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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

DD wants to spend £800 on concert ticket

230 replies

11112222 · 16/10/2022 18:32

DD (17) has just inherited £1800 from the sale of her grandfathers car who recently passed away.
She is autistic, and has special interests which change after around a year or so.

At the moment it's Taylor Swift, which is the concert she wants to buy a ticket for next year. She reckons it will cost £800 for a 'pit' ticket, where you will (might) be close to the stage.

In a few years, she will need to buy a car, and also needs a laptop.

How would you feel if this was you?
She is quite right when she says it's her money, she can spend it how she likes, but I think it is such a waste of a lot of money.
AIBU?

OP posts:
Stravaig · 16/10/2022 19:33

@11112222 She will get a job to save for a car.

Turn this around on her - she can only go if she gets a job NOW and saves the money for the ticket before they go on sale. (Will it really be £800?!). Agree GP's money better spent on something more lasting.

StormzyinaTCup · 16/10/2022 19:33

Myself and DD are waiting for Taylor Swift tickets to go on sale.
We have seen some top artists over the years and never paid anywhere near £800 for a ticket. I have never seen, or at least that I can recall, a ticket being on sale for more than £300, unless of course you buy from a tout or from eBay.

It would be crazy to price tickets at that level, she is a great singer but that would be seriously taking the Michael and it will be a firm thanks but no thanks from me.

Ostryga · 16/10/2022 19:34

She won’t get pit tickets anyway, they’re basically impossible unless you somehow manage a golden moment with ticketmaster’s queue.

If by some miracle she does manage it then I think let her go because it’s nigh on impossible!

Ostryga · 16/10/2022 19:34

Oh and I got pit for Harry Styles this year and next year and they were £215 and £325. So I don’t think £800 is likely.

Fritilleries · 16/10/2022 19:36

No tour has been announced. She needs to calm down....

StormzyinaTCup · 16/10/2022 19:37

Fritilleries · 16/10/2022 19:36

No tour has been announced. She needs to calm down....

🤣

BuzzBeeEmoticon · 16/10/2022 19:38

Everyone saying it won’t cost this much - it might well do. People were paying similar for Harry Styles recently, and the new ticketmaster system is increasing prices based on demand so no fixed prices.

I would let her go, but it’s the kind of thing I’d spend my money on too so maybe not the best judge.

NeverTalksToStrangers · 16/10/2022 19:44

Taylor doesn't (or hasn't in the past anyway) charged for meet and greets at her concerts. She does do them, but fans are specially selected (partly online, partly on the day).

I would say pit tickets might be £300 but not much more.

P.s. I LOVE her too.

StellaElevator · 16/10/2022 19:46

For Taylor’s Reputation tour pit tickets at their most expensive were £600, often not that much. VIP tickets were around £1000 which I agree is insane.

The normal but decent seats were around £350.

When tickets are released, even if they’re as expensive as your DD thinks it’s very unlikely she’ll manage to get pit tickets.

Jessiesthedog · 16/10/2022 19:48

I would actually pay £800 to go and see Taylor Swift so yeah great completely understand why she would

Readaboutyourself · 16/10/2022 19:49

It’s her money. If it means she goes without a car then it’s a lesson learnt.

HailAdrian · 16/10/2022 19:50

Help her find a cheaper ticket, that's what I do. I LOVE gigs so I get that she doesn't necessarily see it as a waste of money but £800 is a piss take and I've paid well over face value in my time.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 16/10/2022 19:50

BuzzBeeEmoticon · 16/10/2022 19:38

Everyone saying it won’t cost this much - it might well do. People were paying similar for Harry Styles recently, and the new ticketmaster system is increasing prices based on demand so no fixed prices.

I would let her go, but it’s the kind of thing I’d spend my money on too so maybe not the best judge.

It was the same for Bruce Springsteen. My friend didn't get a ticket as all she could get was standing for over £600. We booked hospitality tickets which didn't come to much more than that for both (direct from the venue). Ticketmaster's 'dynamic pricing' is ridiculous.

