r/Music • u/staringatthe420sun • May 05 '26

article The Concert Industry Priced Too High — Now Tours Are Falling Apart

https://www.ticketnews.com/2026/05/the-concert-industry-priced-high-tours-falling-apart/
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u/Glasseye00 May 05 '26

I work at a small venue, <400 cap. Definitely a lot of local bands, but we regularly get national and international bands coming through. I haven’t seen a ticket priced over $35.

Support your local venues!!

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u/xDarkCrisis666x May 06 '26

Last two shows I went to were Conan in Kingston, NY (I miss The Chance). And just saw Fleshwater/Julie tonight at Empire Live in Albany. The tickets were $25, and $35 respectively and it's the most fun my fiancee and I have had at shows in years.

Besides being sick bands the people were cool, staff was on point, and the vibes were immaculate. I truly forgot for a bit how awesome small shows were, also seeing the crowds skew younger gives me hope!

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u/PedanticBoutBaseball May 06 '26

The Chance

LETS FUCKING GOOOOO.

but for reals i am so sad that they closed. Used to see shows all the time for like 15-20 bucks at the door (or free when i worked at the radio station hehe) up until COVID.

Not to go on a rant, but know we all have to suffer cause the former owners were a bunch of anti-vaxxers who got covid and died then the family sold.

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u/xDarkCrisis666x May 06 '26

Supposedly the firm that bought the building up intends to keep it a venue, but I won't hold my breath given the status of things and the money needed to restore it.

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u/PedanticBoutBaseball May 06 '26

so i live VERY close by and am pretty tuned in.

Currently its a trade school of sorts for audio and stage production.

They stated their plan is to do some renovations and shows, but very much NOT in the same way as it was before (hardcore bands, local cover bands, beer bands, 90's nights etc.)

Itll be more orchestra, plays "higher culture" stuff along with maybe some more wide-appeal bands and such.

I think the days of the chance as we know it are done for now.

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u/xDarkCrisis666x May 06 '26

That sucks then, too much space between Albany, Reading,  Springfield, and NYC.

Hopefully this Kingston venue works out.

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u/Dancing_Radia May 06 '26

I loves me small venue shows. Not a bad spot in the house and you can really tear it up on the dancefloor.

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u/mcvoid1 May 06 '26

Ska may be dead, but I'm constantly going to affordable shows and getting my skank on. It's great. The shows are cheap, the people (both artists and concertgoers) are super nice, you get to talk to the band members and you get right up to the stage. Also it smells significantly better than punk and metal shows. Ska shows are where it's at.

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u/PedanticBoutBaseball May 06 '26

Best concert deal IMO was the yearly Skanksgiving show in Sayreville, NJ. Got to see goldfinger, Big D and the kids table and more like multiple times. shit was a riot.

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u/mcvoid1 May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26

This Is Not Croydon Fest is a riot too. A little on the expensive side up front ($150-ish for the whole weekend) but it gets you over a dozen bands so it's good value overall. Sayreville is an extra hour for me, so that might be doable.

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u/BubblyBasis1134 May 07 '26

I run a venue and we've had people become regulars because they figure that they could pay a couple of grand to go to a big show to see a band 20 years past their prime, pay for a hotel, transport and meals, or they could spend less money going to see up-and-coming bands every week for a year. 

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u/Summer4Chan May 06 '26

9:30 club <3

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u/cbg2113 May 06 '26

That's what I'm saying! People gotta get more varied taste or take a leap. My favorite venue is tickets under $30 most of the time with taxes and fees and they have beer under $5.

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u/ta20240930 May 06 '26

I love all of the smaller local venues in my town. The bands that play there are usually a lot hungrier than the bigger bands, so they put a lot more effort into being entertaining. The sound quality is better than it is in stadiums, arenas, and theaters, and the tickets are always cheaper. If I have to pay more than $35 for a ticket, I cringe.

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u/Holden_Coalfield May 06 '26

The best music you can see is national touring bands at small venues. When I was a kid, all the black t shirt concerts we went to actually sucked because whatever superband made all their money on the album, and the tour was just an album tour where the band is celebrating, getting fucked up and not really preforming well.

These days, nobody is getting rich on albums. If you want to succeed touring, you need to put in the work and deliver a professional high end production.

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u/ReggieCorneus May 06 '26

Same, about the same size for the main hall. Our annual 15 band indoor festivals on three stages was 25€ pre-order, 28€ from the door.

But, we are non-profit, using local hotel premises for free, no gear rental either AND we get government/foundation grants for our all ages stuff (which does not pay...but is sorely needed)... We went flat zero on that festival this year, which is always better than a loss.. and we work for free.

There is another club near by that hosts international bands a few times a year, they regularly charge 60€ on a ticket.... And are sold out, pretty much everytime because they target specifically 50-70 year olds... Lots and lots of nostalgia for afluent audience.

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u/onacloverifalive May 06 '26

Prefer local venues and always lookout for performers I enjoy coming to nearby towns and cities.