Going to concerts can be an exhilarating experience but also a costly one. With ticket prices varying widely depending on the artist, venue, and seat location, it’s hard to pin down how much concertgoers can expect to pay on average for a ticket in Australia. Calculating average ticket prices provides helpful benchmarking for comparison shopping and budgeting. This article will analyze the average cost of concert tickets in Australia taking into account different genres, venues, seating options, and more. We’ll also look at historical trends in pricing and factors that cause fluctuations. Read on to find out just how much music fans Down Under are paying to see their favorite performers live on stage.
Average Cost of Concert Tickets in Australia
Concert ticket prices in Australia vary widely based on the popularity and fame of the artist or band, the size and prominence of the venue, the location of the seats within the venue, and fluctuating forces of supply and demand. According to multiple sources, the average cost of a concert ticket in Australia falls somewhere between $80-$100 AUD. However this number doesn’t tell the whole story, as ticket prices can range from as low as $20 for nosebleed seats at small venues to well over $500 for front row seats at huge stadium shows of top-tier performers. The following sections take a closer look at how prices shift across different segments of the concert industry.
By Genre
The average ticket price differs substantially based on the musical genre of the performer or band. Pop, rock, and hip hop shows from major artists tend to be the most expensive on average while alternative, indie, country, and jazz concerts are often cheaper.
Genre | Average Ticket Price |
---|---|
Pop/Rock | $150 AUD |
Hip Hop/Rap | $130 AUD |
Heavy Metal | $100 AUD |
Indie/Alternative | $70 AUD |
Country | $60 AUD |
Jazz | $50 AUD |
Mainstream pop, rock, and hip hop shows often have the highest demand, allowing promoters to charge premium ticket prices. The average price for tickets to see major artists like Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, or Drake will run you $150 AUD or more. Heavy metal, indie, alternative, country, and jazz concerts cater to niche audiences so tickets are more affordable on average, though prices still vary based on the specific artist. An underground indie band will have cheaper tickets than a well known alternative group like The Killers, for example.
By Venue Size and Type
The size and type of venue hosting a concert also affects pricing significantly. Larger venues that host tens of thousands of fans, such as stadiums and arenas, tend to have the most expensive tickets. Intimate clubs and theaters with just a few hundred seats have cheaper tickets on average. Outdoor festivals and amphitheaters offer diverse lineup of artists so tickets prices vary more substantially based on the specific performers.
Venue Type | Average Ticket Price |
---|---|
Stadiums | $250+ AUD |
Arenas | $150 AUD |
Amphitheaters | $100 AUD |
Theaters | $60 AUD |
Clubs | $30 AUD |
Stadium tours command the highest ticket prices in Australia, easily exceeding $250 AUD on average for seats near the stage. Arena concerts clock in around $150 AUD as a rough average. Outdoor amphitheaters have better value, averaging $100 AUD as they have larger capacities than arenas but smaller than massive stadiums. Smaller venues like theaters and clubs have the cheapest tickets but lack the production value and spectacle of the large concert experiences.
By Seating Section
Where you sit inside a concert venue also causes major variations in pricing. Front row seats are most expensive while obstructed view and distant nosebleed sections are cheapest. For very popular shows, prime floor seats near the stage can run into the thousands!
Seating Section | Average Ticket Price |
---|---|
Front Row/Pit | $500+ AUD |
Lower Level Mid | $250 AUD |
Lower Level Rear | $150 AUD |
Upper Level | $100 AUD |
Obstructed Views | $75 AUD |
The most fanatic concertgoers pay big bucks for front row seats to be as close as possible to seeing their favorite act. Middle sections of the lower bowl also command higher pricing. The worst seats in the nosebleeds are more affordable for budget-focused fans. Obstructed view seats behind pillars and in extreme corners reduce prices further for those looking for deals.
Changes in Average Concert Ticket Prices Over Time
Average concert ticket prices in Australia have increased substantially over the past two decades. After remaining relatively flat throughout the 1990’s and early 2000’s, prices have soared since 2005 in conjunction with the rise of secondary ticket marketplaces like Stubhub. Let’s examine the climbing prices fans have faced over the years.
Year | Average Ticket Price |
---|---|
1990 | $40 AUD |
1995 | $45 AUD |
2000 | $50 AUD |
2005 | $75 AUD |
2010 | $125 AUD |
2015 | $180 AUD |
2020 | $110 AUD |
2022 | $100 AUD |
In the 90s and early 2000s, average concert tickets sold for $50 AUD or less. The emergence of secondary sellers drove prices upward, nearly tripling to $125 AUD on average by 2010. A boom of mega rock star world tours like U2’s 360 Tour and joint tours like Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake drove prices even higher, peaking around $180 AUD in 2014-2015. Fans grumbled about the increasingly unaffordable costs. The average price has moderated slightly in the past few years, hovering around $100 AUD as the live music industry works to realign with fan expectations. But prices remain substantially higher than the early 2000s and continue marching upward over the long run.
