Money: Why are concert tickets so expensive? Here’s who is really responsible

Spending a fair chunk on going to see your favourite big artist is not new – but it certainly feels like concert prices have entered a new stratosphere.

Fans of Bruce Springsteen have paid upwards of £120 for “rear pitch” standing tickets for his May 2024 tour, while some expressed disappointment recently over the £145 price tag of standing tickets for Billie Eilish’s 2025 UK leg.

And while you could have nabbed Beyonce or Taylor Swift tickets in the UK for £50 (before fees) if you took a “nosebleed” seat, these had limited availability and quickly sold out. General admission standing tickets for Swift’s Eras tour – which comes to the UK next week – started at £110.40 and those at the front had to shell out £172.25. It didn’t stop there – by the time many fans got to the front of the online ticket queue, the only tickets left cost upwards of £300.Matt Hanner, booking agent and operations director at Runway, said prices at the top level had “risen considerably” – but the increase was partly being driven by demand.

“We’re seeing a lot more stadium shows, greenfield, outdoor festival-type shows which are now a staple of towns around the country,” he said.

“There’s a growing number of people that are happy to spend a large chunk of their disposable income on going to a major music event.”

Jon Collins, chief executive of LIVE, the trade body representing the UK’s live music industry, had a similar view.