The price of concert tickets - Jesus wept!

[VassalageorChaos]

I've not been to a concert/gig for decades. No childcare, live in the middle of nowhere, lack of money blah blah ...

Anyway, DH and I decided to splash out and go to see Fleetwood Mac at Wembly Stadium. I've just looked at tickets - the cheapest (crap) ones are £250 and they go up to over £1000

And it's not even the full Fleetwood Mac - they've sacked Lindsay Buckingham!

Would you pay this much to see anyone? What do you normally pay for gigs?

Pink I’ve seen them 3 times. My DSis is a big fan, so I’ve gone along with her, but it’s been 20 years or so since I last saw them. They were fun and I’m sure they still will be. A shame about the website crash.

I generally pay about £85 for a decent seat at the 02 Arena.

That was to see U2, Black Sabbath and Rod Stewart.

@darkstar4855 did you mean the O2?

I meant the O2 - yes, I realise that’s an arena rather than a stadium gig! I’ve always considered the two to be fairly similar.

I paid over £100 per ticket last time that I saw Bruce Springsteen and about £150 ( I think) for George Michael a couple of times . Most of the people that I want to see now are fairly cheap anyway and there is nobody that I’d pay over £150 to see . Dd chose not to go to Taylor Swifts last tour because she thought the ticket prices were too high , even when they’d been reduced due to lack of sales .

Singers / bands no longer make the same level of money from record sales that artists in the past did unless they are in the Adele, Ed Sheeran league. Artists have to tour to make the big bucks now and the ticket prices reflect that.

I have paid top money to see artists up close. Mariah Carey on her last Christmas tour (her voice was amazing!), Barry Gibb a few years ago as I love the Bee Gees but never got to see them altogether etc.

I can’t think of much more cringeworthy than paying hundreds of dollars to listen to some old farts play their greatest hits for the ten millionth time to pay for their latest private jet remodel. But then again I don’t listen to the same music I liked 20 years ago on repeat, I actually seek out and enjoy new music, and I see great gigs for £10 or £20 a pop.

I paid £30/5 for stadium tickets back in the 80s so I don’t think they’re massively out of proportion now compared to wages etc.

I've been to a lot of gigs and would never pay that much for one!

I've been lucky enough (through work) to see some great bands from the luxury of a box at the O2 and I still wouldn't pay £250 if I had to pay for that (value would've been much more than that).

Just bought some gig tickets (Massive Wagons - they are brilliant - up and coming so gigs still cheap) today for £12/each and saw Saxon this week at £30/each. Max I would pay would be c. £80/ticket.

I've been waiting months, if not years for Pink to tour here, went to get tickets when they were released recently and minimum price was £170. Just can't afford it, gutted

I had a conversation with my DD a few weeks about this subject. It was around the time BTS were doing some concerts over here. My DGD,who's 12,is mad about them,but my DD said she wouldn't be forking out in the region of £150 - £200 a ticket for her to go and see them. DD and her DH went to see Coldplay 2 years ago,and if I remember correctly,the tickets were £95 each. I remember thinking 'Jeez!'. In 1981,when I was 18,I went to see Thin Lizzy 4 times and the tickets were £4.50 each. Even in today's money that would still only be about £18 I believe. When and why did concert tickets become so ridiculously expensive?

It is extortionate. But the issue is we still bloody pay it. Well I do.

DH and I have spent £400 on tickets to Metallica and Bon Jovi next year

Eh? I got fleetwood mac tickets 3rd row from the front for £217... worth every penny

Yanbu.
thatwould our opera house tickets were £20.
I never thought I'd see the day when I could afford the RoH over a gig. I've not been to one in 12 years.

@Darkstar4855 arenas are not the same as stadiums acoustically, I have been to the O2 though for a few gigs and I don't like the sound quality in there tbh.

Got tickets for Bon Jovi at Wembley next year, very excited but did cost nearly £200 for two tickets. Prices have gone up massively over the last few years.

Zippy surely they should be paying you £150 to see the Spice Girls??

Snuffalo is it possible that people could like old music and new music? No?

Over £400 to see Kate Bush four years ago, but worth every penny as she hadn’t played live in over 30 years, and probably won’t do so again.
Dh loves Fleetwood Mac, but there is no way we would pay that much especially as Lindsay Buckingham isn’t in the band any more, that tribute band look excellent.

We took the kids to Taylor swift in the summer about £400 for 4 of us. Worth every penny dd described as “the best night of my life”

I bought Bon Jovi tickets last week - just under £100. However they are my al time favourite. I was thinking about cost of tickets - when I was 17/18 I worked out I went to 25 gigs in one year - mix of marquee size up to Wembley stadium. I would go by myself if I wanted to, go to more than one show if I y liked them. Prices probably ranged 8-25 max (for the stadium) I don't know how a teenager could afford that now.

I am seeing particularly skint as in the last 2 weeks also booked X factor and little mix @ £60 per ticket for me and 2 x dd's.

more fool OP for paying that amount, especially for an act on its last legs like FM - Stevie's voice is a sad parody of its [magnificent] 1970s prime and without Lindsay I mean...

we are lucky that we live close enough to Manchester arena that prices are generally dear but not extortionate we have paid in the last 12 months £90 each to see Alice cooper, £70 each for Iron Maiden and today got tickets for next year for lynard Skynard and status quo for £90 each , did look at the eagles but woah £226 to £556 each no way was i paying that

OP last time Fleetwood Mac were at Wembley a friend and I flew to see them in Amsterdam a week or so later, we had great tickets, flights and a cheap and cheerful hotel for the night, cost less than two tickets alone in London!!

FM have become greedy f*ckers as this is their latest last tour.

@thecatsthecats I'd pay that, very reasonable for two. I'm well jealous.
I did pay £200 for two tickets for Deep Purples warm up gig for a European tour at the Astoria a good few years back. Poss 2004/5... cant remember. But tbf it was an amazing gig. And i was far richer back then.
My DD has just paid £83 for Spice Girls, she is so excited. She loved them as a kid and is 28 now, so been waiting a long time.