Gig announcement emails: templates that sell tickets

A good gig announcement email puts the essentials (who, where, when, price and a ticket link) in the first few lines, gives one clear action, and goes only to the people who'd want to come. The templates below cover every email in a typical show campaign, from the first announcement to the day-before reminder, and you can copy and adapt them for a club night, a gig or a full tour.

Each template has a suggested subject line, preview text and body. Replace anything in square brackets.

Key takeaways

Put who, where, when, price and the ticket button above the fold on a phone.
One email, one job. An announcement asks people to register for the presale or buy, not both plus "follow us on TikTok".
Use the preview text to add the second most important fact, such as the presale date.
Exclude people who've already bought from every sales email after the presale.
Only use scarcity language ("final tickets", "nearly sold out") when it's true.

What every gig email needs

Before the templates, the checklist. Every sales email for a show should have:

A specific subject line. Artist, city and what's happening. Our list of 40 subject lines for event emails has options for every stage.
Preview text (also called a preheader): the line shown after the subject in the inbox. If you leave it blank, the email app grabs the first text it finds, which is often "View in browser".
The facts up front: artist or event name, venue, town, date, door time, price.
One button with a clear label like "Get tickets" or "Register for presale", near the top and repeated at the end.
A reason to care: one or two lines on why this show is worth it. Who's playing, what's special, why now.
Accessibility basics: real text rather than text baked into an image, alt text on the artwork, and a link to access information.
Footer: your business name, a postal or contact address, why they're receiving it, and an unsubscribe link.

Use this when you announce a show and want to build demand before tickets go on sale. Presale registration doubles as a list-builder. How to run the presale itself is covered in our guide to presale codes.

Subject: [Artist] in [City] this [Month]
Preview text: Presale for our list on [day]. Register now.

Hi [First name],

[Artist] is coming to [Venue], [City] on [Day, Date].

[One or two sentences on why this matters: "Their first [City] show in three years, and the only UK date outside London this year."]

Our mailing list gets first access to tickets in a presale on [Day] at [time]. Register below and we'll send your code the moment it opens.

[Button: Register for the presale]

General sale: [Day] at [time]

Tickets from: £[price]

Age: [18+ / all ages]

See you down the front,

[Name], [Promoter]

Why it works: the reason to act (presale access) is concrete and time-bound, and it only asks for one thing.

Template 2: The presale code

Send this only to people who registered, a few minutes before the presale opens. If they opted in to texts or WhatsApp, a short message there at the same time helps.

Subject: Your presale code for [Artist]
Preview text: Presale opens at [time] today. Code inside.

Hi [First name],

The presale for [Artist] at [Venue] on [Date] opens at [time] today.

Your code: [CODE]

[Button: Get presale tickets]

The presale runs until [time/day] or until the presale allocation sells out. Tickets are limited to [number] per person.

Any problems with your code, just reply to this email.

[Name], [Promoter]

Why it works: the code and button are in the first screen, and the reply line makes it easy to fix problems before they become complaints.

Template 3: General on-sale

Send this to the relevant segment, excluding anyone who bought in the presale.

Subject: On sale now: [Artist], [Venue], [Date]
Preview text: Tickets from £[price]. [Short hook].

Hi [First name],

Tickets for [Artist] at [Venue], [City] on [Date] are on sale now.

[Button: Get tickets]

[Two or three lines selling the night: support acts, what to expect, a line from the artist, a link to a track or video.]

Doors: [time]

Tickets from: £[price]

Age: [restriction]

[Name], [Promoter]

Why it works: "on sale now" is the most useful phrase in the subject. Fans who've been waiting know exactly what to do.

Template 4: Line-up news or mid-campaign update

Mid-campaign emails need a genuinely new reason to write: a support act, set times, a venue upgrade, a new track. Don't send "just a reminder".

Subject: [Support act] added to [Artist], [City]
Preview text: Plus set times and the after-party.

Hi [First name],

Big news for [Date]: [Support act] will open the night at [Venue].

[One or two lines on the support act.]

Full line-up:

[Act, time]

[Act, time]

[Act, time]

[Button: Get tickets]

[Name], [Promoter]

Template 5: Final tickets

Send in the final week, only to engaged fans who haven't bought. Be specific and be truthful: if you say "final 50 tickets", it should be the final 50. Our guide to what to do when ticket sales are slow covers other tactics for this stretch.

