Despite U.S. consumer sentiment falling to its second lowest rating on record in May, new studies show that concertgoers have grown comfortable spending $300 a month on tickets — and that this summer they plan on paying even more.
A Bank of America survey examining the spending data of its 69 million consumer and small business customers in the United States found customers spent an average of $150 a month on entertainment — such as tickets to live events or amusement parks — between May 2024 and April 2025. When researchers looked at credit card holders specifically who spent money on live event tickets, those individuals spent an average of $300 a month last year. Asked if they plan to attend more live events this year than last year, a third of people surveyed said yes.
That’s good news for live event promoters. The world’s largest concert promoter and ticket company Live Nation reported sluggish revenues for the start of the year, and online ticket marketplace and resale company Vivid Seats reported lower consumer interest in live events. The first quarter before spring and summer festivals kick off is usually slow, but Vivid Seats executives warned that negative consumer sentiment and “uncertainty can impact how and when artists and rights-holders come to market.” For its part, Live Nation is still predicting double-digit profit growtht this year.
Prices for concert ticket have risen by more than 32% over the past five years, with the average concert ticket costing $130.36 in 2024. Those numbers have been driven by post-pandemic demand and major acts adopting dynamic, or surge, pricing — in which demand can increase a ticket’s price in real time — according to Billboard Boxscore data.
While $300 would have been enough to score tickets to see Bad Bunny or The Rolling Stones last year — average ticket prices were $280.67 and $266.16, respectively — it likely would not have been enough for one of U2’s 38 shows at The Sphere in Las Vegas. Those tickets cost on average $367.13.
And prices continue to rise. This year, for example, Bad Bunny fans will have to dig deeper into their pockets to see one of his shows. A study by GIGAcalculator, an online platform that creates converters and calculators for different uses, found it cost an average of $354 to attend his residency at Coliseo de Puerto Rico, but it could be argued that the reggaeton superstar gives a lot of bang for the buck. His 135-minute, 33-song shows average out to a cost of $2.62 per minute, almost a dollar cheaper than Charli XCX, whose shows are the most expensive at $3.55 per minute.
The soaring price of tickets is one reason more young concert goers report going into debt to see shows, according to a study from Cash App, the digital wallet company owned by Block.
More than half of Gen Z concertgoers, who were born after 1995, reported using buy now, pay later services to cover the cost of tickets or related expenses, such as travel to a show, overnight accommodations, or clothes to wear to the concert, according to the study. (Can’t imagine putting concert outfits on layaway? Coachella fashion inspiration boards, including those by artists like Ludmilla and Victoria Monet, were a big hit last year on Pinterest, a popular shopping tool among Gen Z.)
According to Cash App, one in five Gen Z concertgoers reported spending beyond their means to attend concerts in the past two years, and yet 65% of the roughly 2,000 adults in the survey overall said they would spend more in 2025.
Gen Z respondents paid an average of $2,100 on concert tickets over the past two years, according to Cash App.
While the top 100 tours grossed more than $10 billion in 2024, including Taylor Swift’s record-setting Eras Tour, only a handful of acts can charge more than $200 a ticket and sell out, Billboard Boxscore data shows.
Nonetheless, more than 75% of Gen Z respondents in Cash App’s study said they were willing to pay a premium on resale platforms if that’s what it takes to see a show.
