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The Emotional Rollercoster of Trying to Get Beyoncé Presale Tickets

The BeyHive doesn't play.

-by Michael Arceneaux

I greet the start of each Beyoncé world tour with equal parts excitement and trepidation. I’m excited for obvious reasons, but the process to get that tour date of my choosing freaks me out every single time. Every single time, y’all. When it comes to attending a Beyoncé concert, you either climax or you have a panic attack. There is no in between.

First, you have to make sure you have your funds together. There had been rumors of a stadium tour on the horizon for some time now, but Beyoncé doesn’t tend to give you much in the ways of confirmation until it’s very close to go time. At best, she’ll give you a few days notice and essentially tells you, “Run me my money, bitch.”

She does not give a damn. You either have it or you don’t. You either find a way or make one. What do I do? I run her her damn money. I don’t toy with the King when she calls on me.

Mere seconds after the Formation World Tour commercial aired during the Super Bowl, the people around me were talking about their next paycheck, their savings, their tax returns, their credit cards, or figuring out which Trump they could shake down for tour ticket money. The same sentiments were echoed online. We have to do what we have to do. Can I get a uh oh?

Financial responsibilities aside, next comes the truly difficult part of this adventure: getting the actual damn tickets.

Listen.

To the song here in my heart.

Sure enough, Beyoncé will offer multiple presales, but they each sound easier said than done. Why? Because Beyoncé fans will shut down her fan site to sign up for the BeyHive presale code. After that, we’ll likely slow the Ticketmaster site all the way down. Should you not find a presale code, you’ll hit superfans like me hoping to get the intel. If I don’t have it myself, I’ll panic.

I did this morning. If not for the help of a handsome BeyHive UK LGBT captain, I might not have known. I mean, my confirmation email from Beyoncé’s website came, but not until the very last minute. My blood pressure shot up so high it could have high-fived Michael Jackson in heaven.

Do you know what I went through after that this morning to get my tickets for the New York show? I sat there in front of my computer, waiting and waiting for the Ticketmaster countdown to end so I could buy my tickets. Know what happened? The site played the hell out of me and my emotions. The site and the app kept telling me, “Ain’t no tickets, bih.” Over and over again. It hurt me. Deeply and profoundly.

So, as I talked to my best friend, who was on speakerphone as we both tried our desktops and Ticketmaster apps to score good seats, we were both frantically wondering why were we being punished? Thankfully, after more than half an hour of trying and deep prayer, I managed to get excellent seats by way of the Ticketmaster app.

After sharing my good fortune on social media, I was met with a sea of congratulations. I love that we congratulate each other when we get Beyoncé tour tickets because we all know how traumatic an experience it can be. We are in this together.

Then, there is the panic-stricken texts from friends and relatives. Look at this I got from my cousin: “I am so stressed over these damn tickets!!! How the hell did you get the Beyhive stage? I knew I should have given you my AMEX!!!”

I want to say to those who have yet to get their tickets, be strong. There has already been another presale and there will be another on Friday. Oh, and then there’s that general sale next week for most markets, though I find that to be playing with fire. Whatever the case, I believe in you and I am rooting for your blessing.

I will see many of y’all at the show. I’ll probably be drunk and screaming, “DO THAT SHIT, BEY” the entire time. Do not disturb me.