For most of my life, going to gigs felt simple. You heard about a show, checked the price, and if you liked the artist, you went. You didn’t analyse it, justify it, or compare it to your monthly bills. Somewhere along the way, that changed.

The Oasis reunion tour last year felt like a turning point. Fans queued for hours only to watch prices climb in real time. People ended up paying far more than they expected for the same tickets, and whether or not it was officially “dynamic pricing”, it exposed how stacked the modern ticketing system feels against ordinary fans.

I’ve always told myself I wouldn’t pay more than £100 to see anyone live. That rule lasted until July 2025, when I paid £125 to see Stevie Wonder at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham. I didn’t hesitate, because some artists are genuinely once-in-a-lifetime. But that exception says a lot about where we are now. Recently, someone I know paid £750 for two tickets to see Bruno Mars with Anderson .Paak and RAYE in London. Nearly £400 per person for a gig. Not VIP packages, not festivals. Just tickets.

What really makes this feel surreal is thinking back to growing up in Leicester. As a teenager, I spent most weekends at the Charlotte, the Shed and the Attik. Tickets were usually £4 to £10. I remember paying about £8 to see The Selecter at the Charlotte and not even considering whether it was “worth it”. You just went. I’ve heard endless stories from people who saw bands like Muse or Radiohead in tiny rooms before they were huge, for the price of a couple of pints. Gigs felt accessible. You could take risks on new music because the stakes were low.

Local gigs still feel closer to that world. You can often see brilliant bands for £10 or £15, sometimes less, and in real terms that hasn’t changed anywhere near as dramatically as arena and stadium shows. But even at that level, venues are under pressure and audiences are more cautious. It feels like big gigs have become luxury events, while grassroots music is quietly trying to survive.

I’m not arguing that all expensive tickets are unjustified. Some shows are genuinely special, and sometimes they are worth paying extra for. But it does feel like we’ve crossed a line where live music is slowly shifting from something ordinary people do regularly to something people have to plan, justify and save for.

I’m curious what the general feeling is. What have your experiences been with ticket prices over the last few years? At what point does a gig stop feeling exciting and start feeling unreasonable, and what do you personally think is a fair price to pay to see an artist live?