In 2019, the average cost for a concert ticket was $96.17, and by 2024, that number increased to $135.92 according to Pollystar. This is a staggering statistic given the fact that touring artists made over 6.1 billion dollars this year in North America alone. This begs the question—is your favorite artist overcharging for tickets?
Musicians like Harry Styles have been under backlash recently, as their shocking ticket prices outrage fans. Styles announced that he was going on tour Jan. 22 and began selling tickets on Jan. 26 for fans that registered for presale. Instead of doing a traditional North American tour as he has done in the past, the singer will be playing Madison Square Garden in New York City for 30 nights. Presale tickets ranged in price from $50 – $1,182.40 with lower bowl tickets costing $800 to $1,000.
Fans felt Styles should travel around the U.S. instead of doing a long residency in New York. Sophomore Caroline Kahn thinks Styles should announce another leg of the tour where he stops at different cities.
“Why is he playing 20 shows at the same arena? That’s many hours [to drive] for me, and if you live on the west coast, you’re not going. I’m definitely going to go if he comes to Chicago or [St. Louis],” Khan said.
As a member of the now disbanded boy band One Direction, Styles has been well known in the music industry for over 15 years. People that have been following his career from the start feel personally attacked by his ticket prices. Summit’s Registrar, and long time One Direction fan, Mary Mazzola said she felt a myriad of emotions when she discovered the price of tickets.
“[Ticket prices are] absolutely obnoxious, outrageous, upsetting, [and] disappointing. [I feel] sad, hurt, [and] betrayed,” Mazzola said.
Many believe that the pricing of Styles’ tour is selfish and money motivated. Mazzola said that other artists have taken the middle class into account and ensured they can attend shows, but Styles has not.
“I think that right now the cost of living is insane and [the price of] luxury things [has] also gone up, but I think a lot of artists are making sure that people in the middle class are able to enjoy. I just got Five Seconds of Summer tickets when they’re coming [to St. Louis] for like $50 a piece, and they aren’t as rich as Harry Styles either and there’s four of them so I think that [high prices is] something that can be totally preventable,” Mazzola said. “Harry Styles is one of the richest men out there right now so I think that’s just greed, which is really sad. Even the One Direction tickets were never that [expencive]. When they came to St. Louis and Kansas city I think I spent like $60 on them, a piece.”
