There is no better feeling than seeing your favorite artists perform in front of you and no longer listening to songs in muffled headphones, distorted speakers, or on a coffee shop’s radio. However, seeing performers nowadays is no easy task – unless one’s pockets are filled with Money. This does not deflect younger generations away, though, as the normalcy has become spending hundreds on concert tickets. How are these purchases justified?
Some realizations around concert ticket prices surfaced with the younger generations attending Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour.” Videos and posts revealed the true costs, shocking the world with the amount paid to see a performer. Upwards of a thousand teens paid for her three-hour concerts, covering all her albums through the years.
When asked around Union’s campus about concert ticket prices and for what artist, Taylor Swift was frequently mentioned. Regarding my ticket, I won the Ticketmaster presale and only paid $140.
Maya Koster ’27 did not have the same experience, as she paid over $300 for “The Eras Tour.” When asked how she justifies this price, Koster responds, “Money comes back, but this experience won’t. There won’t be another chance to see my favorite musician perform while I’m young.”
The costs of Taylor Swift concert tickets continued to be mentioned when meeting with Sydney Cuticelli ’27. Cuticelli justified her spendings exceeding $200. “[For] many different reasons, Taylor was an artist I grew up with and was raised by, so I had to see her.”
Another reason younger generations feel the need to spend Money on tickets is the fear of not being able to see a particular artist in concert again after they go on tour. What if this is the last time they’ll be going on tour? Now, it is an obvious answer to purchase tickets.
Being a concert enthusiast myself, I have fallen victim to the epidemic of justifying outrageous concert prices. There are too many positive reasons to pay the mortgage-like bill for an artist rather than to save for other reasons. The rush of adrenaline when the musician shares a venue with you and all the fans seems personal. Every concert is its own experience, waiting to be purchased.
We must not ignore the fact that cheaper concerts are also available. Koster mentions that her lowest payment for a concert was $60, which is relatively inexpensive nowadays. Personally, the cheapest tickets I’ve purchased were 40 dollars for The Weeknd—I’m still unsure how I pulled that one off.
Concerts are beyond what they used to be. There are fireworks, grand stages, costume changes, and much more that elevate one’s experience. Yes, it is true that younger generations now pay more than what tickets used to cost. However, we must realize that concerts have become an experience more than just a musician with a mic.
