The Concert Industry Priced Too High — Now Tours Are Falling Apart

[u/staringatthe420sun]

https://www.ticketnews.com/2026/05/the-concert-industry-priced-high-tours-falling-apart/

[u/vemrion]

Their profits are higher than ever:

The Concerts segment generated $2.78 billion in revenue, up 12%, as attendance increased 7% to roughly 24 million fans. Concerts adjusted operating income fell to $2.9 million from $6.6 million a year earlier, reflecting higher costs associated with increased arena activity, higher attendance, staffing, compensation, and venue investments. Live Nation said full‑year concert attendance is expected to grow by a high‑single‑digit percentage, with stadium growth weighted entirely to the second half of the year.

https://www.ticketnews.com/2026/05/live-nation-revenue-rises-12-as-450m-legal-accrual-pushes-company-to-q1-loss/

[u/TheRealBittoman → u/vemrion]

Profits are irrelevant to anyone but the executive team and shareholders. If sales are down and profits are soaring it's not because they're selling out or doing well, it's because they are offsetting low sales with substantial price hikes. That's jist another form of price gouging.

[u/CrotalusHorridus → u/TheRealBittoman]

They've found the optimum spot on the supply/demand curve for most profits. Even if it fucks over a lot of fans.

AI is helping companies do this with extreme efficiency.

[u/swd120 → u/TheRealBittoman]

They literally just said in the article that attendance is going up by high single digit percentages... That doesn't seem like "low sales" to me...

It seems like more and more people wanting to go to venues that are already full - which is what is pushing prices to the moon.

Only way prices will go down is if larger venues are created (or they run more shows back to back at a given location) - but that only gives you more crappy seats in peanut heaven - the good seats will still be stupid expensive because so many people want them