Subject: Final tickets for [Event] this [Day]
Preview text: Under [number] left. Then it's door only, if any.

Hi [First name],

We're down to the last [number] tickets for [Event] at [Venue] this [Day].

[Button: Get one of the last tickets]

[One line on what they'll miss.]

If it sells out, there won't be tickets on the door.

[Name], [Promoter]

Template 6: Know before you go

This goes to ticket buyers the day before, or the morning of the show. It's a service email, so it can go to every buyer, but keep it free of promotion for other events.

Subject: Tomorrow at [Venue]: everything you need
Preview text: Doors [time], ID, tickets and getting there.

Hi [First name],

You're coming to [Event] at [Venue] tomorrow. Here's what you need to know.

Times: doors [time], [headliner] on around [time], curfew [time]

Tickets: have your ticket ready on your phone, with the brightness up

ID: [18+, bring photo ID: passport, driving licence or PASS card]

Getting there: [nearest station, last trains, parking]

Bags: [policy]

Access: [link to access info, contact for access requests]

Can't make it? [Your ticket platform's resale or transfer option.]

See you tomorrow,

[Name], [Promoter]

Why it works: it answers the questions people would otherwise send you, and makes the door run faster.

Template 7: Sold out (with waitlist)

When a show sells out, tell your list. People who missed out are your warmest leads for the next date. See our guide to waitlists for sold-out shows for how to handle returns and extra dates.

Subject: [Artist] in [City] has sold out
Preview text: Join the waitlist for returns and new dates.

Hi [First name],

[Artist] at [Venue] is sold out. Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket.

If you missed out, join the waitlist. If tickets come back or we add a date, you'll hear first.

[Button: Join the waitlist]

Please only buy resale tickets through [official resale option]. Tickets from other sites may not get you in.

[Name], [Promoter]

Template 8: Tour announcement (from the artist)

For artists announcing several dates. Lead with the dates and let fans find their city.

Subject: UK tour: [Month] dates announced
Preview text: [City], [City], [City] and more. Presale [Day].

Hi [First name],

I'm going on tour in [Month], and I'd love to see you there.

[Date] [City], [Venue]

[Date] [City], [Venue]

[Date] [City], [Venue]

My mailing list gets a presale on [Day] at [time], a day before general sale.

[Button: Register for presale]

[A personal line: what you're bringing, new songs, a special guest.]

[Artist name]

Tip: if you know which city each fan is in, send each person a version with their nearest date at the top.

Formatting and sending tips

Keep the design simple. One column, one image, real text and a big button. Heavy image-only emails often load badly and can look like spam.
Test on your own phone before every send, and click every link.
Use tracked links so you can see which emails sold tickets.
Plain text for artist emails. A short email in plain text from the artist can feel more personal than a designed template.
Segment. A Bristol announcement shouldn't go to your Newcastle list.

In Backline, you can save templates like these and send them to a smart list that automatically excludes anyone who's already bought, so the "final tickets" email never reaches a ticket holder.

Frequently asked questions

What should a gig announcement email include?

It should include the artist or event name, venue, town, date, door time, price and one clear button, all visible on a phone without scrolling. Add a short reason to care, such as why this show is special, and a footer with your details and an unsubscribe link.

How long should an event announcement email be?

As short as possible while covering the facts: usually 50 to 150 words of body text. People skim on a phone, so the key details and button should be in the first screen. Longer content, like a full line-up or FAQs, can go on your event page.

Should I send the presale code in the announcement email?

Usually not. Ask people to register in the announcement, then send the code only to registrants when the presale opens. It builds your list, tells you how much demand there is, and gives you a second reason to email.

How many emails should I send for one show?

As a rough guide, four to seven emails over a six to eight week campaign: announcement, presale, on-sale, one or two updates, final tickets and a "know before you go". Exclude people who have already bought from every sales email.

Is a "know before you go" email marketing?

If it only contains information about the event someone has bought a ticket for, it's a service email rather than marketing, so it can go to all ticket buyers. If you add promotion for other events, it becomes marketing and the consent rules apply.