Concert Ticket Prices Surge as Touring Costs Squeeze Artists

Fans are shelling out hundreds of dollars to see their favorite acts on tour this summer, from BTS to Noah Kahan. But how did live music become so expensive?

Concert ticket prices have climbed sharply since 2019 as artists and promoters face higher touring and production costs. [Photo: Lady Gaga Facebook]

The average concert ticket cost $132.62 in 2025, according to Pollstar. That was slightly below the 2024 peak but well above the 2019 average of $96.17, Forbes Daily reported.

Prices for admission to movies, theaters and concerts have risen by nearly one-third since the beginning of 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, slightly outpacing overall inflation.

But as ticket prices climb, it is not just concertgoers who are being squeezed.

The cost of putting on a tour—from labor and lighting to audio equipment and trucks—has also surged since the pandemic, said Joe Sanchez, CEO and founder of 1826 Group, a global experience agency whose clients include A$AP Rocky and My Chemical Romance.

The shift from record sales to streaming has also increasingly pushed artists to rely on live performances for income.

While top touring artists such as Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga, BTS, Ed Sheeran and AC/DC grossed nine figures during the period covered by Pollstar's report, other acts have canceled tours or scaled back.

Sanchez said it is becoming increasingly difficult for artists outside the biggest touring acts to make money from touring.

States and federal regulators have also challenged Ticketmaster's role in the live-music industry. In April, a jury found that Live Nation and Ticketmaster operated as a monopoly in the ticketing industry in violation of federal and state antitrust laws.