Yahoo Finance 8 Most Expensive Concert Tickets Ever Sold
It’s not just about the music. It’s about the connection. The raw energy, vibrancy and vitality of live music can be an unparalleled thrill. But for fans of high-profile artists, this experience often comes bundled with a significant cost.
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Exploring the priciest concert tickets reveals a world full of dedicated fandom, a collective love for music and an eagerness to witness the magic that pop queens and rock legends conjure on stage. The shared passion and dedication make these concerts special — and likely to drain your savings.
Keep reading for a look at some of the most expensive concert tickets ever sold, from beloved pop divas to iconic rock legends.
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The Rolling Stones
The iconic Rolling Stones have been thrilling audiences for decades and recently unveiled plans for a new tour. Following the unfortunate death of the legendary Charlie Watts in 2021, the band will introduce a fresh face behind the drum kit. The band’s A Bigger Bang Tour set a Guinness World Record for the most profitable tour of all time — though it has since been broken — raking in an inflation-adjusted sum in excess of $558 million.
Die-hard Stones fans have been known to part with significant amounts of money to experience live performances. This was evident during the 50 & Counting Tour in 2012, where the band marked its 50th anniversary. With an average ticket price of $1,200 per person, catching the Stones live became quite a pricey affair for ardent admirers.
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Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber’s 2022 Justice World Tour marked a return to post-COVID-19 live entertainment, with the best seats in the house costing $1,500. Although the tour was cut short due to health concerns, Bieber has since returned to the stage.
The Boss: Bruce Springsteen
Though fans highly anticipated Bruce Springsteen’s 2023 tour, the event was unfortunately shadowed by controversy and an unfortunate illness. The excitement of fans who were eager to see Springsteen and his band perform live for the first time in more than five years was dampened by lofty ticket prices, largely due to Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing policy, which caused some ticket prices to skyrocket to over $5,000.
The Boss has recovered from the illness that initially kept him off the road and has announced new tour dates through 2024. His response to the ticket pricing controversy was a very Springsteen-like, understated promise to “charge a little less” moving forward.
Beyoncé
Queen Bey’s 2023 Renaissance World Tour was one of the year’s most anticipated events, and a concert tour headlined by a titan like Beyoncé would obviously command high ticket prices.
An average seat could set you back around $350, but fans had to pay anywhere between $900 and $3,000 for better seating and front-row access. In some cities, prices were even higher — as much as $5,000.
Taylor Swift
For those who are eager to catch a glimpse of Taylor Swift on her still-running Eras tour, ticket prices for locations across the U.S. vary from a modest $49 to a more substantial $499, depending on how close you want to be to Tay Tay.
However, ticket prices significantly increase after they appear on the resale market. Ticket resale platforms such as StubHub, Vivid Seats and TicketSmarter allow dedicated fans to buy tickets to “sold out” shows, but these range in price from $500 to a staggering $7,000.
Maroon 5
The glitzy Park MGM Hotel in Las Vegas hosted Maroon 5’s post-pandemic return to live shows in 2023, where ticket prices reached $8,701 per attendee. Prices for this year’s residency start at a more reasonable $79, plus taxes and fees.
The King of Pop: Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson, still revered as the King of Pop, remains etched in the hearts of many thanks to his captivating music and unforgettable choreography. Though controversy shadowed his career and darkened his reputation before his untimely death in 2009, his imprint on the music world continues.
His presciently named Final Curtain Call concert tour in 2009 was famous for having some of the most exorbitantly priced concert tickets in history. Average ticket prices were around $105, but VIP tickets cost more than $1,100. Once the initial sales ended, tickets found their way to the resale market, where sellers asked prices as high as $35,000 for VIP packages.
Led Zeppelin
In 2007, the revered rock group Led Zeppelin redefined the meaning of high-priced concert tickets. After nearly two decades, the band reunited for a tribute show at London’s O2 Arena in honor of Ahmet Ertegun, the founder of Atlantic Records, who died in the previous year.
The Los Angeles Times called it “the concert of the millennium” by “the greatest rock and roll band ever.” That may be more than just an opinion, with Led Zeppelin having two albums on the list of the bestselling albums of all time. While the base price for tickets was set at $250, one Led Zep mega fan paid a stunning $168,000 for a pair of tickets sold at a charity auction — $84,000 each.
Legendary Performers Command Epic Prices
The resale market for concert tickets is infamous for being highly priced, but little verifiable information exists on the precise prices paid for specific tickets. It’s speculated that tickets for concerts featuring divas Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion went for tens — or hundreds — of thousands of dollars in the secondary ticket marketplace, but that information can’t be confirmed.
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