In ticketing, artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a concept that is coming soon or a line item on a product roadmap. It is already reshaping how audiences discover events, how tickets are priced and sold, how we communicate with patrons and how organizations operate behind the scenes.

What’s emerging is not a single use case, but a system-wide shift. AI is becoming embedded across the entire ticketing lifecycle, from the moment a potential buyer begins searching for something to do, to the operational decisions that follow a purchase.

For many in the industry, the question is no longer whether to adopt AI, but how to use it in ways that are meaningful, effective and grounded in the customer experience.

AI may be the headline, but it is not the whole story. To explore what is unfolding across the industry, INTIX gathered insights from ticketing and live event professionals working in every corner, from venues and producers to vendors and consultants. In our multi-part series, their perspectives point to 25 key trends shaping the year ahead, starting with the expanding role of AI in this first installment of our four-part series.

1. AI as the New Discovery Engine

The way audiences find live experiences is changing quickly and fundamentally. Damian Bazadona, Founder and President of Situation, is watching this shift in real time and has identified it as his top trend over the next 12 months.

“[I am watching] AI as the new discovery engine, and I don't mean that in the abstract, futurist, ‘robots are coming’ way. I mean it in the very practical, right-now way. People are increasingly starting their search for what to do and where to go by asking AI tools instead of typing into a search bar. That shift is already happening. And the ticketing and live experience industry is largely unprepared for it.”

As discovery moves away from traditional search, visibility itself is being redefined.

“If your content isn't structured in a way that AI can actually find, read and surface, you are invisible,” Bazadona adds. “It doesn't matter how good the show is. It doesn't matter how sharp your creative is. If the machine can't find you, the fan never will. The next 12 months are going to force a real reckoning for anyone who hasn't started thinking about their digital presence as something that needs to be machine-readable, not just human-readable. That's the trend. And it's less a trend and more a quiet alarm going off in a building where most people still have their headphones in.”

“The buzzword of 2026 is AI, and I am anticipating updates to be coming fast and furious to quickly adapt and deploy this booming technology,” says Lindsay Radic, INTIX Board Director and Senior Director of Entertainment Ticketing for Caesars Entertainment. “We are already seeing the shift from Google search to AI search, and the necessity for venue and event information to be accurately scraped for prompted results.”

Steve Baumgartner, Chief Revenue Officer at AudienceView, has already seen how quickly that shift can compress the path to purchase.

“During a recent trip to London with my daughter, I asked one of the AI platforms to recommend the most appropriate West End show for a 16-year-old and to provide links to discounted ticket options for the specific days and times I had available. I went from search to purchase in five minutes.”

“What we’re seeing across our member community is that technology is now central to how organizations reach and engage audiences,” says Karyn Elliott, Chief Member Officer at Tessitura Network. “As more people rely on AI-driven recommendations to decide what to do and where to go, organizations have to rethink how they show up, how their data works together and how quickly they can respond to audience desires.

2. AI Inside the Buying Experience

As discovery evolves, so does the transaction itself.

“I anticipate the next phase will be integrating AI into the purchase flow and look forward to seeing advancements from our ticketing service providers to reduce friction and cater to the continual advancements of AI, while maintaining cybersecurity necessity,” says Radic. “The parallel advancement of AI, with increasing fraud concerns, will be fascinating to follow!”

Chris Crossley, Chief Operating Officer at Line-Up, points to a shift toward AI-assisted purchasing that simplifies what has traditionally been a complex journey.

“We are moving toward AI-assisted purchasing, where AI agents can guide buyers to the right seats [and] tickets based on preferences, past behavior and specific requirements such as accessibility. This has the potential to simplify what can often be a complex and high-friction journey, particularly for nuanced purchasing decisions.”

Darren Coelho, Associate Athletics Director for Ticket Operations at San Jose State University, envisions an even more streamlined future.

“It feels like [my top ticketing trend] has to be AI-driven stuff, almost to the point where there is recognition of what artists you like, their touring schedule local to you matching an opening on your calendar, and the price point you like in the venue that you like, all packaged in a click here (once) to transact it.”

At the same time, Coelho believes not everyone, himself included, is fully ready to relinquish control.

“I think that I am old-school and like freewill (I like the song by Rush, too). I like navigating dates, venues, price points, etc., so one AI-based click to package that … recommendation to me would take all of the things that I like in the process out of it.”

