Cost of Living
Ticket Prices Have Hit the Roof, but at What Cost to Music Fans?
I can’t help wishing I was back among the hippies in those free festival days
Live music ticket prices are super-expensive, and fans pay. But why? Whether you go to a festival or concert, you must turn out your wallet. Things weren’t always this way, though.
We’re watching a festival documentary showing Hawkwind at Stonehenge in the 70s.
“I’m there somewhere,” says my husband, leaning toward the screen and popping on his glasses.
I scour the standing stones littered with fans, addicts, and flower children. Smoke rises from a bong as lithe, white-robed women with loose ringlets float between fresh-faced enthusiasts.
A lone long-bearded biker eases into the crowd as the band plays.
“How much were tickets?”
“Nothing.”
Wide-eyed, I stop to think. Free live music!
Today, a Taylor Swift concert ticket, front-row seat mind, costs £300. Sky News report that “nosebleed” seats are £50, plus fees. Billie Eilish (2025) tickets are £145 for fans who don’t mind standing.
