Travel

Concert Tickets and Best Credit Cards for Festivals

Music fans and singers know this best – ticket prices can soar into the sky, especially for tours of Beyoncé and Taylor Swift and Taylor Swift and Taylor Swift and annual events like Coachella and Bonnaroo.

Many reward cards can improve your experience, so you can return more of your spending and put you in display privileges like VIP area.

Many of our favorite credit cards for concerts and festivals can take you there while reducing the sting of expensive tickets. That’s because these cards can provide stated credit and other privileges for certain purchases.

In this guide, we will explore the privileges of concerts and festivals offered by popular publishers, top cards to consider and why adding one to your wallet is a good idea.

Best Credit Cards for Comparing Concerts and Festivals

Issuer Top card Benefits of concerts and festivals
American Express
  • Enjoy access to exclusive tickets with events with Amex.
  • Enjoy pop-up events and lounges only for Platinum and Centurion Card members with advanced event experience.
  • Earn 1 point per dollar on the ticket purchase.
Capital One
  • Enjoy access to Capital One Entertainment with exclusive ticketing sales and VIP experience.
  • Earn 8% cash on Capital One Entertainment purchases with Capital One One Onevor Cash Rewards Credit Card. Earn 3% cash back on other entertainment purchases.
  • Earn 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases (as of December 31) with Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Cards and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Cards. Earn 2 miles for other ticket purchases per dollar.
Chase
  • Enjoy exclusive activities and experiences of the chase experience.
  • Enjoy pop-up events for sapphire cardholders only.
  • Earn 1 point per dollar on the ticket purchase.
  • Receive annual statement credits up to $300 (up to $150 per year) using StubHub and Viagogo (until December 31, 2027; registration required)
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  • Enjoy access to Citi Entertainment, the entertainment company offers pre-sale tickets, VIP event experiences and preferred seating.
  • Use the Citi Strata Elite card and spend 1.5 points on ticket purchases. Up to $200 in splurge statement credits per calendar year are available for up to two brands including Live Nation (excluding coats).
  • Use the Citigroup Prime Minister’s Card and spend 1 point on the purchase of a ticket per dollar.

The information on Amex Centurion has been collected independently by Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

American Express

American Express grants all qualified cardholders to access a certain level of access, but Amex Platinum Provides the greatest benefit.

Platinum card for American Express

Annual fee: $895.

Welcome bonus: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for up to 175,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 in the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

TPG’s October 2025 valuation believes this offer is worth up to $3,500.

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amex Platinum Card Art
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Why I like it: The AMEX experience unlocks ticketing pre-sales and exclusive access to top seats at popular events. You won’t earn reward points by paying with Amex Platinum, but if you value the exclusive privileges that can improve your experience, this card is certainly worth mentioning.

If you have to attend an event, you will earn 5 points per dollar on tickets purchased directly with the airline or through American ExpressTravel® (up to $500,000 per year for ticket purchases each year, then 1 point per dollar), and 5 points per dollar (per dollar) spent on booking a prepaid hotel in Amex Travel.

Also, the added benefits of the card’s recent refresh could easily compensate for its annual fee and convinced me to apply.

To learn more, read our full review of Amex Platinum.


Apply here: American Express Platinum Card


Capital One

Capital One Entertainment offers exclusive tickets and VIP packages for qualified cardholders. These privileges can include gatherings, premium seating and free food and beverages at certain events.

Capital One Enjoys Cash Reward Credit Card

Annual fee: $0.

Welcome bonus: Welcome bonus of up to $300: Earn $200 in cash bonus after spending $500 in the first three months of opening an account, plus the $100 Capital One Travel Credit for the first year.

Capital One Tasting Limited Time Supply_sept_sept_2025 Update
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Why I like it: Capital One Mavor is effortless for live entertainment fans.

This is because you will earn up to 8% of your cash on Capital One Entertainment purchases. Not to mention, if you pair your taste with a qualified Capital One card, you can convert these cash rewards into fully transferable capital.

To learn more, read our full review of Capital One Seaver Cash.


Learn more: Capital One Beavor Cash Reward Credit Card


Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Annual fee: $95.

Welcome bonus: Spend $4,000 in the first three months of opening an account and earn 75,000 miles.

According to TPG’s October 2025 valuation, this offer is worth $1,388.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
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Why I like it: For moderate annual fees, adventure reward cardholders will receive the opportunity to earn Capital One Entertainment and Gonus income when spending on tickets through the issuer.