That preference between convenience and control is likely to help define how far and how fast AI-driven purchasing evolves.

3. AI-driven Dynamic Pricing

Behind the scenes, AI is also transforming how organizations manage inventory, pricing and revenue.

Andrew Kerzak, Ticketing, Inventory, Pricing and Data Analyst at Churchill Downs, points to the advancement of dynamic pricing and its integration with AI.

“Dynamic pricing is already well established, and most customers have experienced it. AI is now rapidly improving how precise it can be. This allows teams to forecast demand more accurately and adjust pricing in near real time. These changes will push the industry closer to true first-degree price discrimination, where pricing can be tailored at an individual level. In other words, ticketing platforms are starting to move beyond simple transactions and into more intelligent systems that optimize both inventory and revenue.”

Kerzak continues, “For example, teams will be able to package and present specific ticket options such as seat location, amenities and offer timing based on a customer’s historical behavior, purchase patterns and inferred willingness to pay. That makes the buying process a lot smoother. Organizations that invest in the infrastructure and data required to support this level of sophistication will be the most successful, driving higher yield per seat and more efficient inventory use. From a consumer perspective, I anticipate the impact will be mixed. On one hand, you will no longer have to seek out the best experience for your needs. On the other hand, it introduces new concerns around fairness and transparency.”

That level of sophistication opens new opportunities, but it also introduces new risks.

“As pricing becomes more individualized, without greater transparency, these AI-driven pricing models risk eroding customer trust faster than they create value. Those who can use these tools successfully without alienating their customer base will be the winners of this adoption,” says Kerzak.

Shane Kelly, Head of Live Touring for the Harlem Globetrotters, sees a similar balance emerging.

“I think over the next 12 months, we are going to keep seeing this AI-driven dynamic pricing trend really take shape. Pricing is already getting way more reactive to real-time demand, but I also think the fan journey is going to play a bigger role in how prices move than it ever has before. The challenge for all of us will be finding the right balance, using these smarter tools while still keeping pricing clear and transparent so fans actually understand what they are paying for and feel good about it. At the end of the day, the real question is how much we are willing or able to trust this new way of doing things.”

4. Moving Beyond Curiosity to Implementation

If the past few years were defined by curiosity about AI, the next phase is about practical use.

Crossley notes that the industry has moved beyond experimentation.

“The biggest shift we're seeing is the move from talking about AI to actually applying it in meaningful, practical ways,” he says. “The industry has moved past the novelty phase, and stakeholders are no longer asking what AI is; they’re asking how it helps them sell more, maximize yield and run their operations more efficiently.”

That shift is also happening at the organizational level. Dallas Janssen, Senior Manager, Ticket Services at Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, is seeing teams take AI into their own hands.

“I'm paying close attention to how AI starts showing up in smaller and mid-sized organizations. For a long time, sophisticated data work has been the domain of major leagues with massive budgets. But the tools have become dramatically more accessible. What I'm seeing on the ground is that staff at mid-sized organizations are starting to use AI to do things that previously required either a dedicated analyst or an expensive third-party product. This includes pulling insights from their own data, building internal tools, and automating repetitive reporting workflows,” Janssen says.

He has experienced this firsthand, recently applying AI directly to audience data analysis.

“Recently, I used a secure AI model to ingest demographic profiles and compare them against the accounts that actually purchased tickets. By identifying the common threads between those two data sets, I was able to have the AI build a high-probability prospect list for new subscribers. That is a project that used to take weeks of manual cross-referencing or a high-priced consultant. Now, it is something a knowledgeable staff member can lead internally.”

Even so, says Janssen, expertise remains essential.

“The more interesting question isn't whether AI will replace ticketing professionals, it's why so many of us still feel uneasy about it. The tools still require someone who understands the 'why' behind the data to steer them effectively and safely. Without a knowledgeable Captain at the helm, the ship isn't going anywhere.”

Janssen adds, “The shift I’m watching is how we help our teams get over the fear of the tech. There are valid concerns about AI, but we can mitigate those risks by leaning into it rather than running from it. The goal isn't for AI to replace our expertise, but to act as a force multiplier for it. This allows us to be more strategic and less buried in the manual heavy lifting.”

