How much money is too much for a concert ticket?

Ten years ago I was talking with my oldest daughter about music and concerts. When the high price of tickets was brought up I said $1000/ticket was outrageous which led to this exchange:

Dad: “I wouldn’t spend $1000 for a ticket even if John and George reincarnated and the four of them went on tour.” Amy: “You’d be the first person in line for that show and would pay two or three times that.”

Okay. She was right. But it would be more to see what John and George looked like after being dead for decades. Yeah, I’d listen to their music, too.

But ten years after the discussion, ticket prices are higher than ever.

Friday night, I’ll be in Las Vegas to see the Eagles at the Sphere. This will be the fourth time I’ve seen them play. The first time was in the late 1970s. The cost was $25 and a couple of people in the group I went with complained about the price.

The next time I saw them, the band had reunited after being broken up for more than a decade. The cost to see the “Hell Freezes Over Tour” was $125/ticket—five times as much as the first time.

Fast forward to this coming week. When I decided to make the journey to Vegas to see the show I knew it would be expensive. Part of the reason is because of the venue. The Sphere gives you an immersive experience along with hearing the band. So when I checked Stubhub and saw the least expensive ticket was about $400 I was surprised but not all that much. It took me a couple of days before I decided to buy a ticket at that price. And by the way, it’s really not that price because the added fees were more than $100.

I know some of you are thinking five hundred bucks isn’t outrageous—fine. But, that’s for a seat in the back section of the venue. When I checked Stubhub again, the best seats were going for more than four grand. That’s right—Four Thousand Dollars!! I think everyone would agree that’s a lot of money. Doing the math, for a three-hour concert it breaks down to about $1333 an hour—before those damn fees.

I’m not just picking on the Eagles or the Sphere. Recent tours by Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé have had their fans complain about the high prices of tickets. I remember reading about a man who lost his tickets to see Taylor and replacing them cost more than TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!! I guess that puts my five hundred in perspective.

But if you look around hard enough you can always find a bargain. On Thursday night, Barry Manilow will be in concert less than a mile from the hotel where I’m staying. Tickets are seventy-five bucks. I’m not much of a fan of his but let me repeat the price—SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS!! I wonder how much are the damn fees.