Over the last ten years, the cost of living has skyrocketed. Along with the inflation of food and shelter, the price of entertainment has also risen, but at a rate far greater than inflation. After the Covid-19 pandemic, prices for music tours, no matter the size of the artist or venue, have reached a new high.
“For Taylor Swift, I spent around a grand, but it was worth every penny. Not to mention the ticket price compared to others that went for around three to four thousand,” said senior Mackenzie Estrada.
When looking at popular artists like Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, and K-pop artists like Stray Kids and ATEEZ, ticket prices have reached the thousands.
According to Marketplace.com, “Tickets for Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ in Inglewood, California, sold for between $49 and $449 on the primary market, but reached up to $11,000 on StubHub.”
One reason these prices have been so high is due to resellers. Most reselling happens within applications like Ticketmaster, in which resellers hire bots to get into presales and buy tickets just to sell them back for a high price.
“For Stray Kids in 2022, I spent around $400 for nosebleed seats because they were resale,” said senior Kiersten Franscisco.
Merchandise prices have also skyrocketed.
In her 2017 world tour, Melanie Martinez’s tour merch went for around $25 for a t-shirt alone. Now in her 2024 “Trilogy Tour,” a shirt can go up to $55 or a hoodie for $95.
“The most I have spent at a concert was Lana Del Rey’s concert. I spent around $120–I got me, my boyfriend, and my best friend each a t-shirt,” said English teacher Ms. Rylee Toler “I have also bought merch from Harry Styles & Hozier–but it was about $80 or so for each!”
Though Covid increased demand prices, it also gave artists the opportunity to get more creative with their tour ideas.
“There was a lot of time and money spent on ATEEZ, but not only did I get to see one of my favorite artists, I got to further strengthen my friendships with my favorite people,” said senior Jianna Thompson. “The experience was something I don’t think I could ever replicate. From the amazing performance, the amazing crowd support, to watching the videos afterward with my friend- all of it combined created the best night I’ve had in a long time.”
If you are looking to buy tickets in the near future check out Ticketmaster, Stubhub, Seatgeek, or even the artist of choice’s website, but save up; it might be expensive.