5. AI in Operations and Workflows

AI is also beginning to reshape how ticketing teams interact with their own systems. Crossley highlights the potential for it to reduce operational complexity.

“The opportunity is … significant,” he says. “Ticketing platforms are inherently complex, with workflows like show builds, pricing structures, and promotions often requiring deep system knowledge and multiple tasks or processes. AI has the potential to abstract that complexity. We are particularly excited about models interacting directly with ticketing APIs, allowing users to execute complex tasks either conversationally or with AI-assisted user interfaces. The shift from manual configuration to assisted execution could fundamentally change how teams interact with ticketing systems.”

Steven Sunshine, CEO of Ticketure, sees AI touching nearly every part of the ecosystem and identified this as his top ticketing trend in the next 12 months.

Sunshine says, “AI can impact many areas of the ticketing ecosystem, from the purchase flow to data and analytics, to documentation and support.  We are actively integrating AI into everything we do and the products and features we deliver.”

Elliott frames it this way: “Technology has to function as a force multiplier for the people doing this work. As AI accelerates change, the organizations that thrive will be those that adapt thoughtfully, using technology to support better decisions and stronger relationships. The organizations that thrive will be those willing to evolve, and the tools they choose to evolve with will shape their trajectory.”

6. A More Personal and More Human Future

Across all of these developments, one theme continues to surface: AI is not replacing the human element of ticketing; it is amplifying it.

Ben Dostal, Director of Ticketing and Analytics at Fox Theatre Atlanta, sees AI as a tool for deeper connection.

“Like most people, I’m paying close attention to AI — but less from the perspective of efficiency alone and more from the question of how it helps us be more human,” he says.

Dostal continues, “AI has real potential to help us spot patterns in behavior that would otherwise go unnoticed, giving us the opportunity to forge stronger, more personal connections with our guests and fans … Used well, AI allows us to move beyond managing transactions and toward building relationships — ones where patrons feel known, valued, and connected, rather than like they simply completed a purchase.”

And Dostal emphasizes that this opportunity comes with responsibility.

“We have more tools than ever to increase sales and optimize revenue, but the organizations that truly succeed will be the ones that do so authentically. Technology should support relationships, not replace them. When ticketing strategies are grounded in trust, empathy, and genuine connection, they don’t just drive revenue — they build loyalty and long-term relevance.”

Bazadona echoes that sentiment from a different angle.

“I've spent a long time in this industry, and I still think we underestimate how much fandom is an emotional act, not a transactional one. People don't buy tickets because they saw a good ad. They buy tickets because something made them feel like they belonged somewhere, or like they'd be missing something that mattered. All the technology, all the data, all the trend-watching, it only works if it's in service of that human truth.”

Bazadona continues, “The brands that I see winning right now are the ones that haven't lost sight of that. They use the tools to get closer to their audience, not to replace the human instinct of knowing what your audience actually needs. That's the lesson I keep coming back to. Use the tools, trust the data, but don't outsource your judgment to either of them.”

7. AI Moving From Tool to Foundation

What’s clear is that AI is becoming foundational, embedded in how audiences discover and purchase entertainment, how organizations target audiences and operate, how vendors build their systems, and how decisions are made at every level.

As Baumgartner puts it, the value of these tools ultimately comes down to outcomes: “You can't deny the impact that AI is having (and will continue to have) on this industry … But here's what I want to be clear about: just using AI doesn't make you intelligent. Those tools need to be working toward one of three things: finding more customers, getting them to engage more deeply or making them want to come back. If it's not doing one of those three things, it's just a toy.”

8. AI Agents

“It'll be interesting to see how things like AI can continue to be useful in our industry,” says Tim Armbruster Urquiza, Director of Ticket Operations for San Diego FC. “Having grown up with Terminator 2 and The Matrix, I am naturally skeptical about how rapidly it is being deployed literally everywhere. Organizationally, we have an AI agent that helps answer basic questions during off hours and warm up sales leads (she's relentless!), which is a helpful tool to have.”

In upcoming installments of our 2026 ticketing trends series, experts will discuss pricing, transparency, building confidence in the transaction, resale and secondary markets, data, personalization, loyalty, distribution channels, purchase timing and attendance patterns, digital delivery, the evolving role of the ticketing professional and more.

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