Why Listing Your Q3 Events Early is Key to Increasing Ticket Sales

Early Launches = More Sales

It makes perfect sense when you say it out loud: the more time you allow between your event launch and the event date itself, the better your chances of hitting your event ticket sales goals. Here’s why:

A longer sales window provides the flexibility to implement a smarter, more effective ticketing strategy. Take a tiered ticketing approach, for example, starting with lower-cost Early Bird tickets and gradually increasing prices through General and Final Releases. This structure helps you appeal to different audience types: planners, budget-conscious individuals, deliberators, and last-minute buyers.

Research shows that Early Bird tickets can account for up to 30-40% of total sales, giving you essential financial stability well ahead of the event.

An early event launch also boosts your marketing potential. More time on sale means more time to fine-tune your campaigns, target the right audience, and reduce unnecessary spend. You can schedule competitions, offer flash sales using tools like Discount Codes, and increase the likelihood of landing press coverage – be it local, regional or national.

On Skiddle, it also increases your visibility. Events listed earlier are more likely to be featured in our curated articles, promotional emails and wider marketing campaigns.

And all that without even mentioning how early launches help build momentum and anticipation among potential attendees. Spoiler: they absolutely do.

Once the key elements of your event are in place – a standout line-up, quality vendors, strong facilities, and enticing extras – you can start confidently marketing your event’s USPs. The longer your event is live, the more word of mouth will build. Over time, demand increases and tickets begin to sell out, creating scarcity and urgency.

Still not convinced? Skiddle’s data shows that user searches for Q3 events – from Freshers Week events to club shows in the busy autumn, and even Halloween and Bonfire Night occasions – are already growing. Searches for Freshers Week in particular triple by mid-August and peak in mid-September. All the more reason to publish your listing early via the Skiddle Promotion Centre.

Improved Cash Flow = Less Risk

Another major advantage of an early event launch is better cash flow. Selling tickets early generates upfront revenue, helping you to cover essential planning costs. This early income can be reinvested into securing higher-quality talent, enhancing production value, and expanding your marketing efforts – all of which can help to improve ticket sales and your event’s reputation while reducing the risk of cancellation.

So, we’ve covered why launching your Q3 events early is a wise move. Now, let’s explore the free tools and services in the Skiddle Promotion Centre that can support a longer onsale campaign, plus the important consumer moments worth planning around.

Free Tools and Services to Support Longer Campaigns

If you’re already using the Skiddle Promotion Centre, you’ll likely be familiar with the wide range of powerful, free-to-use tools designed to support promoters. But for those looking to launch Q3 events early and run a longer onsale campaign, some of these features are especially valuable. Here’s a quick rundown:

Payment Plans

Ideal for events with a higher-than-usual price tag, Payment Plans can help attract earlier purchases. They allow your customers to break down the cost of a ticket into more manageable instalments, allowing them to budget better while improving your cash flow. Especially helpful during times of economic uncertainty, cough* 2025.

Learn how to set up a Payment Plan by watching our how-to video tutorial below.

PayPal Pay in 3

Another split payment method available on Skiddle, PayPal Pay in 3, can be opted for by your customers at checkout, giving them the option to split the cost of the ticket into three easy-to-manage chunks. A payment method typically used by the last-minute, impulse eventgoers we mentioned earlier.

The upside to PayPal Pay in 3? The full cost of the ticket is paid to you directly by PayPal, meaning you don’t have to wait for instalments to be paid. 

More on PayPal Pay in 3 here.

RemindMe

Want to build hype around your event before it’s even been launched? RemindMe is the feature for you. Remind Me allows your customers to receive a reminder via email and/or text message at 8 pm the evening before and/or 1 hour before your tickets go on sale, making it virtually impossible for customers to miss out on tickets. A great tool for securing those vital early sales.

Learn more about RemindMe here.

Artist Alerts 

Like RemindMe, our Artist Alerts feature sends out customer notifications, but only when the artists they follow on Skiddle, or artists similar to those they follow, are added to an event. A super handy feature, Artist Alerts can be strategically planned to coincide with drip-fed artist announcements, ensuring potential attendees receive regular communications about your event throughout the campaign.

Learn more about Artist Alerts here.

Spotify Integration

Got artists booked to perform at your Q3 event? Correctly tagging them on your listing will make your events eligible for promotion on Spotify. Fans of said artists tagged to your events, engaged and listening on the digital streaming platform, can now find and buy tickets to your events directly from the artist in question’s profile.

 

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Brand Alerts 

Got your own event brand? Organising a series of events set to run across Q3? Register your brand on Skiddle via the Promotion Centre today, and when a customer buys a ticket to your event, they’ll automatically be added to your brand.

When new events are added or when you make changes to the lineup or details of your events, we’ll send them notifications. Another great way to keep your fans updated and engaged during a lengthy campaign.

Learn more about Brand Alerts here.

Discount Codes 

Retaining the attention of potential customers and fans during a long onsale campaign comes with its obvious challenges. That’s where our Discount Codes feature can make a difference.

Through periods where sales might typically be lower than usual – we’re talking in between pay dates – offer limited concessions on your ticket sales, or create a social media competition to draw awareness to your events, with your chosen winner receiving a single-use discount code, for example.

Learn how to create your own Discount Codes in our how-to video tutorial below.

For more on the features we offer, the Skiddle Promotion Centre, and for tips on listing your events, check out help.promotioncentre.co.uk. For more video tutorials, head to our playlist on the Skiddle YouTube channel.

Key Consumer Dates to Plan Around

With all the tools and features in the Skiddle Promotion Centre at your disposal – and hopefully convinced of the benefits of an early event launch – the final piece of the puzzle is knowing when to promote. Understanding key dates in your event planning calendar can help increase visibility and drive more event ticket sales.

Student Loan Payment Dates

Student Finance across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland typically releases loan payments three times each academic year: January, April, and, most crucially for your Q3 events, in September.

Most students receive their payment 3–5 working days after enrolment confirmation, and Freshers Week events are a huge part of how they settle into university life. Align your campaigns to land in early September and stay visible throughout the month to capture attention from this eager, ticket-buying demographic. This is one of the most powerful times to promote your event.

Payday Weekends

Regular and predictable, payday weekends are another golden window for targeting customers when they’re most likely to spend. Since most UK employees are paid at the end of each month, building campaigns around these moments can consistently improve your event ticket sales.

Highlight what makes your event unmissable and time your marketing activity strategically. From exclusive ticket offers to content that taps into payday excitement, these moments offer recurring opportunities to make your Q3 events a success.

The Summer Bank Holiday

Demand for events always spike around Bank Holidays, particularly for day festivals, club takeovers, and extended weekend experiences. With many people planning time off around these dates, they’re primed to commit to tickets for a big night out or a weekend away.

The August or Summer Bank Holiday (typically the last Monday in August) is especially valuable for Q3 events. It’s one of the biggest weekends of the year for music, nightlife, and outdoor occasions, drawing large crowds eager to make the most of the long weekend.

Plan ahead to capture early interest and give your campaign time to build. Promoting your event well in advance of the Bank Holiday can help you stand out, secure more sales, and ensure you’re part of your audience’s plans before other events compete for their attention.

So, there you have it. All the reasons to get your Q3 events listed sooner rather than later. With this knowledge, we have no doubt that you’ll smash your ticketing sales goals. Ready to get started? Head to the Skiddle Promotion Centre and launch your Q3 events today.

For more insights and advice on listing events, be sure to stay glued to the Promotion Centre blog – we post nuggets of gold on the daily – and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.