With Taylor Swift’s ongoing The Eras Tour projected to earn a record-breaking USD 1 billion in sales by 2024, concert tickets have become much more than just passes to see musicians live. From witnessing legendary performances with extravagant production value to getting a chance to meet the stars, musical gigs can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Naturally, concert tickets, which give access to such perks and privileges, can be expensive.
Over the years, live concerts have evolved from being just a musical showcase. Audiences buy official merchandise and become a part of a community of fans. Many concerts allow immersive experiences with high-tech stages, large display screens, innovative lighting and high-octane dancers accompanying the backing bands. Hence, in today’s era of hyped marketing and sky-high revenues, such expensive concert tickets are seen as an investment.
So much so that The Eras Tour ticket prices reached as high as USD 14,000 per pass for the July 2023 Kansas City concert on resale sites. The “Karma” singer also announced Europe and Asia dates amid inflated ticket prices. According to Guardian, while London passes are being sold for GBP 2,300 (USD 2,955), the most expensive concert ticket for the Singapore leg is priced at SGD 348 (approximately USD 258). Despite all that, fans continue to clamour to claim a spot in the arena.
In the past, artists, such as The Rolling Stones and Elton John, have charged enormous amounts for their concerts as well.
Here’s how much some of the most expensive concert tickets of all time cost
Michael Jackson’s Final Curtain Call
Price: USD 1,100
The King of Pop never needed an introduction and even today, the world recalls the hypnotic music, sets and choreography of his live performances. In 2009, the Final Curtain Call concert, which was deemed his last tour, saw some of the most expensive concert tickets of all time.
According to a CNN report, Jackson sold out 50 shows at London’s O2 Arena within four hours of the sale going live. In no time, 750,000 passes were bought. Sales were capped at four per household and while an average ticket cost USD 105, VIP tickets shot up to USD 1,100. After the general sale was over, passes appeared on the resale market and one seller sought USD 35,000 for a VIP package.
The concert began on 8 July 2009 and was initially slated for 10 nights only. However, an overwhelming demand compelled MJ, as he was lovingly known, to add 40 more dates to his London wing of the tour.
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The Rolling Stones’ 50 & Counting tour
Price: GBP 950 (USD 1,219)
One of the most legendary rock ‘n’ roll bands of all time, The Rolling Stones is best known for electrifying music and outstanding songs. In 2012, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood wowed fans on their 50th-anniversary concert tour, which sold GBP 24 million (nearly USD 31 million) worth of tickets.
According to a 2012 NME report, the group’s London shows on 25 and 29 November 2012 “shifted as many as 31,755 tickets,” while their US shows on 8, 13 and 15 December 2012 “pushed the total number of tickets sold to 364,864 over all five dates.”
The report said, “Tickets for the band’s London shows ranged from GBP 90 (over USD 115) to a deluxe VIP package priced at GBP 950 (around USD 1,220), which left many fans frustrated as they could not afford to see the legendary group.”
According to a Daily Mail report in 2013, the band was later forced to slash the prices, as many seats in the arenas remained vacant.
Justin Bieber’s Justice World Tour
Price: USD 1,500
A Justin Bieber concert is characterised by frenzied fan moments, epic dance breaks and some of the most expensive tickets. His 2022 Justice World Tour drew much attention for being one of the first concerts to be held after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reportedly, the top-tiered tickets cost USD 1,500. Situated right next to the stage, it offered the best view and took the audience extremely close to Bieber.
However, this was not the first time the pop star’s show came with a hefty entry fee. During his India leg of the Purpose tour in 2016, each expensive ticket grossed about INR 76,790 (around USD 1,149), reported Teen Vogue.
BTS’ Love Yourself World Tour
Price: USD 3,850
One of the most popular names in the K-pop scene, BTS enthrals the audience at their concerts and sends ripples across the globe. Unwavering support and craze from their devoted fan base, ARMY, incredible tracks and catchy music make each concert a spectacle to remember.
An insatiable demand for passes to shows by the septet, comprising Jungkook, V, Jimin, Suga, J-Hope, Jin and RM, has seen a surge in prices in the secondary ticket market. A CNBC report states that according to secondary ticket marketplace TicketCity, their 2o18 Love Yourself World Tour saw sky-high ticket prices, and in one instance, an expensive ticket was sold for USD 3,850. It was for the group’s Chicago, US, show and was bought in Massachusetts.
The report states that on average, BTS concert tickets are sold for USD 823, which is nearly double of passes for Taylor Swift’s 2018 Reputation tour, which cost around USD 413 per ticket.
Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour
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Price: USD 4,500
Legendary musician Elton John’s last concert tour was a grand success, both in terms of performances and audience turnout. One of the highest-grossing concerts of all time, the Farewell Yellow Brick tour started in 2018 and continued till July 2023.
On the last show, held in Stockholm’s Tele2 Arena, John played “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” as a fitting end to the concert and was received exceptionally well by a roaring crowd of over 45,000. As per The Mirror, the five-year concert, with over 300 shows, raked in over GBP 700 million (approximately USD 896 million), with another expected USD 20 million from eight more gigs yet to be factored in.
