Why are big concerts SO expensive? Fans rage as Oasis charge £200 and Slipknot £150 for stadium shows
LBC investigates why concert tickets have come to cost so much and what is being done about it
When Oasis last played Knebworth House 30 years ago, tickets cost £22.50, and even that was a rise from their previous tour.
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The band is, of course, back next year as part of their Live '27 tour, but while the songs will be largely the same, it is a different world in terms of ticket pricing.
Oasis tickets, which quickly sold out, were on sale from £71 to £266.60 for next year's world tour, far above the £70 that inflation would have reached from their £17.50 Maine Road tickets in 1996, or the £44 RRP from their 2009 tour.
But Liam and Noel Gallagher's band are not the only ones at it, with Slipknot's Wembley show costing fans £90-£200, The Weeknd's After Hours costing £65-£145, and Taylor Swift Wembley tickets in 2024 went for up to £300.
And this was all the first sales, with resale tickets often costing much more.
"That's a nope from me," a Slipknot fan wrote on Threads. "I've seen them a few times at Download Festival so it's not worth it for me at those prices."
Another added: "I’ve said this a thousand times, but I genuinely miss when the front of a gig was reserved for the fastest, most dedicated fans, and not just the wealthiest."
A third said: "The sound quality at Wembley is possibly the worst in the world. Save your money, don't bother."
'Stop moaning'
One reason for promoters charging so much for tickets is simply that they can.
Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher has famously little time for complaints and bluntly told one fan on Twitter, "stop moaning," and said to another, "stop moaning, get your ticket, get your bird a ticket".
"What else you gonna spend [your money] on?" he said to a third.
The band has apparently been able to sell out two massive world tours with the high-priced tickets, even if there are complaints over whether it has to be quite so expensive.
Oasis's previous Live '25 Tour came in for widespread criticism, and the Culture, Media and Sport Committee of live and electronic music investigated dynamic pricing, calling on the government and music industry to back a Music Fan Association to stop fans being ripped off.
Lord Brennan, chairman of the review, said after giving a voice to fans of all different types of music, "they've told us loud and clear that often they feel neglected and ripped off."
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it was concerned about the practice of dynamic pricing.
Changing industry
Other reasons for a rise in prices for concert tickets are that bands are now making the majority of their income through shows, as streaming can be less profitable than traditional physical sales used to be.
There are also increasing costs for meeting artists since the pandemic, with transport, freight, equipment, and stage costs all going up.
The other side is that artists with a smaller profile are struggling as smaller venues battle to stay open against business rates and a fall in consumer spending power.
Nonetheless, artists have taken steps in response to feedback from fans, with Coldplay and Harry Styles both rejecting dynamic pricing for their most recent tours.
There has also been a 20% reduction in business rates for hospitality, leisure and retail businesses.
And while prices for the biggest concerts remain high, there is now an element of supporting those at the bottom of the ladder - with Coldplay and Sam Fender among those using tour revenues to support the grassroots sector.