Guide
Apple Wallet enhanced event tickets: the new event ticket design
Newer iPhones show some event tickets in a richer design: full-bleed event artwork, directions to the venue and an event guide, instead of the classic ticket with a barcode. Apple calls these poster event tickets. This guide explains what attendees see, which devices show them, what a ticket needs to qualify, and the one requirement that decides whether they suit your event.
Last updated October 23, 2026. Facts about Apple Wallet and Google Wallet were checked against Apple’s and Google’s own documentation, linked in the sources.
The short answer
An enhanced event ticket is Apple’s poster event ticket: an Apple Wallet event ticket that carries extra, machine-readable details about the event, such as its name, venue and start time. Wallet uses those details to show a full-art ticket, a link to directions and an event guide. Apple introduced the design with iOS 18, and its developer documentation now covers building them for iOS 26 and watchOS 26 and later.
The catch is entry. Apple says poster event tickets aren’t compatible with tickets that require a QR code or barcode for entry, so they’re built for events that scan tickets with NFC readers. If your door staff scan QR codes, a classic Apple Wallet event ticket is still the right choice, and it works on every iPhone.
What attendees see
- A poster-style front. Event artwork fills the ticket, with the event name, date and venue laid out by Wallet rather than in the classic rows of fields.
- Directions. Wallet uses the venue details to offer a Maps shortcut to the venue.
- An event guide. A screen with details such as a venue map and the weather forecast, and between one and four quick action buttons, for example to check the bag policy or order food in the organizer’s app.
- Several events on one ticket. Multi-day events can list each day, and since 2025 a poster ticket can also hold a list of upcoming events, each with its own name, date and guide, which suits season tickets and festival passes.
Which iPhones show them
A poster ticket is an ordinary Apple Wallet pass with extra information added, so it still works on devices that don’t support the new design. Those show it as a classic event ticket, built from the same pass’s regular fields.
| Device | What the attendee sees |
|---|---|
| iPhone on iOS 26 or later, Apple Watch on watchOS 26 or later | The poster ticket, when the pass meets Apple’s requirements |
| Older iPhone or Apple Watch software | The classic event ticket layout |
| Any device, if a required detail is missing | The classic event ticket layout |
Passes sync between devices on the same Apple Account, so one attendee can see the poster ticket on their iPhone and the classic layout on an older watch. That’s why Apple asks every poster ticket to keep valid classic fields as well.
What a ticket needs
Apple sets two minimum requirements. Miss either and Wallet shows the classic layout instead.
1. The poster style scheme
The pass lists posterEventTicket first in its preferredStyleSchemes, with eventTicket after it as the fallback. The pass keeps its normal event ticket style and fields.
2. The required semantic tags
Semantic tags are structured details Wallet reads instead of guessing from the visible text. Every poster ticket needs these, and sport and live music tickets need a few more:
| Ticket | Required details | Apple’s tag names |
|---|---|---|
| Every event | Event name, venue name, venue city or region, room | eventName, venueName, venueRegionName, venueRoom |
| Sport | Home and away team abbreviations | homeTeamAbbreviation, awayTeamAbbreviation |
| Live performance | Performer names, headliner first | performerNames |
Apple also recommends the event start date, and lets you add optional details such as the end date, the venue’s location, the admission level, the attendee’s name, and team, league or Apple Music artist details.
The rest of the format is the same as any Apple Wallet pass. Our guide to the .pkpass file format covers how a pass is put together.
The catch: NFC, not QR codes
Most small events check tickets by scanning a QR code with a phone or a handheld scanner. Apple’s documentation says poster event tickets aren’t compatible with tickets that need a QR code or barcode for entry. Instead, attendees hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near an NFC reader at the door, the way they would pay with Apple Pay.
NFC entry brings two extra requirements:
- Apple’s NFC entitlement. Putting an NFC credential on a pass needs a separate certificate that you request from Apple, beyond the normal pass signing certificate. Apple reviews each request and doesn’t grant every one.
