The boy may be mine, but the tickets aren’t for many Ariana Grande fans this week.
Many listeners saw brighter days ahead when the artist announced the “Eternal Sunshine” tour on Aug. 28, set to start in Summer 2026. The pop star’s return to the stage —- her first since the 2019 Sweetener World Tour —- sparked excitement globally, including for fans in Gainesville.
Grande, a South Florida native, set two dates at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, on June 30 and July 2. During the presale, Grande’s team added a third show on July 3 to meet overwhelming demand.
But even with the extra date, anticipation quickly turned into stress and disappointment for fans as they encountered long queues, technical glitches and rapidly selling tickets.
Logan Mitchell, a 19-year-old UF computer science sophomore, has been an Ariana Grande fan since childhood, growing up listening to hits like “Problem” and “Break Free.” When Grande announced her tour, Mitchell was shocked and thrilled, but he knew getting tickets would be competitive.
“She’s been focused on acting recently, especially with ‘Wicked,’ so I didn’t think she’d tour for a very long time,” Mitchell said, referring to Grande’s Oscar-nominated turn as Galinda in the 2024 film.
Knowing tickets would be competitive, Mitchell and his friend signed up for presale codes and logged onto SeatGeek at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, 30 minutes before tickets dropped. For two hours, they sat in a stagnant queue, refreshing the page and watching the clock keep ticking.
When they finally got through at 11:30 a.m., all the tickets were gone.
Mitchell said the process felt unfair and discouraging, with no system in place to prioritize loyal fans.
“Some artists give tickets to top Spotify listeners,” Mitchell said. “My friend and I have both been fans our entire lives, but we just weren’t able to get tickets.”
Spotify partnered with another pop star, Sabrina Carpenter, in 2024 to give her top-listening fans exclusive presale codes ahead of the tour for her “Short n’ Sweet” album. Grande’s presale, by contrast, had codes available to anyone posted on her website.
Mitchell eventually secured seats through a friend’s father, who works at the Amerant Bank Arena.
Isabella Betancur, a 19-year-old UF political science sophomore, was not as fortunate. The morning of the presale, Betancur and her friend woke up early, ready to battle digital crowds and win what’s been deemed the “Ticketmaster war” (although this time it’s SeatGeek). But despite their preparation, they ran into problems.
“It was really complicated, because I had everything prepared, and it seemed like technical issues were preventing me from getting tickets,” Betancur said.
She compared it to her experience getting Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour tickets in 2023.
“That process was challenging too, but it felt easier,” Betancur said. “This was definitely one of the hardest concerts to get tickets for.”
After missing out during presale and general sale, which took place a day later on Wednesday, Betancur said she may have to turn to resale, even though it’s not ideal.
“It’s frustrating to know that some people are just buying tickets to resell them for profit,” Betancur said.
After logging on and sitting in a queue for two hours, 19-year-old UF psychology sophomore Sarah Boulais had one less problem on her plate —- she secured floor seats to the July 3 show.
“It was amazing to get them, but so stressful,” Boulais said.
While grateful for her luck, Boulais believes the system could be improved. She said presale access should reward early sign-ups and prioritize real fans over scalpers and bots.
“If you sign up first, you should get first pick,” Boulais said, “instead of everyone being put into one big queue.”
While some fans knew the way to secure tickets, others were left navigating a confusing and competitive system that left them empty-handed.
Still, whether they’re watching live in the arena or from a blurry livestream, Grande’s return to the stage will mark a significant moment for Florida fans eager to see her perform again.
Aaliyah is a general assignment reporter for The Avenue. She's a second-year journalism student in her first semester at The Alligator. In her free time, she loves to bake, read and also write for Her Campus UFL.
