Why are concert tickets getting more and more expensive?
With Oasis’s comeback, the debate over the price of concert tickets for international stars has flared up once again: the dynamic pricing system put in place has sent prices soaring, leaving fans outraged as prices double during the booking process.
-
-
By adjusting ticket prices in real time in response to demand, this sales method cynically applies the rules of unbridled capitalism… and it works: all tickets were sold out within 10 hours, despite the controversy. This practice, which is still relatively uncommon in France, is commonplace in the United States. It has led to Live Nation facing a complaint from the US Department of Justice over its practices, following the scandal surrounding the exorbitant ticket prices for Taylor Swift’s 2022 tour.
The skyrocketing prices of concert tickets have therefore continued their wild ride since the end of the pandemic, and show no sign of stopping. The need to recoup lost revenue during the pandemic and inflation are convenient excuses: a Pollstar study commissioned by the Wall Street Journal shows that the price rise is excessive. As noted in this article, which provides an accurate overview of the situation, the concentration of the market around a handful of bankable artists, Ticketmaster’s monopoly on ticket sales and Live Nation’s stranglehold on the biggest tours and festivals are rigging the game. One important detail: the two heavyweights merged in 2020 to form Live Nation Entertainment.
How can we counter this mad rush?
Solutions do exist if we want to counter this race, but it still requires determination and genuine collaboration between artists, producers and audiences. Several recent examples show that artists can, for instance, set their own rules. Take the band Indochine, for instance, who regularly speak out about their desire to keep their concert tickets accessible to as many people as possible, and say they refuse to bow to pressure from promoters. The frontman of The Cure also took Ticketmaster to task, demanding they refund fans a portion of the ticket purchase fees for the US tour. On top of the most affordable tickets ($20), there was an $11 service charge, a $10 booking fee and a $5.50 order processing fee, bringing the total to $46.50.
When demand exceeds supply, other solutions are possible: the ‘first come, first served’ principle still applies, even if this requires ticketing platforms to be robust enough to handle the surge in traffic (a criticism frequently levelled at major events). The Paris 2024 Olympic Games, for example, have introduced a lottery system.
As for the public, one might naturally question their ability to spend such sums. Any alternatives? Refusing to hold concerts that exceed a certain psychological price threshold, broadening one’s horizons to include lesser-known artists who are just as capable of evoking emotion, and rediscovering the pleasure of discovering and supporting them, rather than accepting these high-handed rules of the game.
When will a tech company step in to tackle this problem and propose a solution that puts the power back in the hands of artists and fans?