I have been going to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) for 7 years now, and as August rolls around, I am getting hyped up for TIFF 2023, which will take place September 7–17, 2023.
Every year, getting TIFF tickets is an exhilarating and stressful experience, especially since I typically like to see a few high profile premieres. I have a TIFF membership to access the ticket pre-sales, but there is an earlier pre-sale for Visa Infinite cardholders.
In the past few years, how to access the Visa Infinite pre-sale has always been an enigma for me. The process wasn’t clearly described on the Visa Infinite offers website and every time I call a concierge, I’d be told something different. This year, I am positively surprised to see that Visa Infinite has already updated its website with relevant information. The Visa Infinite pre-sale begins @ 10AM on Monday, August 21 (3 days before the TIFF member pre-sale!) and there is a link on the website to Ticketmaster, which doesn’t work yet (but presumably whould work when the pre-sale begins). There is no mention of a code needed. The website also advises folks to follow @VisaCA for updates.
Note that, in the past years, the pre-sale did not cover all films or screenings! However, I still found it valuable. Last year, the pre-sale helped me gain tickets to the world premiere of Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans (which is an amazingly heartfelt film).
Other than the pre-sale, Visa Infinite cardholders have a few other perks at TIFF. This includes a priority line at the Princess of Wales Theatre for evening screenings as well as a lounge with complimentary snacks and drinks (last year, we received free popcorn and soft drinks). Plus, if you happen to have a RBC Avion Visa card (apparently, it does not need to be a Visa Infinite card), you woud have access to an exclusive section for red carpets. Its website hasn’t yet been updated with 2023 information and with the SAG strike preventing many actors from attending film premieres, it will be interesting to see how the red carpet goes this year (I remain hopeful that the strike is resolved before the end of this month).
I’m hoping to make good use of the Visa Infinite and TIFF member pre-sales. The excitement is building up!