ChiefWiggumsBoy · 16/10/2022 19:51

I would let her. It’s her money to spend, a concert like this for her will have a lifetime of memories. £1800 might pay for her first year of car insurance but won’t extend to a car as well. Maybe a cheap laptop if she only wants it for word processing.

Also, did no one hear the news last week about Ticketmaster? They’ll be increasing ticket prices as much as they can to ‘stop scalpers’ from being able to block buy and then resell at top dollar. That’s probably where she’s got the £800 from, and she might not be far off for TS.

Cheeseandcrackers86 · 16/10/2022 19:52

I'm going to assume she isn't the most streetwise 17YO op? It's her money but at this price I'd be concerned that she's planning on getting the tickets from scam sites not juat touters. I think the best thing you can do is be accepting that this is what she wants to spend some of her money on and offer to do it as safely and wisely as possible. Help her figure out the safest and cheapest places to get tickets. She may look back and wonder what the heck she was thinking. She may remember it as one of the best nights of her life. I think you have to let her figure it out either way x

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 16/10/2022 19:52

She's under age and vulnerable. Tbh I wouldn't have told her about the inheritance at all.

If she does squander the money, don't jump in to rescue her when she needs a laptop or whatnot. Otherwise she'll not learn.

Why can't she work and save now for when the tickets eventually go on sale?

Ottersmith · 16/10/2022 19:53

That sounds like a lot for an the producers to sell a ticket for. Would that be from an authorised seller? Make sure she only looks at the venue or the producers for tickets because 800 sounds a lot and any tickets from unauthorised sellers might not end up being valid. That would be the worst outcome of all.

ElectedOnThursday · 16/10/2022 19:54

I disagree with every poster slamming this as “a waste of money “. It isn’t to the Taylor Swift fan. Money means different things to different people. Maybe for this girl it’ll be the concert of a lifetime. I remember my first concerts with great fondness.

But it won’t cost that much anyway. 😂

HappyHappened · 16/10/2022 19:55

My eldest has asd and adhd she spends her money each month (wages and pip) within 48 hours and there’s nothing we can do

Arewerelated · 16/10/2022 19:55

Pit tickets really are that much. Pit for Beyonce (gold circle) was 1300 iirc. Its mad money but it will be an amazing experience that she will never forget. I'd let her do it 😁

Ninjachick · 16/10/2022 19:58

The money she has will be handy for a laptop but come nowhere near what she needs to spend on a car and associated costs. So stop threatening her about needing a car at some point.
Her grandad might have been happy to have made her very happy with something she will only do once in her life. Encourage her to get the laptop and tell her to hang on to the money carefully so that she will be ready to get her ticket when the time comes. I'd just manage her expectations briefly by mentioning how hard it is to get pit tickets, but also say that there are other really good places to be.

Onewildandpreciouslife · 16/10/2022 19:58

I’d let her do it. I think it’s lovely that her grandfather’s legacy to her is an experience she won’t forget

Fritilleries · 16/10/2022 19:58

To live for the hope of it all.... she can go with me if she needs a plus one!

PoundShopPrincess · 16/10/2022 19:59

It's her money. I'd let her. (I think she's wrong about the ticket prices anyway and they won't be that expensive unless she buys them from a resale site).
If she goes off TSr before the concert then she can sell the tickets on and recoup the money.
It is a lot of money but honestly, sometimes, it's nice to be completely reckless and indulge a passion as much as possible especially when it's an unexpected sum. Concerts are the sort of events that you remember forever. I think it's lovely that she could associate such happy and indulgent memories with her GP.

Pedallleur · 16/10/2022 20:00

If the artist has signed up for dynamic pricing then it could be well north of 800. Depends on venue size. Bruce Springsteen fans recently saw the US tour tickets go to 5000 dollars due to venue size and demand. Some tickets were a lot less but still in the hundreds plus booking fee. Anyway it's immaterial if there is no tour or those tickets are fan club based or at a premium price