Maybe this isn’t unpopular, but I feel like it might be given how often shows completely sell out. My wife wants to go see who I think is a small time electro pop musician (Mystery Skulls) at a venue that only holds 500 people and they’re asking $40 plus fees. So basically $50 per person to this up and coming artist? There’s another group called Wardruna that are coming this way. They’re cool, love their sound but the cheapest tickets are $65 plus fees! That’s like $150 for the two of us to go to a show. Absolutely bonkers! I didn’t even pay that much to see Black Sabbath on their end of the world tour a few years ago. These days there is not a single musician or act I would ever pay $80 to see. I never got to see Metallica in concert but last time they were here the cheapest tickets in the worst location were $120 plus fees. And these shows will sell out! Who the hell is going to these shows and WHY?? $150 to watch a band play a few songs? I understand stuff like this is why artists make no money making music, but don’t put the blame on me that’s all the labels. Is it just one of those things where the prices got absurd and people didn’t stop paying? I’m trying to talk my wife out of mystery skulls. He’s a 1 man band he has turntables and his voice I just cannot justify $40 to watch him perform for an hour. I’d pay $40 to see Metallica or Sabbath but there are 0 people worth $100 per person. I like comedy too, and I’ve never paid over $50 to get in. But these days I cannot believe the prices people are paying. I likely won’t ever go to any show again honestly.
Comments
Please remember what subreddit you are in, this is unpopular opinion. We want civil and unpopular takes and discussion. Any uncivil and ToS violating comments will be removed and subject to a ban. Have a nice day!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
They sell out because people pay for them. It might not be worth it for you but it is for someone else. I would pay 80 dollars to see a plethora of artists, that’s a steal nowadays.
There are more than 8,000,000,000 people in this world. If even 0.001% of that is interested in attending a show, that’s 80,000 people willing to spend a bunch of money to be there. You listed several well know, popular bands, so the pool is far larger than 80,000 people.
It’s just numbers and there’s a lot of people where $500 is nothing, even if you think it’s insane
I just dont go to concerts over $25. Literally can’t be worth it for me.
Edit: are people downvoting this because they regret their financial descicions or smthn?
I wouldn’t pay $5 for a cup of coffee but millions will.
If they’re selling out, the tickets aren’t too expensive. Simple as that.
That’s a fair price imo…maybe I’m used to Taylor swift nosebleeds costing upwards of $1000. $70 has me watching lesser known artists like NF, Mgk, Meghan trainor and Katy Perry for an equally good time. I’m happy to pay that much as long as it goes to the artist and not scalpers.
supply and command
Too many people and not enough concerts creates a huge demand which drives prices up. It isn’t worth it to you (or me), but it is worth it to someone. With the $ amounts you’re talking about you probably won’t be going to any concerts ever again.
Plenty of people have disposable income. The amount it cost is not something that would cause my family distress by speeding it.
Experiences > objects
i bet most of them are in credit card debt lmao
I feel like this is a wildly popular opinion.
pink Floyd, The Wall tour: tickets were $10. I don’t know how any one can justify the prices I see today.
You are complaining about a concert costing $50? Is this a joke? Try living in Colorado bud, where almost any concert is $200 for the worst seat in the house.
They cost wayyy too much. Maybe… maybe a handful of the artists are worth it. I can’t stand spending all that money and hearing everyone around me sing the song. I get having fun and vibing but I’m not there to hear people who can’t sing for shit so no the songs I wanna hear.
This is not an unpopular opinion.
Oh my god, well yes this is clearly an unpopular opinion as the vast majority of people clearly think these events are worth it as they buy the tickets!
The enjoyment, the entertainment value, the production, the experience (shared with friends/loved ones), the memories – surely this whole package is worth $40 an hour to you!?
Think about it – you’re not just paying for that hour. You also get the hours of anticipation beforehand, the the hours of memories afterwards!!! Actually, it’s a complete bargain and probably works out to paying only a few bucks an hour, if you look at it that way!
& what else would you spend your hobby money on? Stuff that you just sit at home doing nothing?
How old are you OP? I was expecting prices of 500-1000 based on the title. Inflation happened while you were groovin out
I paid 175 dollars pre fees for floor seats to see John Cena at Smackdown in Michigan on his farewell tour and would happily do it again. I dont know when I’ll have a chance to see him in a ring again, if ever. 100% worth it.
this isnt an unpopular opinion at all lol on the (slightly) more mainstream side of things i was recently trying to get tickets to see ethel cain and i saved up $300 just for most of the tickets to be way above that and both the presale and official sale sold out instantly. shit is insane fuck ticketmaster and fuck live nation
Im not trying to poke at you, because i do get what you’re saying. But some of us save money to do stuff like this because we enjoy going concerts, I’ve gone to 249 so far. I have a concert discretionary fund that got inflated during COVID because I didn’t go to any for years.
you’re listing prices that are 10% of what i paid for some concerts lol. People have disposable income, its not a matter of if its too expensive its is it too expensive for *them*. $120 for a show *is* cheap now a days. I will say i do appreciate it when bigger (at least in my mind) artists play in smaller venues and keep the prices set at like $50+fees. It makes it accessible. I’ve seen Schoolboy Q and Vince Staples this year for like $60.
People also have SEVERE FOMO. During Tswifts concert run, i saw some people who resold tickets for 14k/ticket. I would NEVER pay that much for a ticket. i also don’t got it like that so never could w/o going into debt. I do not care enough about any artist to risk my financial security for a concert. I want to go to cowboy carter, but i didn’t get normal tickets, and im not paying resell prices, so oh well.
But if someone wants to do that. much power to them
I see around 1 show a month. Most of these shows are in the $40-$50 range. But I do have 2 tickets for the wife and I to see Linkin Park later this year that we’re $250/each. That is by far the most I have spent on a ticket and extremely rare. I also paid $330 for 1 4 day pass to Louder Than Life. 160 bands total. I will get to see 40-50 bands for that price. It’s hard to justify paying prices like Linkin Park when I get to see that many bands that close for as cheap as I do there.
A good concert can fill your bucket for a few weeks. Can be a nice investment, especially if you pair it with date or an outing with friends.
These kinds of questions get posted all the time and I will never understand them. It’s always “HOW ARE PEOPLE AFFORDING XYZ?” They have more money than you and spend it how they want.
Supply and demand, duh. Basic economics, so hard.
I agree that they’re very expensive, but my favorite venue holds 7,000 people. My metropolitan area has 8.3 million people. So an artist would only need 0.08% of the metropolitan area to buy tickets to sell out the venue.