Despite U.S. client sentiment falling to its second lowest score on document in Could, new research present that concertgoers have grown comfy spending $300 a month on tickets — and that this summer time they plan on paying much more.
A Financial institution of America survey inspecting the spending information of its 69 million client and small enterprise clients in america discovered clients spent a median of $150 a month on leisure — akin to tickets to stay occasions or amusement parks — between Could 2024 and April 2025. When researchers checked out bank card holders particularly who spent cash on stay occasion tickets, these people spent a median of $300 a month final 12 months. Requested in the event that they plan to attend extra stay occasions this 12 months than final 12 months, a 3rd of individuals surveyed stated sure.
That’s excellent news for stay occasion promoters. The world’s largest live performance promoter and ticket firm Reside Nation reported sluggish revenues for the beginning of the 12 months, and on-line ticket market and resale firm Vivid Seats reported decrease client curiosity in stay occasions. The primary quarter earlier than spring and summer time festivals kick off is normally gradual, however Vivid Seats executives warned that unfavourable client sentiment and “uncertainty can influence how and when artists and rights-holders come to market.” For its half, Reside Nation continues to be predicting double-digit revenue growtht this 12 months.
Costs for live performance ticket have risen by greater than 32% over the previous 5 years, with the common live performance ticket costing $130.36 in 2024. These numbers have been pushed by post-pandemic demand and main acts adopting dynamic, or surge, pricing — during which demand can improve a ticket’s worth in actual time — based on Billboard Boxscore information.
Whereas $300 would have been sufficient to attain tickets to see Unhealthy Bunny or The Rolling Stones final 12 months — common ticket costs have been $280.67 and $266.16, respectively — it probably wouldn’t have been sufficient for considered one of U2’s 38 exhibits at The Sphere in Las Vegas. These tickets price on common $367.13.
And costs proceed to rise. This 12 months, for instance, Unhealthy Bunny followers should dig deeper into their pockets to see considered one of his exhibits. A examine by GIGAcalculator, a web based platform that creates converters and calculators for various makes use of, discovered it price a median of $354 to attend his residency at Coliseo de Puerto Rico, nevertheless it could possibly be argued that the reggaeton celebrity provides a variety of bang for the buck. His 135-minute, 33-song exhibits common out to a price of $2.62 per minute, nearly a greenback cheaper than Charli XCX, whose exhibits are the costliest at $3.55 per minute.
The hovering worth of tickets is one motive extra younger live performance goers report going into debt to see exhibits, based on a examine from Money App, the digital pockets firm owned by Block.
Greater than half of Gen Z concertgoers, who have been born after 1995, reported utilizing purchase now, pay later providers to cowl the price of tickets or associated bills, akin to journey to a present, in a single day lodging, or garments to put on to the live performance, based on the examine. (Can’t think about placing live performance outfits on layaway? Coachella trend inspiration boards, together with these by artists like Ludmilla and Victoria Monet, have been a giant hit final 12 months on Pinterest, a preferred procuring software amongst Gen Z.)
In line with Money App, one in 5 Gen Z concertgoers reported spending past their means to attend concert events up to now two years, and but 65% of the roughly 2,000 adults within the survey general stated they’d spend extra in 2025.
Gen Z respondents paid a median of $2,100 on live performance tickets over the previous two years, based on Money App.
Whereas the highest 100 excursions grossed greater than $10 billion in 2024, together with Taylor Swift’s record-setting Eras Tour, solely a handful of acts can cost greater than $200 a ticket and promote out, Billboard Boxscore information exhibits.
Nonetheless, greater than 75% of Gen Z respondents in Money App’s examine stated they have been keen to pay a premium on resale platforms if that’s what it takes to see a present.
