April 4, 2026
By Alessandra Ricra
Staff Writer
This feature is part of a five-part in-depth reporting series about concerts.
Senior Olivia Intindola was thrilled when one of her favorite singers, pop artist Harry Styles, announced his highly anticipated “Together, Together” tour, which includes a 30-show residency at Madison Square Garden in New York City from Aug. 26-Oct. 31.
However, when she and her sister purchased tickets in January, she was surprised by their high cost, spending over $400 per ticket.
“The price is jaw-dropping,” Intindola said. “I have seen [both] of his tours and have never paid more than $250 a ticket to see him.”
The “Together, Together” tour faced backlash after presale tickets for lower-bowl seats were priced as high as $1,000, prompting discussion about the affordability of live music.
Over the years, ticket prices have increased dramatically, making it difficult for fans to afford live shows. According to Pollstar, a trade publication for the concert and live music industry, the average concert ticket price in 1996 was $25.81, compared with the 2025 average of $135.92.
“Some ticket resellers only buy tickets to then sell them again at a much higher price, [which] makes it harder for fans to buy tickets.”
Intindola said fans often face steep costs because Ticketmaster, a popular ticket sales and distribution company, uses dynamic and platinum pricing, causing prices to fluctuate with demand.
“Even though artists can turn these features off for their ticket sales, there have been times [when] they have said they will not be used for a sale, and then when fans [went] to purchase tickets, [they] discovered that those features [were] in fact on,” Intindola said.
Some artists have spoken out against high ticket prices and taken steps to make tickets accessible.
In 2023, Robert Smith, the frontman of rock band The Cure, pressured Ticketmaster to refund fans for excessive fees that, in some cases, exceeded ticket prices. More recently, in November 2025, British singer-songwriter Olivia Dean pressed Ticketmaster to cap resale prices and issue refunds to fans after some tickets for her “The Art of Loving Live” tour were listed for more than 14 times face value.
English teacher Dr. DiMaggio, who attends concerts a few times a year and has seen artists including rock band Fleetwood Mac and singer-songwriter and musician Ed Sheeran, said that while artists should raise awareness of high ticket prices, they are not always responsible for them.
“Even though [the artists] are the face that we see, some of them are just sort of puppets to the whole machine,” DiMaggio said. “It’s more on the music company, the venues and Ticketmaster.”
INFOGRAPHIC BY ZAHARA CHOWDHURY AND DEBRA OGUNBOWALE This infographic represents the responses of 100 LHS students. Survey results were collected using Google Forms between Feb. 9-23. Among respondents, 45% had not seen a concert in the past year, 26% saw one, 22% saw two or three and 7% saw four or more.
DiMaggio said rising concert ticket costs have made it difficult for fans to experience live music.
“When I was [a teenager, going to concerts] was a big thing I would do with my friends because you could afford tickets. Now, even the cheapest tickets are expensive,” DiMaggio said.
She said that, in addition to the ticket cost, fans must be prepared to pay hefty service fees.
“You buy [tickets for] one price, and then there are all these extra fees making the price of the ticket way higher,” DiMaggio said.
Junior Joey Romeo, who most recently attended a concert in December 2025, said ticket reselling is another reason concerts have become less accessible.
“Some ticket resellers only buy tickets to then sell them again at a much higher price, [which] makes it harder for fans to buy tickets,” Romeo said.
In response to rising resale prices, some states have introduced bills to regulate costs. On Feb. 5, California Assemblyman Matt Haney introduced the California Fans First Act, which would cap the price of resold concert tickets at no more than 10% above face value. New York State Sen. James Skoufis proposed similar amendments to his state’s ticketing laws on Feb. 6 to ensure resale prices do not exceed face value.
Maine is currently the only state with a ticket resale law. The law went into effect in September 2025 and caps ticket resale at no more than 10% above the original price, including all taxes and fees.
Romeo said he supports such legislation.
“[It] is a great start to creating price caps,” Romeo said. “Price caps will limit the number of resale scammers online.”
Sophomore Ridhi Gowda said she agrees with government interventions to control ticket prices.
“This could… reduce stress when buying tickets and give more real fans a chance to attend concerts,” Gowda said.
Gowda, who goes to a concert about once a year, said lower ticket prices would allow her to attend more concerts.
“Going to concerts is something I really enjoy because it lets me experience music in a more personal and exciting way,” Gowda said. “Sometimes I really want to see an artist, but the tickets are just too expensive to justify.”
Gowda said concerts have become less accessible, especially for students and younger fans.
“Prices keep rising, and between ticket costs, fees and travel, it becomes difficult for many fans to afford,” Gowda said. “Concerts feel more like a luxury instead of something everyone can enjoy.”