You can earn 5 miles by making 5 miles on Capital One Entertainment purchases (until December 31st) while spending 2 miles per dollar.

To learn more, read our full review of joint venture rewards.


Learn more: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card


Capital One Venture X Reward Credit Card

Annual fee: $395.

Welcome bonus: Spend $4,000 in the first three months of opening and earn 75,000 miles.

TPG’s October 2025 valuation is $1,388.

Capital One Venture X Card
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Why I like it: Venture X cardholders receive the highest level of premium rewards and exclusive experience, including access to cardholders’ exclusive events, which are open on a first come first served basis.

Plus, you’ll earn 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases (until December 31), while 2 miles per dollar is used for all other purchases made with the card. Venture X also offers an annual statement credit of $300, which you can apply to any trip you book through Capital One Travel, which is a great choice for traveling shows you need.

To learn more, read our full review of Joint Venture X.


learn more: Capital One Venture X Reward Credit Card


Chase

Chase cardholders gain access to the chase experience, which includes preferred seats for pop-up activities only Sapphire Conservation Area Cardholder and on-site benefits such as franchise and merchandise discounts. For music fans, there is an exclusive pre-sale for selected events.

Chatong Sapphire Reserve

Annual fee: $795.

Welcome bonus: After earning 125,000 bonus points, I spent $6,000 to buy $6,000 in the first three months of opening.

This offer is worth $2,563 based on TPG’s October 2025 valuation.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Art
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Why I like it: Sapphire Reserve offers top-level access to exclusive pop-ups for multiple events, lounges and pre-sale tickets each year. Music fans and festival players will appreciate the privileges of this premium card.

Additionally, this card offers up to $300 annual statement credit (up to $150 biennial credits) on purchases made with Stubhub and Viagogo (until December 31, 2027) and offers ticket discounts throughout the year.

To learn more, read our full review of the Sapphire Reserve.


Apply here: Chatong Sapphire Reserve


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Citi cardholders will gain access to Citi Entertainment, which provides pre-sales of tickets, preferred seats and VIP packages.

Citigroup Elite Card

Annual fee: $595.

Welcome bonus: Spend $4,000 in the first three months of opening to earn 80,000 bonus points.

According to TPG’s October 2025 valuation, this offer is worth $1,520.

Citigroup Elite Credit Card Art
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Why I like it: In addition to providing exclusive pre-sales and benefits for Citi Entertainment, you can earn up to $200 in splurge statement credits per calendar year, including your choice of up to two brands (including Live Nation) (excluding applicable).

The card can also spend 1.5 points on all purchases outside its bonus category, so your ticket spending yields higher than many other cards.

To learn more, read our full review of the Citigroup Elite.


Apply here: Citigroup Elite Card


Citi strata Prime Minister’s Card

Annual fee: $95.

Welcome bonus: Spend $4,000 in the first three months of opening an account and earn 60,000 bonus points.

TPG’s October 2025 valuation is $1,140.

Citi layer face high orange background.
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Why I like it: The Citi-class Prime Minister has access to all the benefits of Citi Entertainment, but this is a great card if you need to attend an event.

That’s because the card earns 3 points for every dollar on air travel, other hotels, gas stations, electric car charging stations and restaurants. You will also earn 10 points per dollar on hotels, car rentals and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on Cititravel.com.

To learn more, read our full review of the Citibank Prime Minister.


Apply here: Citi strata Prime Minister’s Card


Visa and Mastercard VIP benefits

The issuer is not the only VIP benefit provider for the cardholder. You can also receive premium allowances from card networks such as Visa or MasterCard. Be sure to check with your card network, as the world’s elite Mastercard or Visa Infinite card may bring some benefits.

For example, World Elite Mastercard holders will gain access to World Elite Concierge, which can help you track ticketed favorite events that may be harder to access.

Alternatively, with the Visa Infinite card, you can get access to an unlimited experience of your visa – exclusive events such as concerts and musical performances that the Qualified Card can access.

Related: What is the difference between a credit card network and an issuer?

Bottom line

You can get more from the rewards card than just travel-centric benefits. Each card detailed in this guide provides a level of entertainment or privilege for concerts and festivals that the biggest music fans can use to make their experience more memorable.

To make a decision, you will have to weigh the amount of the annual fee you are willing to pay, with how much value you want to get from your card.

So many issuers grant a level of access to a quality experience, so it is worth comparing all the benefits and finding the right choice for you.

Related: The Best Credit Cards to Maximize Entertainment Expenditures

For Amex Platinum rates and fees, click here.

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