- Readers that accept it. The venue needs contactless readers that work with Apple Wallet passes.
That’s why poster tickets so far come mostly from large ticketing platforms, stadiums and arenas, which already run NFC entry.
If you scan QR codes at the door
A classic Apple Wallet event ticket still does most of what attendees value, on every iPhone:
- It appears at the right time. With the event’s date set, Wallet can bring the ticket forward on the lock screen when it’s needed.
- It stays up to date. Change the start time, gate or seat and saved tickets update.
- It can notify attendees. Send a lock-screen message, such as doors opening or a change of venue.
- It can carry artwork. A strip image across the ticket gives it the event’s look, with the QR code below.
Our guide to digital event tickets covers what goes on a ticket, scanning at the door and stopping tickets being shared.
What about Google Wallet?
Poster tickets are an Apple Wallet design. Google Wallet has its own event ticket type with its own layout, which also shows the event, venue, seat and a barcode. To reach Android attendees, issue the same ticket to Google Wallet as well; our guide on creating a Google Wallet pass explains how.
Frequently asked questions
What is an enhanced event ticket in Apple Wallet?+
It’s Apple’s newer design for event tickets, which Apple calls a poster event ticket. The front shows full artwork for the event, and the ticket links to directions to the venue and an event guide with details such as a venue map. It’s still an ordinary Apple Wallet pass underneath, with extra event information added.
Which iPhones show enhanced event tickets?+
Apple introduced the design with iOS 18, and its current developer documentation covers poster event tickets on iOS 26 and watchOS 26 and later. On older software, the same ticket shows in the classic event ticket layout.
Can an enhanced event ticket use a QR code?+
Apple says poster event tickets aren’t compatible with tickets that require a QR code or barcode for entry. They’re built for NFC entry, where the attendee holds their iPhone or Apple Watch near a contactless reader.
Do I need Apple’s approval to make one?+
The design itself needs no approval, but NFC does: putting an NFC credential on a pass requires a separate entitlement that Apple grants case by case. You also need contactless readers at the door that accept it.
Why does my ticket show the old layout?+
Either the phone’s software doesn’t support poster tickets, or the ticket is missing something Wallet requires: the posterEventTicket style scheme or one of the required details, such as the event name, venue name, venue region and room. Apple falls back to the classic layout whenever a requirement is missing.
Can one ticket cover several events?+
Yes. A multi-day event, such as a festival, can list several date ranges on one ticket, and since 2025 Apple also supports upcoming events: a list of separate events, each with its own name, date and event guide, inside one poster ticket.
Sources
Apple’s newer developer pages load dynamically, so where a number comes from Apple it is taken from its Wallet Developer Guide and support pages. If Apple’s or Google’s current documentation differs, follow theirs.
- Apple: Creating a poster event pass using semantic tags
- Apple: Supporting semantic tags in Wallet passes
- Apple WWDC25: What’s new in Wallet
- Apple: Human Interface Guidelines, Wallet event tickets
More guides
- How to create a Google Wallet passCreate a Google Wallet pass for loyalty, memberships, tickets, coupons or gift cards: pass types, classes and objects, the Google Wallet API steps, the Add to Google Wallet button, and the no-code route.
- Klaviyo and Apple Wallet: add wallet passes to your emails and flowsConnect WalletPassBuilder to Klaviyo to put each person’s Apple Wallet and Google Wallet pass link on their profile, start flows when a pass is saved or a loyalty stamp is earned, issue passes to a list and message a segment.
- What is a wallet pass?A wallet pass is a digital card, ticket or coupon saved in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. Learn how passes work, which types exist, what they can and can’t do, and how they compare with apps and PDFs.
- How to create an Apple Wallet pass without codingWhat building an Apple Wallet or Google Wallet pass yourself involves, and a step-by-step guide to designing, publishing and sharing one with a no-code builder.