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How to buy tickets for Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker today

Chris Gates
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Tonight, Star Wars season begins. The final trailer for Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker is scheduled to drop this evening during Monday Night Football. Tickets for the movie are on sale now.

If you want to see the final installment in the Skywalker Saga (although it’s far from the last Star Wars movie ever) on opening night, you’re going to need the speed and wisdom of a Jedi. Here’s everything you need to know about Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker‘s advance ticket sales, as well as what you can do to make sure you’ve got the best seats in the house when the movie debuts on December 19, 2019.

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When will the trailer air?

We don’t know exactly when the final The Rise of Skywalker trailer will arrive, but we do have a general idea. The Episode IX trailer is scheduled to air during halftime on tonight’s Monday Night Football game, which will see the defending Super Bowl champs, the New England Patriots, take on the New York Jets. The trailer’s contents are a tightly guarded secret, although previews for the preview have started to appear online.

New trailer tease promo for Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker ! #StarWars #TheRiseOfSkywalker pic.twitter.com/syZHH7PsZm

— Zcure1 (@Zcure1) October 21, 2019

The game starts at 8:15 p.m. ET  (or 5:15 PM for folks on the west coast). On average, halftime tends to happen about 90 minutes into a football game, so keep an eye on social media around 9:45 ET (6:45 PT) for the trailer. Of course, that’s just an estimate, and the actual air time depends on how the football game goes. If you really want to stay on top of things, watch the game on ESPN or, if you don’t have cable, over the internet.

When will tickets go on sale today?

In an unexpected move, ticket sales for Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker went on sale at 8:00 ET (5:00 PT), a couple of hours before the new trailer arrived. Yes, they’re available now. Head on over to Fandango, Atom Tickets, and MovieTickets.com and grab your seats.

How can I buy tickets before they sell out?s

For most theaters, the fastest way to get tickets will be online ticketing sites like Fandango, Atom Tickets, and MovieTickets.com. In fact, The Rise of Skywalker showtimes are already up on those sites, and sales seem to be open.

If you’re having trouble, try to identify the screenings that work for you (across multiple theaters, if you can), keep those windows open in your browser, and refresh every few seconds until you can get through. In the past, ticketing sites have had trouble keeping up with the demand for Star Wars tickets, so be patient if you run into errors. You’re probably not the only one having problems.

The same general strategy goes for theater-specific sites like AMC and Cinemark, which you can use to buy tickets directly from the chains themselves. Independent theaters like the Alamo Drafthouse and the Arclight theaters have their own ticketing pages you’ll want to check, too.

In addition, there are still a few independent theaters out there that don’t offer online ticketing. If you have one of those in your neighborhood, call them before the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trailer drops and see when they’re putting tickets on sale. It may be later than the big chains, but since you have to go to the theater to buy tickets in-person, many people don’t realize they can pre-order tickets at these theaters at all. You may have to wait until November or December to secure your Star Wars tickets, but there’ll be a lot less competition.

If you’re a member of a ticket subscription service like AMC Stubs A-List or Regal Unlimited, it’ll probably be tempting to use your membership to get your The Rise of Skywalker tickets. However, if you really want to see Episode IX on opening day, you might want to consider paying for them elsewhere. Programs like A-List cater to the most dedicated movie-goers, many of whom are big Star Wars fans, and the competition can be pretty stiff.

Finally, if you really love Star Wars, keep an eye out for marathon screenings. For example, Cinemark and AMC are offering showings of the complete Skywalker Saga, culminating in a (slightly) early showing of The Rise of Skywalker.  These tickets will be more expensive and you’ll need a lot of spare time to take part, but as a result, there may be fewer people trying to get them. More marathons will probably pop up as December 19 draws closer, so if you miss out on tickets tonight you might still have options.

Are there any special offers I should know about?

Shop smart, and you can score a little extra with your Star Wars tickets. AMC theaters are handing out a pin and “concession offer” with movie tickets, while AMC’s 27-hour marathon will also come with a blanket. The Alamo Drafthouse is planning a full-on party for The Rise of Skywalker‘s release day, including props, people in costume, custom menus, and a bunch of merchandise that you can purchase for additional fees. Poke around. There are probably some other goodies hidden out there too.

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Chris Gates
Chris Gates
Contributor
Christopher Gates lives in Los Angeles, CA and writes about movies, TV, video games, and other pop culture curiosities. In…
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