Gig Tickets - How much is too much

[Ben7amin_]

Now before I start its important to say nothing against Billie Eilish but this story has been doing the rounds. 

 

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/entertainment/billie-eilish-struggles-to-sell-tickets-for-250-a-head-o2-gig-379196/

 

I'm sure Billie is big enough to sell out these dates so it does seem the price probably is the  blocker.  

 

I actually think it's a good thing.

 

People need to stop paying these extravagant prices. I know the cost of everything is going up but these prices are just Greed. 

 

I decided the other year I'm not paying more that £100 to see anyone ever. 

 

 

 

Edited July 17 by Ben7amin_

[wro_lap]

I reckon Billie could easily sell BST/Wembley out for around £70-80 tickets. Only artists I've ever paid 100+ for are Springsteen, the Stones and McCartney. Probably wouldn't bother for anyone else.

 

Way I see it, 30+ for academy venues is steep (sadly common now), 45+ for arenas, 70+ for stadiums. Very ambitious in this day and age.

[Skip997]

No more than £30 for anyone, anywhere 

[charlierc]

22 minutes ago, Ben7amin_ said:

I decided the other year I'm not paying more that £100 to see anyone ever. 

This is my current max limit. Although it has moved upwards given my limit was once £80.

 

So far, still yet to breach it.

Edited July 17 by charlierc

[Spuddhism]

I've yet to go higher than £50. If a concert was going to cost £60+ I'd rather spend that on two gigs by smaller venue artists (which I often think are more enjoyable evenings anyway). For me, a bigger budget is for festivals only.

[nikkic]

Depends on who and where but with prices where they are I’m far less whimsical than I used to be. 

£50-60 for bands at Brixton or Ally Pally is too much unless I really want to see them. Where as 10-15 years ago I’d take a punt on a band for £20.

 

That said I’d slap 4 figures to see a reformed Daft Punk hammer a 2 hour set and it would be the best money I’d ever spent. 

[Dales]

The £100 mark is a barrier I don't like going above but have done it for a few artists like the Stones, Muse and U2 in the past. Paid £150 for Billie Eilish tickets at the O2 before, which I know is madness but my partner wanted them and 90% of the gigs we go to are bands I like, so was not going to say no. Was it a good show, well it was fine and I enjoyed it but clearly a waste of money at that price. After, the show we both agreed it was mad to pay so much, so  when the Taylor tour came around and my partner had a code she did not go through with buying tickets when they came up at £175.

 

I think the biggest names will always get away with charging silly money if they want to, such as the Taylor tour. What really bothers me is the amount of smaller acts that now charge between £60 to £80 and even gigs at places like O2 forum often charge £45+

 

As someone who goes to a lot of gigs and often get seats, I now often downgrade the seats to up in the gods to try to keep the costs down.

 

The only good point for me about crazy prices (not that I want them too charge crazy prices) is that as someone who is a member of the NHS ticketing sites, I get a chance to pick up some free/cheap tickets for artist's I would not normally ever think of seeing as they have put off their own fans by charging to much. 

 

The rate at which the prices go up may slow down but they are not going to get cheaper. The current pricing is going to be the norm from now on in.  If we want to see established artists then we will end up paying these prices.

 

What I do find interesting is that often people who do not go to as many gigs as members on here do, often do not bulk at paying £100+ for tickets as it's a one off and special and regular gig going is not part of their life. There are also those that compare the prices to sporting events and pay similarly high prices for them.

[FuzzyDunlop]

I dont have many "massive" acts that I really want to see.

 

Unless its somewhere unique, or different, I am probably not going to spend over £80.

£42 inc fees for Paul Heaton is fine.

Idles are a similar price. I think that's fine.

 

[Porcelina]

Spent £300 for a gold circle Springsteen ticket at BST. Have also spent £200 for front standing at Wembley next week.

 

However medium ticket price is probably £30.

 

I do resent paying those prices for your average arena show, but sometimes you just have to suck it up.

[Toilet Duck]

Saw Depeche Mode at the end of my road last summer…€89. For a band of their stature, I thought that was pretty reasonable (especially as Young Fathers were supporting!). Blur in the same venue were similarly priced, Pulp were a bargain €49. Nick Cave next November was about €80 odd. Would have considered AC/DC this summer, but with tickets starting at about €160, I decided nah. Was the same for Elton, tickets kept popping up, but at over €300 for 2, I kept seeing other things I’d prefer and spent about the same amount on 4 separate gigs/shows. Mostly, sub-€100 is what I’d pay, only a handful of acts I’d shell out more than that for. 

Edited July 18 by Toilet Duck

[MilkyJoe]

WTAF! Nothing against Billie Eilish either apart from the fact that this is taking the proverbial. Are these really the cheapest tickets? Is she that good?

 

Out of interest who actually sets the prices for tickets?

[Ben7amin_]

4 hours ago, MilkyJoe said:

WTAF! Nothing against Billie Eilish either apart from the fact that this is taking the proverbial. Are these really the cheapest tickets? Is she that good?

 

Out of interest who actually sets the prices for tickets?

 

Yeah I'm giving her the credit of not being the one to set her ticket prices. 

 

However. She is not too big to fail and playing to half empty venues will not be good for her. 

 

So she needs to make changes in those around her and remove those responsible from her career

[charlierc]

10 hours ago, Dales said:

The rate at which the prices go up may slow down but they are not going to get cheaper. The current pricing is going to be the norm from now on in.  If we want to see established artists then we will end up paying these prices.

