Event Ticket Giveaways in Lexington, KY: Updated 2026 List for Local Winners
Which Lexington radio ticket giveaways are open now, which shows are actually in town, and the 50-mile and weekday-pickup rules that decide who can claim a win.
Several Lexington radio stations are giving away event tickets right now, and the packet of currently listed promotions includes Wynonna Judd at the Lexington Opera House, the Jonas Brothers at Rupp Arena, and a Michael Jackson's Thriller stage production in February 2027. Entry runs through each station's own promotions page, and the biggest catch is not the entry form — it is the fine print on who counts as "local" and how fast you must collect. These are chances to win, not benefits you receive by signing up.
Below is what is currently open, which contests are actually in Lexington, and the residency and pickup rules that decide whether a win is usable for you.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on September 19, 2026.
What is currently open for Lexington-area entrants
98.1 The Bull (WBUL-FM) is running a giveaway for Wynonna Judd at the Lexington Opera House on September 30, 2026, presented by Sutherland Chevrolet. The station lists it on its own promotions page, which is where entry happens. Sister station 104.5 The Cat (WLKT-FM) carries a Jonas Brothers at Rupp Arena giveaway for the October 17, 2026 show.
That date is confirmed by the venue: Central Bank Center announced The Burning Up Tour All Over Again coming to Rupp Arena on October 17, 2026, with Magnus Ferrell as special guest. The Cat also has a long-lead Lexington entry open for BJ's Presents Michael Jackson's Thriller at the Lexington Opera House on February 6, 2027. A show that far out means the entry window may run for months, so there is no reason to treat it as urgent.
"Local" contests that send you out of town
Not every giveaway on a Lexington station's page is a Lexington event. 104.5 The Cat's slate includes Chris Brown and Usher at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on October 24, 2026 and Pentatonix at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville on November 16, 2026.
That matters for planning. Cincinnati and Louisville are each a substantial round trip from Lexington, and the ticket is the only thing being given away — parking, fuel, and a hotel are yours. A pair of free tickets to a weeknight stadium show two hours away is worth less than it looks.
Before entering, check the venue named in the promotion title rather than the station's city. Three of the entries above are Lexington venues; the other two are not.
The 50-mile rule that decides who can win
The other Lexington cluster — LM Communications, which runs HITS 106.3 (WCDA) and Kiss 96.9 (WGKS-FM) — sets a harder eligibility line. Its contest rules restrict entry to Kentucky residents and state that winners may be limited to people living within 50 miles of 401 West Main Street, Suite 300, Lexington, KY 40507. Kiss 96.9 publishes the same terms — Kentucky residency and the identical 50-mile radius from that downtown address — because the two stations share a cluster.
One reading of the rules covers both. Fifty miles from downtown Lexington covers Frankfort, Richmond, Winchester, Nicholasville, and Georgetown comfortably. It does not reach Louisville, Cincinnati, or far eastern Kentucky.
If you live outside that ring, the LM Communications stations are not your lane.
The claim window most entrants overlook
LM Communications' rules require prizes to be claimed in person at the station, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., within ten business days of winning, holidays excluded. That is a four-hour weekday window, downtown, with no evening or weekend option listed.
Work through what that means before you enter: The iHeartMedia stations and public radio do not publish this same in-person requirement in the material here, so read each station's own rules rather than assuming one set applies everywhere.
- You need to reach downtown Lexington on a business day between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
- Ten business days is roughly two calendar weeks, less any holiday.
- Parking downtown mid-day is on you.
- Miss the window and the prize is forfeited — a shift you cannot leave is enough to lose it.
Public radio as a separate lane
WUKY, the University of Kentucky station, runs ticket giveaways without a radius rule. On May 20, 2026 it posted a giveaway for a pair of Jason Isbell tickets at the EKU Center for the Arts, entered through an email sign-up with a "WUKY Giveaway" opt-in box. That specific entry was for a July 16, 2026 show and is closed.
It is useful as a pattern, not an offer: the mechanism is an email list opt-in rather than a form-per-contest, so checking the box once puts you in line for what comes next. Current WUKY promotions appear on the station's own promotions page at wuky.org/promotion. If you want the public-radio lane, the opt-in is the step to take now, not on the day a show you want is announced.
A practical entry routine
One more limit worth holding onto: the Wynonna Judd show at the Lexington Opera House is on September 30, 2026, so that entry window closes within about ten days of today.
- Enter on the station's own promotions page. A station that is giving tickets away will say so on its own site.
- Read the venue in the promotion title, not the station's market, to know where you would actually be going.
- Check residency and radius rules before entering an LM Communications contest — Kentucky residency plus 50 miles from 401 West Main Street.
- Confirm you can make a weekday 10 a.m.–2 p.m. pickup downtown within ten business days.
- Treat every entry as a chance, not a ticket. Nothing here is a purchase requirement, and nothing here is a promised seat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to live in Lexington to enter?
It depends on the station. LM Communications' rules for HITS 106.3 and Kiss 96.9 require Kentucky residency and may limit winners to a 50-mile radius of 401 West Main Street in downtown Lexington. WUKY's Jason Isbell giveaway used an email opt-in with no radius rule attached.
Can someone else pick up my prize?
LM Communications' published rules call for an in-person claim at the station within ten business days, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., holidays excluded. Ask the station directly before assuming a substitute pickup is allowed.
Are all the giveaways on a Lexington station for Lexington shows?
No. 104.5 The Cat's active list includes Chris Brown and Usher at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on October 24, 2026, and Pentatonix at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville on November 16, 2026.