O2 Priority's advantage is predictability: if you are eligible, you do not need to register for each tour, and the window appears in the app automatically. Its disadvantage is the size of the eligible audience, which is very large. The sensible approach is to use every window you qualify for, one after another, while respecting ticket limits. If you are eligible for an artist presale on Tuesday or Wednesday and O2 Priority on Wednesday, you effectively have two attempts before Thursday's promoter window and Friday's general sale, and that is what makes being prepared across several routes valuable.

Getting the most from an O2 Priority presale

The steps below bring together the practical points from this page into a short routine for the week of a sale. They assume the common British pattern, with an O2 Priority window on Wednesday and the general sale on Friday, so adjust them if the announcement shows different days or times. The aim is to remove avoidable problems, such as an expired card, a logged-out account or a missed notification, so that the only uncertainty left is the size of the allocation and the level of demand, which nobody can control. For a broader preparation guide covering devices, browsers and payment checks, see our presale day checklist, and for an explanation of how virtual queues behave once a window opens, read our presale queue guide. The UK presale guide sets O2 Priority in the context of the wider British on-sale week, including artist, promoter and card presales.

1. Follow the tour with 🔔 Alert me so you hear when an O2 Priority window is confirmed.
2. Check your eligibility in the Priority app and confirm the event appears there once the presale is listed.
3. Log in to Ticketmaster or the named agent the day before and update your card and contact details.
4. Note the ticket limit and decide which price bands you are prepared to pay before the window opens.
5. Open the app ten minutes early on the day and move to the event page on one device.
6. If the allocation sells out, move on to the Live Nation window, the general sale and other cities on the tour.

O2 Priority FAQ

These questions cover the points we are asked about most often by people preparing for an O2 Priority sale. The answers describe the position at the time of writing, based on Virgin Media O2's published help information and the sales we have tracked for 2027 tours. Because rewards programmes are updated regularly, always check the current terms in the Priority app before relying on any detail, particularly on eligibility and limits. We are not connected to Virgin Media O2 and cannot grant access to its presales, check accounts or resolve problems with purchases; those questions belong with Virgin Media O2's support team or the ticket agent. We also never publish, sell or share codes or access links for any presale. Our role is narrower and simpler: we track when tours announce an O2 Priority window and send an email to anyone following that tour, so you can be ready when it opens. Use the alert form on this page to receive those notices.

Does O2 Priority cost extra?

Access to O2 Priority itself does not involve a separate membership fee for eligible customers; it is presented as a benefit of being an O2 or Virgin Media customer. Tickets bought through a Priority presale are sold at the same face values as standard tickets, and O2's help pages state that there is no extra cost for getting tickets early. The ticket agent's usual booking or service fees still apply at checkout, as they would at the general sale. Some events offer VIP packages or hospitality options during the presale, and these carry higher prices for the extras they include rather than any Priority surcharge. If a tour uses tiered pricing, the price you see during the Priority window can vary by band, and cheaper tiers may sell out during the presale. Since the investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority into the Oasis sale, Ticketmaster has committed to telling fans in advance when an event uses tiered pricing, which helps you plan your budget.

Can I use O2 Priority for shows in Ireland?

Generally not for shows in the Republic. O2 Priority is a programme of Virgin Media O2 in the United Kingdom, and O2's former Irish mobile business has been part of Three Ireland since 2015. Irish dates on a joint UK and Ireland tour normally sell through Irish partners, such as Three Ireland's Three+ app, promoter lists and artist presales, with prices in euro. Occasionally a tour's presale announcement lists O2 Priority for the whole UK and Ireland leg, and our data includes one such case for a Dublin date, so always read the specific Irish event page to see which windows actually apply there. Shows in Belfast are a different matter: Belfast is part of the UK market, and O2 Priority presales do apply there, including at The O2 Belfast. If you are flexible about location, comparing the Belfast and Dublin dates can give you two different sets of presale windows for the same tour.

What happens if the O2 Priority allocation sells out?

It means only that the share of tickets set aside for Priority has gone, not that the show is sold out. Most British tours with an O2 Priority window also run other early sales and a general sale afterwards, each with its own allocation. If you miss out on Wednesday, the Live Nation presale on Thursday and the general sale on Friday are still ahead, and other cities on the same tour may have their own Priority windows or more availability. Promoters frequently add dates after strong early demand, and those new dates sometimes come with a fresh Priority window. Closer to the event, production releases and face-value resale through the official exchange can return tickets to sale. Ticketmaster has said its UK resale service has been capped at the original price paid since 2018. Keep following the tour so that you hear about added dates, and check the official exchange regularly in the final weeks before the concert rather than giving up after the first morning.

Is O2 Priority changing for 2027?

At the time of writing, no major change to the O2 Priority ticket presale scheme for 2027 has been announced. The most recent significant change we know of was the move to app-only access in August 2025, after which purchases continued through Ticketmaster. The programme has also been extended over the years to Virgin Media customers and, in 2026, to The O2 Belfast. Wider changes in the market could still affect how presales feel in 2027. The government's draft Ticket Tout Ban Bill, announced in the King's Speech of May 2026, proposes capping resale at the original price, but it was presented as a draft for consultation rather than a law with a confirmed start date. If it is eventually passed, it could reduce speculative buying in presales. Any change to Priority eligibility, timing or allocations will be published by Virgin Media O2, and we will reflect confirmed changes in our alerts and on this page.