 

What I do find interesting is that often people who do not go to as many gigs as members on here do, often do not bulk at paying £100+ for tickets as it's a one off and special and regular gig going is not part of their life. There are also those that compare the prices to sporting events and pay similarly high prices for them.

Both of these are valid points. It would be a big surprise if anyone deflated their prices for tours in 2025/26, but equally, a lot of people are willing to pay these astronomical prices so as a consequence it'll lead to these prices staying as the norm.

 

Well, maybe at this level, maybe not the insane stuff for Eilish that started this thread off.

[4AssedMonkey]

With a few exceptions, £100 inc. fees is my limit.  Can't justify going above that for most acts and at that price, you're probably talking arenas/stadiums, which I'm not a fan of anyway.

 

The exceptions me & Mrs 4AM have agreed are Brandi Carlile and (if she ever tours again) Annie Lennox or a Eurythmics reunion.  Sad truth is you'd be lucky to get front standing tickets for either for less than £100.

[DeanoL]

£60 is my limit for a gig. I'll go to loads of gigs, do them all the time. I will pay more than that, but at that point it's not a "gig" for me, it's a special night out. Only do those occasionally, money comes out of the holiday fund, it's a different thing, different mindset.

[giantkatestacks]

I was mulling this today as I wanted to take the family to a live Nightmare before Christmas. Its on at Wembley Arena and the cheapest seats right at the back where you wont see any of Danny Elfman or the special guests are 56. £75 for the cheapest better view. That's a lot of money for 3 of us in a barn live venue unsuited for orchestral music. I might have paid that for the Barbican iyswim.

[fraybentos1]

Feel like most arena standing tickets have gone from 60 odd to 100 odd in a matter of a few years. I paid £170 for front standing to T Swift because it was such an occasion. Other than that usually I wouldn't want to pay more than say 80 for a big outdoor show but like all things, this will inevitably rise with inflation over the years. Soon enough 30 quid won't get you an academy show.

[OllieMadd]

Honestly most are too expensive for me now, but I'm in the extremely privileged position of having seen pretty much my entire bucket list. The most expensive I've ever paid is £170 for front standing at the Eras tour.

 

I could probably be talked out of £100 for Bruce and the Stones again but they're my top 2 all time artists. I'd probably pay similar for Nick Cave.

 

The one I'd properly exceed those prices for is if Joni Mitchell ever made it over here.

[Mardy]

There is, in my mind, anyway, a clear delineation between a gig (The Four Spotty Herberts) and a big show. I loved seeing Taylor Swift the other month, but was it a gig? Absolutely not. It was closer to going to see Guys and Dolls at the Lyric, or Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. And comparatively priced. As soon as you add choreography, dancers, pyro, effects, whatever, it becomes a completely different kettle of fish. Both in terms of what it is, and what you can expect to pay. 'Gig' for those shows is a bit of a misnomer, I think. 

[FloopFiller]

Keep seeing this story doing the rounds, and I’ve gotta ask, where are they getting this £250 lowest price tag from?! The lowest price for her O2 shows was around £80, which have sold out, and the top prices were around £180, which also look to have mostly sold out (going from seetickets). In fact, most of the dates seem to have sold out, so I’ve gotta imagine this inflated price tag they’re quoting has come from somewhere like Ticketmaster after they’ve been up to their old tricks, or some kind of VIP package that is still on sale?

 

The tickets for her shows were expensive, and they seemed to take longer than you’d expect to sell, but they weren’t that expensive, and for the most part, they do seem to have sold…

[itschris]

6 hours ago, MilkyJoe said:

WTAF! Nothing against Billie Eilish either apart from the fact that this is taking the proverbial. Are these really the cheapest tickets? Is she that good?

 

Out of interest who actually sets the prices for tickets?

 

They definitely were NOT the cheapest seats when they initially went on sale. I paid £105 each for 3 tickets in the cheapest seated section as I'm taking two daughters.

[Alan_C]

The most I have paid is around £75 to see Pulp and Blur last year. There aren't many bands I would pay more than that to see who are touring these days. I would go higher for Pulp or Blur though. £100 would be my max unless it's something completely off the scale. 

[MilkyJoe]

27 minutes ago, Mardy said:

There is, in my mind, anyway, a clear delineation between a gig (The Four Spotty Herberts) and a big show. I loved seeing Taylor Swift the other month, but was it a gig? Absolutely not. It was closer to going to see Guys and Dolls at the Lyric, or Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. And comparatively priced. As soon as you add choreography, dancers, pyro, effects, whatever, it becomes a completely different kettle of fish. Both in terms of what it is, and what you can expect to pay. 'Gig' for those shows is a bit of a misnomer, I think. 

I was thinking about this, some 'gigs' are much bigger than others with a lot more logistical input etc. and I was trying to equate it to going to see a West End show for instance. Probably comparable in the grand scheme of things. It's just the way prices have been steadily rising, how long before The Four Spotty Herberts are going to cost you 50 quid+ to see...

[MilkyJoe]

2 minutes ago, itschris said:

 

They definitely were NOT the cheapest seats when they initially went on sale. I paid £105 each for 3 tickets in the cheapest seated section as I'm taking two daughters.

Glad to hear it. It does seem to be a bit of a sensationalist article and apart from a Metro article quoting pretty much word for word there doesn't seem to be much other publicity around it.

[itschris]

On the other end of the spectrum, paying £25 to see Arrested Development in a few weeks seems scandalously cheap in today's market.