LIVE NATION'S CEO SAYS CONCERTS ARE 'UNDERPRICED' AND IN DEMAND.

[EarthFirst]

The live-entertainment industry in 2025 is defined by its contradictions. Concerts seem to be more popular than ever, yet for every successful run, there’s a growing number of tours being canceled for financial reasons. Post-Covid inflation has driven up prices everywhere, including the cost of putting on a great tour, leading to higher ticket prices.

Speaking last week at CNBC and Boardroom’s Game Plan conference, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino took a rosier outlook, insisting that the demand for live entertainment has never been higher, and tickets are “underpriced.”

“Music has been underappreciated,” Rapino said, especially compared with sports. “In sports, I joke it’s like a badge of honor to spend 70 grand for a Knicks courtside [seat]. They beat me up if we charge $800 for Beyoncé.”

He added, “We have a lot of runway left. So when you read about ticket prices going up, the average concert price is still $72. Try going to a Laker game for that, and there’s 80 of them. The concert is underpriced and has been for a long time.”

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/live-nationceo-concerts-aunderpriced-are-they-1235432347/

Out of touch billionaire CEO says what now?

[MagickMuffin]

1. Ticket prices are not what he claims

I haven't been to a live concert in decades because tickets are over priced, and that was before covid.

I'd love to be able to support artists by attending a concert, but not gonna happen because of out of touch millionaire ceo's.

[ProfessorGAC]

13. I Went In November

His number is actually reasonable.
The price for a normal ticket was $65. I paid more for a VIP package. The band was King Crimson, not exactly a megatour.
However, this is for all concerts of any type.
If we just look at the high volume concerts, I'd bet the average base price is much, much higher than $72.
I think he's using the average of hundreds of events, which is pulling down the average.
I simply don't believe one could have purchased a Beyonce or Taylor Swift ticket for $72.
His number is "accurate" but misleading.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. Honestly

We aren't doing concerts anymore. We are both in our early to mid 50's. Yeah - the Cure Tour. Yeah - Def Leppard on the Crue Stadium tour. Yep - Elton and Billy Joel in the past few years.

But the difference here or why?

Motley Crue is probably my favorite Rock band from the 80's. My husband had never seen them - and Mick mars (guitarist) is getting up there with a severe auto immune disease.

I'd never been to the Cure.

Neither of us had ever seen Elton. . .

If I'm going to spend that kind of money it's for Icons only.

[Torchlight]

3. $10.50 for Springsteen in '82

Another two bucks 'cause I bought 'em from A Guy at school who was known for getting tickets. Last concert was in 94 or 95 (?) and have no memory of the the price (I think concert ticket sticker shock hadn't become marketed yet).

[BBbats]

4. I REMEMBER..........

When shows were generally $3 admission.
That was before Music moved into huge venues. A theatre sized venue was considered "Large". A top seat might be $5 for a big name.
I remember when our local hippy venue raised the price to $4 for acts like The Who & Santana & we went off screaming about the damn capitalist pigs profiting off our backs!

[exboyfil]

5. Saw Styx and REO Speedwagon last year

Styx was worth it. REO wasn't. Been to The Smile concert three times (Radiohead is my daughter's favorite band - she sprang for the tickets). Other than that I haven't seen a major artist in decades.


We do cover and local bands. $75 for a concert series with four or five local concerts and reciprocity to another 10 (1 to 1/2 hour drive to get to them). We are actually members of two different concert series. The further one we won't use as much (probably get in 4-5 concerts). The other one we will get in around 12 concerts again (like the last couple of years).

Some of the cover acts get to around $60, but we get very good seats (first row balcony - our favorite).

[flvegan]

6. Experiences from friends differs.

As I understand it, most big shows get rapidly sold out, largely to scalp...uh, "resellers" who then put the tickets up for resale at insane markups. That "average $72 ticket" becomes $500 easily.

May not be entirely true, but that's the experience I've mostly heard from friends trying to go see a number of these shows. I've experienced this with a number of hockey tickets, but not with a lot of concerts. Though this seems factual based on one experience I recently had on AC/DCs last tour. Just one personal experience, though.

[haele]

12. Some well-known bands try to keep ticket prices low and reduce scalping ..

But are largely unsuccessful. Even with tickets per purchase or card restrictions, a scalper will get a couple friends or so to buy the band's stated $25 to $40 tickets and get enough to clear $1 - $5k per scalper for one event.
We aren't talking about someone having bought two tickets for a fiancee, then breaking up and is now trying to get rid of the tickets...

And there's also far more than one scalping ring operating at venues.

[Attilatheblond]

7. The Ownership Class is insatiable and will take over ANYTHING to jack up prices and hoard more money

The only way to deal with that is to only spend on essentials and let the wannabee trillionaires pound sand. You do not hand booze or drugs to a drunk or a junkie, and these pigs are junkies.

[C_U_L8R]

8. He wants a bigger holiday bonus

For his villa in St Barth’s

[irisblue]

9. He should be beaten up for $800 concert tickets

[Beaverhausen]

10. Maybe if they didn't add on all the f'ing fees that sometimes double to cost of a ticket...

They also double dip, allowing scalpers to buy then resell the tickets right on their site, therefore they get service fees TWICE.

[Initech]

11. No they are not underpriced and this greedy asshole isn't getting any more of my money!

Fuck Live Nation and Ticketmaster!