Presale tickets for Paul McCartney gone in 20 minutes; about 8,000 more go on sale Friday

You “Can’t Buy Me Love,” and it’s about as difficult to purchase tickets for Paul McCarney’s Got Back tour opener April 28 at the Spokane Arena.

A block of tickets for the former Beatle’s upcoming concert was available during a presale starting Tuesday for American Express cardholders and members of McCartney’s fan club. They sold out in 20 minutes.

The rapid-fire grab for the prized ducats, which range from $39.50 to $1,168, left some aspiring concertgoers flustered.

“The ticket allotments for both sold out within minutes,” said Matt Meyer, director of entertainment for the Spokane Public Facilities District, which includes the Spokane Arena and First Interstate Center for the Arts.

The good news for fans is that the majority of tickets will be go on sale Friday morning at 10 via Ticketmaster, according to Meyer.

“We still have two-thirds of the capacity to sell.”

Using Meyer’s math, that’s about 8,000 tickets.

“With a little luck,” to quote a No. 1 hit penned by McCartney for Wings in 1978, local fans will score tickets to the much-anticipated event.

There is more supply in Seattle – the only city hosting two McCartney shows – for fans willing to travel across the state.

According to representatives at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, presales Tuesday were strong, and the AmEx tickets were sold out. There are some AmEx tickets at face value online now for the May 2 concert. A pair in section 4, which is on the first level, in row W, are selling for $350 each, for a grand total of $844 after the service charge. The most economical choice is for seats in the rafters. A pair in section 204 in row H goes for $164 each, for a total of $402.

Seattle will have another presale at 10 a.m. Thursday.

McCartney’s 13-city tour is the first since the COVID-19 pandemic began and hits some of the country’s largest cities, including a stop at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The stadium recently hosted the Super Bowl.

McCartney also is scheduled to play Fenway Park in Boston and will end his U.S. tour playing MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.