An article by the Guinness World Records, citing Billboard Boxscore, said, “The legendary British singer has grossed a whopping USD 817.9 million (GBP 660.06 million) from the eight legs (278 shows) of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour. The shows, held between September 2018 and January 2023, have become the highest-grossing music tour ever.”
Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour
Price: USD 5,000
Queen Bey’s 2023 Renaissance World Tour is one of the most talked-about events of the year. From featuring a performance by her daughter, Blue Ivy, to witnessing some electrifying performances by the pop icon, along with astonishing lights and costumes, the tour has it all.
And when it comes to such a heavy-weight star concert, tickets are expected to be rather expensive. According to Billboard, ticket prices vary depending on the seat category and the country, but an average seat might have a price tag of around USD 350. For the ones located closer to the stage, tickets cost between USD 900 and USD 3,000 with the premium package costing USD 5,000 in certain cities.
In fact, the high prices of her concert led to inflation in Sweden after she performed in Stockholm in February 2023. According to the chief economist of Danske Bank, the tour resulted in increased hotel, restaurant and recreation prices fuelled by higher demand from fans visiting.
Bruce Springsteen’s Springsteen and the E Street Band tour
Price: USD 5,000
Despite high demands, the 2023 concert by Bruce ‘The Boss’ Springsteen was met with criticism as the American singer, his band and Ticketmaster came under heavy scrutiny for charging exorbitant amounts. While fans were extremely elated to catch Springsteen live, many were left extremely disheartened, as the ticketing platform’s dynamic pricing policy left them hanging.
According to Variety, in 2022, New Jersey Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr. issued a formal complaint against the Live Nation-owned company. He tweeted saying, “Today I’ve demanded answers from Ticketmaster on the monopoly’s role in the Springsteen tour fiasco where fans were charged upwards of $5,000 for seats.”
Today I’ve demanded answers from Ticketmaster on the monopoly’s role in the Springsteen tour fiasco where fans were charged upwards of $5000 for seats. pic.twitter.com/K8WGtmH1iX
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) August 31, 2022
A 2023 New York Post report stated that Springsteen’s manager Jon Landau defended Ticketmaster saying that the average price is kept at USD 200, which is a “fair price”. Meanwhile, the musician spoke to Rolling Stone magazine and said he is considering what others are doing and has instructed to “charge a little less”.
Maroon’s M5LV The Residency
We’re getting closer to our new show, #M5LV: The Residency, opening in Vegas THIS YEAR. Tickets on sale now – https://t.co/2G7sqEDTTQ. 🎸🎲🔊🎰
3/24, 3/25, 3/29, 3/31, 4/1, 4/5, 4/7, 4/8
&
7/28, 7/29, 8/2, 8/4, 8/5, 8/9, 8/11, 8/12#LasVegas #DolbyLive #ParkMGM @LiveNation pic.twitter.com/1Bi3u6uOP4
— Maroon 5 (@maroon5) January 5, 2023
Price: USD 8,701
Las Vegas is playing host to Adam Levine and Maroon 5 as the group plays night concerts at the city’s posh Park MGM Hotel between March and August 2023. According to reports, the concert has seen an overwhelming response with ticket prices reaching a mammoth USD 8,701 per person.
The performance set list includes some of the band’s most popular chart-toppers like “Move Like Jagger”, “Payphone”, “What Lovers Do” and “Girls Like You.” As a major highlight during one of its March shows, Maroon 5 also paid tribute to their late manager Jordan “Jordi” Feldstein, and Levine dedicated “Love Somebody” to his wife Behati Prinsloo, saying, “This one’s for you B.”
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Led Zeppelin’s Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert
Price: USD 84,000
In 2007, legendary rock band Led Zeppelin took the idea of expensive concert tickets to a whole new level. The band had reunited after nearly 20 years at London’s O2 Arena for a benefit concert in memory of Atlantic Records founder, Ahmet Ertegun.
Although the base fare for passes started at USD 250, Far Out reported the price went up to USD 168,000 for two passes. They were bought off a charity auction. The fact that the group got together after so long to headline the event made it a memorable and rare experience.
Having played 16 songs, the concert cemented Led Zeppelin’s position as one of the most influential rock bands of all time and demonstrated its influence over fans. The Los Angeles Times reported that many in the UK capital also billed it as the ‘“concert of the millennium” by “the greatest rock and roll band ever”.’
(Main and featured image: Yvette de Wit/ @yvettedewit/ Unsplash)
This story first appeared on Prestige Online Hong Kong
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answer: The Led Zeppelin-headlined Ahmet Ertegun Tribute concert is considered one of the most expensive concerts of all time.
Answer: According to ‘AllKpop’ one ticket for BTS’ ‘Love Yourself’ tour in the USA sold for USD 3,850.
Answer: A ‘Yahoo Finance’ report about 'The Eras Tour' says, “Basic tickets to see Taylor Swift cost between $80 and $380. She also offers ‘VIP packages’ costing $350 to $1,249. These packages include posters, trinkets and a tote bag, in addition to a ticket. It is unclear whether more tickets will be sold or more VIP packages.”
Answer: According to Guinness World Records, in 2005, Robbie Williams sold a mammoth 1.6 million tickets worth GBP 80 million (USD 142,825,258.47) in the first 24 hours, ahead of his 2006 World Tour.
