Have Ticket Prices Finally Gotten Too High? As Artists Pull Major Tours, Experts Say Problems Run Deeper
Categoria: Musica
As Post Malone, Zayn, Pussycat Dolls and more cancel or postpone their tours, experts say elevated ticket prices and market competition are creating problems.
Por Billboard | 15/05/2026
For tour and production manager Kimberly Curry , the last year has been the slowest of the post-pandemic live music boom. Speaking with her friends and colleagues, she notices that work on the touring circuit is beginning to dry up, and positions, such as tour and merch managers, are being rolled into one. “Last year it was a little up and down with tours canceling last minute or offers coming through, and last minute you don’t hear back from them,” Curry says. “I think it has to do with the overselling of tickets and pricing people out. I don’t know for a fact that that’s why it’s happening, but it just seems to be a little bit coincidental.” Related Tour Cancellations Go Viral — Why the Risk May Be Too Great for Some Acts Backline Launches Mental Health Toolkit for Dance Music Community: 'Seeking Help Is Not Something to Be Ashamed Of' Fugees' Pras Michel Surrenders to Authorities to Begin 14-Year Prison Sentence, Vows to Appeal Over the last several weeks, Post Malone , Zayn , Kid Cudi , Pussycat Dolls and Meghan Trainor made headlines with their canceled shows , and even major festivals like Stagecoach didn’t sell out. After years of rising prices spurred by the rush back to in-person events post-pandemic, and with tickets to major tours regularly averaging three figures, the question began to arise: Have ticket prices finally gotten too high? “Buyers are getting more educated,” Sara Mertz , vp of music partnerships at Tixr, tells Billboard . “Artists are impacted by high touring costs, and buyers are also dealing with high gas prices. And 100%, I do think a correction is coming.” Billboard Boxscore data shows that in 2019, the average ticket price was $98.64; by 2024, that had jumped to $130.36, a 32.3% increase over five years. While the average price in 2025 dropped to $127.17, Billboard ’s year-end touring report showed a plateau in ticket sales revenue. Now, after several of the highest-grossing touring years to date saw major runs by Taylor Swift , Harry Styles , Coldplay , Oasis , Bad Bunny and Beyoncé set high water marks, some experts are beginning to see pushback from fans. Related Are Sky-High Concert Ticket Prices Sustainable For the Live Business? “It’s hard to think that ticket prices aren’t playing at least some role in everything,” says John Chavez , an agent at Ground Control Touring. “It’s clear that it’s much more expensive to go to a concert, especially when you’re getting to 2,000-cap-and-above-sized venues, the arenas and theaters and sheds of the world. It’s a lot more expensive to do that than it once was.” Another factor is timing. Over the last several years, secondary markets have seen a pattern of fans purchasing tickets closer to the date of a show than during an onsale, and sources tell Billboard the trend is becoming more common in larger markets like New York City. That can lead to panic among artists, who are more used to major tours selling out earlier and lose confidence when s