Booking a major rock band like Five Finger Death Punch can be an expensive endeavor, but the cost depends on several factors. As one of the biggest bands in the modern metal scene, Five Finger Death Punch commands high booking fees commensurate with their popularity and draw as a live act. However, the final price to book FFDP for a show or festival has a lot of variables involved.
Factors Affecting Five Finger Death Punch’s Booking Fee
Some key considerations that determine how much it costs to book Five Finger Death Punch include:
Event Type
– Headlining Concert: When headlining their own show, Five Finger Death Punch’s fee will be at the highest end. This can be over $500,000 for major venues.
– Festival: For festivals, FFDP’s fee may be lower, perhaps around $200,000 – $300,000 depending on the size and prominence of the festival.
– Supporting Act: If opening for another band like Metallica, FFDP’s fee will be much lower, possibly $50,000 – $100,000.
Venue Size
– Arena/Stadium Shows: For venues with 10,000+ capacity, FFDP can ask for $500,000+ as a headliner. Their production requires a big stage.
– Amphitheaters/Theaters: In venues in the 5,000 – 10,000 capacity range, their fee may be around $250,000 – $400,000.
– Smaller clubs: For shows under 1,000 capacity, fees could be under $100,000.
Location
– North America: Highest fees in their peak home market, especially for arena shows.
– Europe: Strong ticket sales demand also equate to high booking costs in this market.
– Rest of World: Emerging markets may have cheaper booking fees closer to $150,000 – $200,000.
Timing
– Peak touring periods: When on the road promoting a new album, FFDP’s fee is higher.
– Off-peak touring: During down periods between album cycles, the fee may decrease by 25-50%.
– Holidays: Shows timed around holidays or festivals may have inflated booking fees.
Ticketing
– Percentage of ticket sales: FFDP may negotiate a percentage of net ticket revenue, so their pay increases with higher sales.
– Buy-on guarantees: Alternately they could charge a fixed buy-on fee regardless of ticket sales. Lower risk for promoter.
What’s Included in Five Finger Death Punch’s Rider
In addition to the base booking fee, there are other costs associated with bringing FFDP to perform:
Travel
– Private jet flights for band and crew or first-class flights.
– Ground transportation – tour buses, vans, SUVs. Fuel, drivers, and vehicle rentals.
– Hotels – Often require 4-star hotels for band members.
Technical
– Sound, lighting, video production for stage show. FFDP travels with own production.
– Pyrotechnics and other special effects.
– Backline equipment – drums, guitar amps, etc. if not providing their own.
Hospitality
– Catering – Gourmet meals, food daily allowance, beverages.
– Dressing rooms – Furnished with requested amenities.
– Security – Venue provides security staff to protect band.
Miscellaneous
– Insurance – Extra insurance for equipment, health emergencies, cancellations.
– Local crew – Venue provides rigging crews, electricians, etc.
– Merchandising – Space and sellers for band’s merch stands.
– Marketing – Posters, promo items may need to be provided.
So when all additional costs are added up, the total booking price for Five Finger Death Punch could be $750,000 or more for a major headlining show. The band’s recent touring history provides some examples of real world booking costs.
Recent Five Finger Death Punch Fee Examples
To better understand the typical price range to book Five Finger Death Punch, here are some reported booking fees or festival payments from their past tours:
Event | Fee |
Co-headliner, Monster Energy Aftershock Festival 2021 | $250,000 |
Co-headliner, Rock am Ring Festival 2022 | $325,000 |
Headline Concert, Zenith Paris 2015 | $500,000 |
Headline Concert, Hartwall Arena Helsinki 2019 | $475,000 |
Supporting Act for Metallica, Olympic Stadium London 2019 | $75,000 |
These examples illustrate how Five Finger Death Punch’s fee ranges from the mid six-figures for festival plays and supporting slots up to around a half million dollars for their own headlining arena concerts in major markets.
