What you need to know before Paul McCartney tickets go on sale

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What you need to know before Paul McCartney tickets go on sale
Matthew Leimkuehler
Des Moines Register
Published   April 27, 2017




Famed British performer Paul McCartney plans to return to the Iowa Events Center this summer for a one-night only concert, his second ever in Des Moines. Wochit

During his last trip to Iowa’s capital city in 2005, Paul McCartney performed for about 15,500 people. That’s a startling feat for a normal touring musician. For McCartney … it’s practically exclusive.

McCartney returns to Des Moines on July 21 and talk of how best to secure tickets is already surrounding the show. Tickets to see the famed Beatle in markets such as Buffalo, N.Y., and Minneapolis sold out in minutes. Des Moines tickets go on sale Monday at 10 a.m. via Hy-VeeTix.com, at the Wells Fargo Arena Box Office (233 Center St.) and participating Des Moines and Ames Hy-Vee locations. Here are a few tips to consider before trying your luck at scoring a seat to the hottest show of the summer.


Paul McCartney greets the crowd at the start of his "One on One" tour on Wednesday, April 13, 2016, at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.
(Photo: SILVIA FLORES, TNS)

Register for a Hy-VeeTix account now. General public on-sale launches at 10 a.m. Monday and a majority of concert-goers purchase tickets online. To expedite the process once the online box office opens, individuals are encouraged by concert organizers to register for an account at Hy-VeeTix.com. Having an account pre-registered and being logged in once tickets go on sale eliminates a timely step in the purchasing process. Fans not wanting to purchase online can visit a box office in person. A list of participating Hy-Vee locations can be found at iowaeventscenter.com.

Physical and digital box offices pull from the same inventory, explained Iowa Events Center marketing director Adam Flack, and the online box office moves quicker than physical locations.

“Online is always the quickest way once you get in (to buy tickets),” Flack said. 

Have an American Express account? Buy tickets now. Organizers said Thursday morning that a number of pre-sale tickets were still available exclusively for American Express members. The American Express presale runs through 10 p.m. Sunday.



Super Bowl XXXIX: Singer Paul McCartney performs during the Super Bowl XXXIX halftime show at Alltel Stadium on Feb. 6, 2005 in Jacksonville, Fla.
(Photo: ROBERTO SCHMIDT/Getty Images)

Yes, some pre-sale tickets have sold out. That doesn’t mean the show is sold out. Pre-sale tickets via the McCartney online fan club became available Wednesday morning and have sold out. Flack ensured tickets in every price range will be available to the general public Monday at 10 a.m. Tickets start at $29.50, with the most expensive listing at $257.

To help combat digital scalping, each customer is limited to six tickets. If more than six are purchased by one customer, those tickets will be declined at a later date and reopened for public purchase. Flack said tours this year such as Eric Church and Ed Sheeran have flagged abusive buyers and reopened tickets to the public after general on-sale.

“We do what we can,” Flack said. “That’s why a lot of tours have ticket limits and customer limits. After those tickets go on sale we comb through those and see if anybody exceed … and we reserve the right to cancel those.”

s of Thursday, McCartney tickets on secondhand ticket market Stubhub started at $93, going as high as $2,199 a ticket.

Paul McCartney and the band take in the applause April 27, 2015 in Tokyo