To think £17.6 for an art exhibition is too much for normal people

[Marue]

I really want to go to the Ai Weiwei but its just too much really for me.

Is it even worth it?

It's a brilliant show, you should try to go if you can. There's a lot to see and I think it's definitely worth it even if you're not usually interested in art. I paid £11 combined for me and DH as I'm on DLA. There are discounts for people on benefits, OAPs and students, and children go free.

£17.60? I wouldn't be going to it for that. That's half a weeks food for the three of us. In my head I'd be thinking,
"Couple hours art show or 3.5 days food?"

(Tbf, i think that's just me being a tightass. Lol)

Wow your lucky! For a fiver I would definitely go, almost 18 just seems too much :(

Sounds pretty cheap for that level and standard of cultural activity tbh. But if it's out of your budget, it's out of your budget. Now if you want to talk extortionate then theatre tickets are where it's at in my experience. They are truly eye watering expensive!

Damson....you don't think things like tickets to expos should be subsidised? I would rather everyone got a chance to go and see good art but maybe that's just unrealistic? cultural heritage is something to be shared
I go to galleries, I've never ever paid £17 for a ticket & I very rarely see full-price tickets for that much. This one is fairly high profile so likely to be able to make up the shortfall without having to charge that much.

I think we're so spoiled by free galleries that exhibits costing so much is a shock. But its cheaper than most concert or theatre tickets.

Genuine question Seeyou - how do you feed three people for 35 quid? What do you eat?

I see so many people here feeding families for less than I spend for me and a couple of cats.

< back on track>
Spendthrift that I obviously am, no, I wouldn't spend 17 on a couple of hours entertainment.

Goodness that seems steep. I saw it at Alcatraz a few months back and could go in as part of my Alcatraz admission price!! It was good though.

The thing is, the Royal Academy does not receive any public funding so has to generate an income.

The summer exhibition raises a lot of money as the RA takes a 30% commission from pieces sold. The cost of installing the trees in front of the RA during the Ai Weiwei exhibition was raised by crowd funding. It costs about £100 for annual membership which allows you, a guest into any exhibition and up to 4 children under 18.

About the RA

Sorry, was trying to edit that last sentence and my knuckle hit the keyboard. Anyway, if you decide to spend £100 upfront you have unlimited access for a year & can go to preview days. A family Christmas present?

£17 is a bit steep but not unusual for a 'blockbuster' type show and certainly typical for the Royal Academy.

Just to compare it's £16.50 for the Celts at the British Museum.

If you go to exhibitions a lot (or even not that much) Art Fund membership is well worth it - lots of shows and places will be free (inc lots of National Trust places) and the Ai WeiWei is discounted - not sure how much but usually 50%.

I'd rather spend £17.60 on an exhibition than twice that amount to attend a football match.

I wouldn't pay it, but if you live in London, Marue, there are free exhibitions all over the place that are terrific. I follow Londonist on Twitter and get a lot of good suggestions from them.

I think that's a reasonable price to be honest - children are free so for a family with children it could be a really cheap day out.

I once spent much more than that on a rugby ticket, and I pay £40 ish to see stand up comedy so if I were interested in that event, I'd go.

wow your lucky

Oh yes, extremely lucky to be disabled. It makes my daily struggle to work and travel all that much easier knowing I can see some artwork for £5.

I would much rather have the the ability to walk more than 50 yards. Believe me.

Hun I obviously didn't mean it like that, but I understand you maybe we sensitive about it

Usually discounts are save a pound or something. Its good that their discount is 3\4!

I personally wouldn't spend £17.00 on a ticket for this when there you can see so much art in London for free.

FWIW I find I can often get West End theatre tickets for less than £17.00 if I book early. However a lot of the more child orientated shows seem to be more expensive. (But there are still some £15.00 tickets available for the new Wonderland musical at the National Theatre, for instance)