How Much Specific Venues Have Paid
We can also look at specific examples of how much individual arenas and festivals have paid in the past to book Five Finger Death Punch:
Venue | Fee Paid |
Madison Square Garden New York, Headline Show 2020 | $485,000 |
Wembley Arena London, Co-Headline with Megadeth 2021 | $375,000 |
Download Festival Donington Park 2019 | $325,000 |
Utilita Arena Birmingham, Supporting Slipknot 2015 | $90,000 |
Glasgow SSE Hydro, Headline Concert 2022 | $475,000 |
This breakdown shows the band earned fees between $90,000 to almost $500,000 from various venues depending on factors like billing position and market.
How Much Revenue Five Finger Death Punch Generates
Given these high booking fees, Five Finger Death Punch also delivers major revenue generating power for promoters and venues who host them:
Average Attendance | 10,000+ for headline arena shows |
Average Gross Per Head | $65 ticket plus $20 concessions |
Average Gross Per Show | $650,000 – $750,000+ |
Estimated Touring Revenue Per Cycle | $50+ million |
With their strong touring history and fanbase, Five Finger Death Punch can sell out arenas and deliver huge profits beyond just their booking fee. After covering the band’s fee, venues can still make a net profit of several hundred thousand dollars per show on ancillary revenue like ticketing, merchandise, sponsorships, and concessions.
Given this earning potential, booking FFDP can deliver big rewards for promoters despite the initial investment. The band brings consistent results which justifies their commanding fee.
Is Five Finger Death Punch Worth the Price?
While the sticker shock of paying $500,000+ makes Five Finger Death Punch an expensive booking, they have proven their ability to deliver big results as a touring act:
Pros of Booking FFDP
– Brings in 10,000+ fans reliably to fill arenas
– Strong branding attracts sponsors, vendors, media attention
– Produces over $500,000 in gross event revenue on average
– Fans drawn by FFDP will also spend on concessions and merch
– Provides a major boost to venue’s image and brand reputation
Cons of Booking FFDP
– High fees squeeze event profit margins for promoters
– Limited routing availability given busy tour schedule
– Production costs like pyro and effects increase expenses
– Metal fans can have rowdy reputation causing venue issues
– Tour dates may fluctuate with the band’s album cycle
Overall, despite the high upfront fee, Five Finger Death Punch has a well-proven track record as a top-grossing global arena act. The strong attraction of their name and loyal fans makes booking the band a profitable investment in most cases. Promoters can mitigate the risks by careful advance planning around variables like marketing, ticket scaling, and operating expenses.
How to Get the Best Deal on Five Finger Death Punch
For venues and festivals hoping to drive the best deal on booking Five Finger Death Punch, here are some tips:
Strategies to Save on FFDP’s Fee
– Book them as a festival act or co-headliner rather than solo show
– Schedule shows on weeknights or off-peak calendar days
– Avoid prime holiday dates when fees spike higher
– Route them through your venue on an existing tour rather than one-off
– Make multi-year offer across festival or venue network
– Partner with a promoter or network to share risks
Ways to Increase Revenue Potential
– Market shows aggressively via press, social media, radio
– Sell higher-priced VIP ticket packages
– Upsell fans on FFDP merchandise bundles
– Offer food/bev and parking packages as add-ons
– Sell premium seating or experiences like meet & greets
– Secure corporate sponsors to offset costs
With the right negotiating tactics and ancillary revenue streams, venues can offset Five Finger Death Punch’s high talent fee and retain strong profits.
Conclusion
In summary, booking Five Finger Death Punch as a headlining act costs in the range of $400,000 to $500,000 or more depending on the market. Their rider and production needs can raise total costs to $750,000+ for a single show. Top global festivals pay $200,000 – $350,000 to book FFDP. As one of metal’s premier touring bands, they command premium fees but also deliver the fan draw, critical acclaim, and prestige worth the price for many promoters. Careful attention to containing overhead costs, marketing, and incremental revenue allows venues to achieve solid profit margins on Five Finger Death Punch shows despite the expensive upfront talent investment. Their continued popularity ensures that booking FFDP remains a lucrative proposition for arenas, theaters, and festivals worldwide.