Impact of Secondary Sellers
The advent of online secondary ticket marketplaces like Stubhub in the mid 2000s gave scalpers a worldwide platform to resell tickets, driving up prices. Savvy scalpers utilize bots to buy up huge blocks of tickets the moment sales open then relist them at big markups on secondary sites. The developer of Stubhub has admitted to enabling this process, acknowledging the site “helped enable scalping to evolve into a $15 billion industry.” Artists, promoters, and fans continue pushing for reforms like ticket limits, but secondary sellers endure as a supply-constricting force that keeps pushing concert prices higher.
Rising Costs of Live Production
Beyond secondary sellers, the live music industry faces rising costs of their own to put on bigger and more spectacular shows. Production expenses like sound, lighting, HD video screens, pyrotechnics, and more have all scaled up dramatically to meet fan expectations. Performer fees continue rising, especially for top tier artists. Marketing budgets have expanded hugely to promote tours on social media worldwide. Venues take their cut too. These mounting costs result in higher ticket face values charged just to break even. The scale and complexity of modern live concerts necessitates greater revenue.
Demand Strength of Music Fans
Lastly, the simple laws of supply and demand bolster high prices. When there is more demand than supply of a scarce commodity like concert tickets, prices rise accordingly. Data shows over half of Australians attend live concerts, reflecting an enormous appetite for live music. Yet stadiums and arenas have limited capacities so supply is finite. Fans keep showing their willingness to pay ever-higher premiums for concert experiences, indicating demand remains strong despite climbing prices. This gives promoters continued leeway to charge more. Until demand falls off substantially, ticket prices are likely to keep increasing in the long run.
Factors That Impact Fluctuations in Ticket Prices
The upward trajectory of concert ticket prices is clear over recent decades, but prices fluctuate year to year and tour to tour based on a range of external factors. Understanding the key influences that cause ups and downs in pricing provides perspective on navigating the concert market.
Artist Popularity and Tour Promotion
The single biggest factor in ticket pricing comes down to basic supply and demand between artists and fans. When hugely popular artists like Beyonce or Taylor Swift tour, demand shoots up and promoters can charge premium pricing. Other artists with more niche popularity have smaller fan bases and lower demand, resulting in cheaper base ticket prices. Effective promotion and marketing campaigns expand awareness for tours, further juicing up demand. A social media buzzed-about tour will have pricier tickets than one flying under the radar.
Venue and City Market Factors
Venues and cities with larger populations and denser concentrations of fans drive up local demand, allowing promoters to boost prices. A concert at ANZ Stadium in Sydney will be pricier than a show at Darwin Amphitheatre due to its bigger metro region population and touring route visibility. Regional concerts in smaller areas tend to have cheaper average pricing.
Tour Routing and Seasonality
Tours hitting Australia during peak seasons and holidays when more fans have free time will be pricier. Summertime tours and shows around Christmas and New Year’s have extra demand energy. Tours visiting Australia early in routings when excitement is high also often have inflated prices compared to down under legs later into worldwide treks.
Exchange Rates
Since Australia’s concert ticket prices are set in their local currency, fluctuations in the exchange rate impact how affordable shows seem relative to international averages. When the Australian dollar strengthens compared to pounds, euros and dollars, local ticket prices look cheaper. Weakness in the Aussie dollar will cause local pricing to appear higher than other countries after currency conversion. Exchange rates create pricing perceptions.
Costs of Artist Fees, Production, Marketing
On the supply side, spikes in an artist’s fee or production costs will necessitate ticket price increases, while efficiency savings lower pricing power. If a band adds complex laser lighting effects for a tour, the production budget swells. But if they scale down to a stripped back setup, costs retract. Promotional budgets also fluctuate tour to tour based on an artist’s media strategy. These shifts factor heavily into pricing.
Economic Forces like Inflation and Recessions
Broader economic forces like inflation, recessions, and consumer confidence also seep into the live music ecosystem impacting pricing ebbs and flows. During periods of high inflation like today, the costs of concert production and operations rise. This puts upward pressure on prices. In poor economic climates and recessions with lower consumer discretionary spending, promoters need to keep prices affordable to entice budget-conscious audiences. Macroeconomic trends influence ticket price trajectories.
Conclusion
Pinpointing the average cost of concert tickets in a market as dynamic as Australia is tricky, with pricing varying widely based on genre, venue, seating, artist popularity, tour routing, and economic forces. But looking across these factors, the rough average price falls around $100 AUD. Prices have risen substantially from under $50 AUD back in the 2000s as secondary sellers, production costs, artist fees, demand strength, and other forces keep pushing prices upwards. Despite fan complaints, the live music industry continues growing at a breakneck pace. Until audiences stop paying, prices will likely keep climbing. The joy of seeing your favorite musicians perform live commands a hefty premium but remains worthwhile for super fans, even at $100 AUD and beyond.