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Concert Revenue Is Flat

T

TheBigA

After years of huge growth, the live event business seems to be cooling off.

barrettmedia.com

Live Music Revenue Plateaus After Years of Record-Breaking Post-Pandemic Growth

Men..are redirecting discretionary dollars toward video games, spending double on gaming versus live events in Q1 2026.
barrettmedia.com barrettmedia.com

Rather than spending money on concerts, young men are spending on gaming and gambling. If you wonder why sports radio spends time on gambling, this is why.

Several concert tours were canceled when ticket sales didn't materialize. This may also explain why CHR/Top 40 listening is down.
 
kevtronics said:
That's what happens when LiveNation and TickerMaster have a monopoly, and have jacked up prices while limiting concert venues that acts can perform in.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that Live Nation has a major competitor: AEG, and they've been building their own venues and starting their own festivals

www.aegpresents.com

AEG Presents

AEG Presents, the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance: touring, one-offs, broadcasts, sponsorship, festivals, special events with seventeen regional offices and thirty-one state-of the-art venues.
www.aegpresents.com www.aegpresents.com

www.aegpresents.com

AEG Presents | Venues

AEG owns, operates, or exclusively books state-of-the-art venues across the globe.
www.aegpresents.com www.aegpresents.com

Not that they're cheaper. But there are alternatives.
 
It's not hard to figure out. Tickets are way overpriced. To see a major touring artist your looking at close to $100 nosebleed tickets, a few hundred $$ to be closer.
Add in $12 beers and drinks, $10 hotdogs.
And parking which I've seen upwards of $100 if you don't want to walk a mile, it's most than folks want to spend for a few hours of entertainment.
Not to mention having to deal with (depending on the show and festival) fellow atendees who go there for the sole reason of drinking until puking. Why not just stay home and watch a past concert on YouTube in the comfort of your own home?
Also since the pandemic it has become a lot more "accepted" for artists to cancel shows last minute, after folks have already traveled and reserved hotels
 
ac175 said:
It's not hard to figure out. Tickets are way overpriced. To see a major touring artist your looking at close to $100 nosebleed tickets, a few hundred $$ to be closer. Add in $12 beers and drinks, $10 hotdogs.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind all of those negatives also apply to sporting events. Ever try to buy tickets to the super bowl? Or the NBA Finals?


sports.yahoo.com

2026 World Cup already sets all-time attendance record with more than 3.6 million spectators

The previous record was set during the 1994 World Cup, also in the United States, at 3,587,538.
sports.yahoo.com sports.yahoo.com

A lot of the music events are in the exact same venues.
 
TheBigA said:
Keep in mind all of those negatives also apply to sporting events. Ever try to buy tickets to the super bowl? Or the NBA Finals?


sports.yahoo.com

2026 World Cup already sets all-time attendance record with more than 3.6 million spectators

The previous record was set during the 1994 World Cup, also in the United States, at 3,587,538.
sports.yahoo.com sports.yahoo.com

A lot of the music events are in the exact same venues.
Click to expand...
All true given that sports have the same issue but some of that is offset with TV rights in some cases. Also whoever was the league champion of that time gets the most expensive season tickets the next year. Yes I mean when San Francisco Giants won the World Series they often had to deal with having the most expensive season tickets in the MLB the next season or Golden State Warriors after they won the NBA finals often have to face having the most expensive season tickets in the NBA that next season.

Concerts that depends on who the biggest star is at that time.
 
TheBigA said:
Keep in mind all of those negatives also apply to sporting events. Ever try to buy tickets to the super bowl? Or the NBA Finals?


sports.yahoo.com

2026 World Cup already sets all-time attendance record with more than 3.6 million spectators

The previous record was set during the 1994 World Cup, also in the United States, at 3,587,538.
sports.yahoo.com sports.yahoo.com

A lot of the music events are in the exact same venues.
Click to expand...



Yes that is true, but most sports gathering are more of a social get together than a concert atmosphere. You go and converse with friends, throw a little shade at the opposing teams fans sitting next you you.
Also sporting events are not near as predictable as a music concert. You never know when you may witness a perfect game, or a bench clearing brawl, or if you team may clinch a playoff spot. That uncertainty adds to the excitement and entertainment value of games.
 
ac175 said:
Yes that is true, but most sports gathering are more of a social get together than a concert atmosphere. You go and converse with friends, throw a little shade at the opposing teams fans sitting next you you.
Click to expand...

That also describes a lot of these big outdoor festivals. People camp there for a weekend, and also see some music. Coachella and Stagecoach had some surprise guests show up, so it's also unpredictable.
 
Another factor in this article is the rise of popularity of independent artists. The article above seems to be concerning only the top 100 touring artists. As more and more listens move away from what corporate radio shows down their throats, listeners are discovering independent regional artists who play much smaller venues, and offer much more reasonable ticket prices.
Our local county fairs ticket sales for their September country concert are doing very well. You can also buy a bleacher seat for $20
 


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