What Ticketmaster Doesn't Want You To Know: Concerts Were Cheap For Decades

[Hoofbite]

Concert promoters, hotels and lodging sites soon will have to disclose extra fees up front

https://apnews.com/article/ftc-junk-fees-rule-hotels-tickets-085606d99f137040e9a86e5b1ac04068

The FCC is gunning to reverse previous rules that made ISPs disclose their junk fees.

https://www.theverge.com/news/798154/fcc-proposal-scrap-isp-hidden-fee-rules

If that goes through, every sector that is complying with the current rules will seek out whatever regulatory body they have to do the same.

 

[Hoofbite]

Yeah, I paid like $30 20+ years ago to see Carlin in a real arena. This fall I saw Dave Attell for $80 and it was in an old strip mall type building that had been converted into a dumpster of a venue of folding chairs. Will never see another show there and while Attell is not really someone who could perform at a larger venue everywhere, this was kinda depressing.

 

[Roadtrip635]

I went to the Texas Jam in Dallas in 1982 and tickets were $20 which seemed crazy expensive at the time to see Journey, Sammy Hagar, Santana, Joan Jett and Point Blank. Most concerts at the time were $7-$10

 

[triplets_93]

 

[Robbieac]

I don’t have the time to watch a 28 minute video.

But I can tell you that concerts are expensive because people are dumb enough to pay to go to them.

It’s the same reason that NFL games are so expensive.
It’s because of dumb people who spend their money in stupid ways and then complain that they don’t get paid enough.

 

[IndieCowboy]

I took a date in high school to see John Denver live at the TCCC both tickets or under $20 total. We were on the floor 10 rows away from him.

Later on in life, I was lucky enough to meet the man and have a chat that chat inspired me to write a tribute to John immediately after his death, which got played on the radio heavily on KVIL in Dallas by the late great Ron Chapman

 

[triplets_93]

https://variety.com/2026/music/news...illegal-monopoly-ticketing-market-1236713409/

 

[SlammedZero]

I’ve got a little wooden box in my mancave closet filled with every concert ticket I’ve ever saved. I went through them a while back and was honestly blown away by the prices. I get inflation, but still, it’s wild.

$25 for Boyz II Men when I was in high school (and they were HUGE back in the 90s)
$40 for floor tickets to Linkin Park in the early 2000s (I'm talking so close Mike Shinoda jumped off stage and gave my good friend a high-five).
$40 again for floor tickets to Chevelle and Nickelback in 2006

Those same tickets today? Easily $100+….probably more. I love concerts, so yeah.....I still pay it, but the prices these days feel completely over the top.

And another thing that kind of sucks? Everything going digital. I get the convenience of having tickets on your phone, but I haven’t been able to save a physical ticket in years. There’s something about holding onto those little pieces of memories...going back and flipping through them...that just hits different.

 

[John813]

Not going to say I'm a frugal person, but I have no real intention of going to most concerts/games these days. Outside of hockey games, which are still reasonably priced on the weekend.

Seeing 4 figure amounts to go to a football game/concert for 3 hours just doesn't seem like a value to me. But hey, who am I to judge. Some may see the **** I buy and think that's stupid too.

But hopefully ticketmaster and others get bent over/go away. Just middle man greed with no benefit to society.

 

[VaqueroTD]

I’ve got a little wooden box in my mancave closet filled with every concert ticket I’ve ever saved. I went through them a while back and was honestly blown away by the prices. I get inflation, but still, it’s wild.

$25 for Boyz II Men when I was in high school (and they were HUGE back in the 90s)

Who says concert prices have gone up? You can get them for free in Vegas if you're willing to sit through the local time share sales job.

 

[SlammedZero]

Who says concert prices have gone up? You can get them for free in Vegas if you're willing to sit through the local time share sales job.

I was just in Vegas last October and it got so old being solicited by them along the Strip.
Even if they rope you in to a "free" concert, they'll get you with the $25 mixed drinks/beers.