Beyoncé’s recent Formation World Tour stop at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA has left many fans wondering just how much tickets cost for the iconic singer’s shows. Beyoncé is one of the most popular and successful musicians in the world, so demand for tickets to see her live is always extremely high. Her shows consistently sell out in minutes, leaving many fans empty-handed. So just how much were tickets going for when Beyoncé brought her Formation Tour to Gillette Stadium?
What was the price range for Beyoncé tickets at Gillette Stadium?
Ticket prices for Beyoncé’s Gillette Stadium shows ranged widely depending on seat location. The cheapest seats for her shows at Gillette were around $50-75 before fees for upper level corner seats. More average lower level seats ranged from $125-200 before fees. Floor seats closest to the stage commanded premium prices from $300 up to over $500 each before fees. So Beyoncé ticket prices spanned from cheap nosebleeds in the $50 range all the way up to several hundred dollars for VIP floor seats closest to Queen Bey herself.
Where were the most expensive seats located?
The most expensive Beyoncé tickets at her Gillette Stadium shows were floor seats closest to the main stage. These exclusive floor ticket holders were within just a few rows of the singer during her entire set. Being that close to a global superstar like Beyoncé understandably drove huge demand and prices for those premium floor seats. Front floor seats within the first 5 rows could run $500-600 or more when you included service fees. Seats on the floor further back from the stage commanded $300-400 typically. So the entire floor was by far the most in-demand and expensive ticket area for Beyoncé’s concerts at Gillette.
What factors affected Beyoncé ticket prices at Gillette?
Several key factors affected the ticket prices for Beyoncé’s shows in Foxborough:
- Beyoncé’s popularity – As one of the most famous singers in the world, demand to see Beyoncé live is always sky-high. Her superstar status drove up prices.
- Stadium venue – Gillette Stadium holds over 60,000 fans. Higher venue capacity enabled more price levels from cheap seats to expensive floor tickets.
- Setlist – Beyoncé performed many of her biggest hits like “Single Ladies”, “Crazy in Love”, and “Formation”. Fans were willing to pay more to hear those iconic songs live.
- Stage production – Beyoncé’s concerts featured massive LED screens, pyrotechnics, dozens of dancers, and intricate choreography. The spectacular production values attracted fans to pay higher ticket prices.
- Limited tour dates – With only a handful of shows in a few cities, demand greatly outpaced supply for Beyoncé tickets. Scarcity drove prices up.
So Beyoncé’s fame and legendary live performances coupled with the large Gillette Stadium capacity and brief tour length led to very expensive ticket prices for her Formation World Tour stop in Foxborough.
How did resale prices compare to face value ticket prices?
When Beyoncé tickets originally went on sale to the general public, most seats were snapped up immediately by fans and resellers alike. This drove a vigorous secondary ticket market on sites like StubHub. Resale prices for sold out Beyoncé tickets often doubled or tripled the original face value prices. For example, lower level seats with a face value of $200 could resell for $600 or more. Front floor seats near the stage resold for well over $1,000 in some cases. So fans who missed out on buying Beyoncé tickets for Gillette at face value had to pay huge premiums to get them later on the secondary market.
How did Gillette Stadium ticket prices compare to other venues on the Formation Tour?
Beyoncé ticket prices at Gillette Stadium were very comparable to what they were at other major stadiums on the Formation Tour. Other similarly sized NFL and college football stadiums had similar pricing levels ranging from cheap upper decks to expensive VIP floors. Other stadium tour stops like Chicago’s Soldier Field, Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field, and Minneapolis’ TCF Bank Stadium all had average ticket sale prices in the same $150-$400 range for lower to mid-level seating areas.
Venue | City | Average Ticket Price Range |
---|---|---|
Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, MA | $150-$400 |
Soldier Field | Chicago, IL | $125-$375 |
Heinz Field | Pittsburgh, PA | $175-$425 |
TCF Bank Stadium | Minneapolis, MN | $150-$350 |
While prices fluctuated somewhat based on the city, overall the ticket cost range at Gillette was very typical of what Beyoncé charged at her other stadium tour venues. Cities with more concert ticket competition like Los Angeles and Houston sometimes had deals under $100 for upper level seats. But the average prices in Foxborough aligned closely with other football stadium stops on the Formation Tour.
How did Gillette Stadium prices compare to Beyoncé’s previous tours?
Compared to Beyoncé’s previous concert tours, ticket prices at Gillette Stadium were higher than her earlier shows but very similar to her most recent tour dates. For example, on her I Am… World Tour in 2009, average tickets were generally in the $100-$250 range. On her Mrs Carter Show World Tour in 2013, average prices crept up to the $150-$375 range. So Beyoncé ticket prices have gradually increased over the years as her popularity has grown. The Formation Tour Gillette Stadium prices reaching $150-$400 on average were right in line with her most recent tour stops.
What determined where ticket prices were highest at Gillette Stadium?
Within Gillette Stadium, the areas that had the highest ticket prices were:
- The main floor near the stage – Fans wanted to be closest to Beyoncé, so floor tickets came at a premium.
- Lower level midfield – The lower sideline sections near midfield provided excellent sightlines and proximity for a high price.
- Lower corners – The front few rows of the lower corners put fans both close to Beyoncé and directly facing the main stage.
- Club suites – Gillette Stadium suites with indoor seats, unlimited food/drink, and private bathrooms were most luxurious.
Sections farther away from the action commanded lower prices at Gillette Stadium. Upper corners and end zone sections were cheapest due to their distance from the stage. Upper midfield seats cost more than corner upper sections but still less than lower level due to higher elevation.
How did ticket prices vary within the floor section?
Beyoncé’s floor tickets at Gillette Stadium saw dramatic price variances depending on proximity to the main stage:
Floor Location | Distance from Stage | Average Price Range |
---|---|---|
Front center | Within first 5 rows | $500-$600+ |
Front sides | Within first 10 rows | $400-$500 |
Middle rear | 10-20 rows back | $250-$350 |
Far rear | Farthest back rows | $150-$250 |
As the table shows, buyers paid huge premiums to be in the first few rows right by the catwalk stage. Being within feet of Beyoncé came with very expensive ticket prices. Even within the floor section, prices dropped the farther back from the action fans were located. So proximity to Queen Bey herself was the biggest driver of floor ticket prices at Gillette Stadium.
When do Beyoncé tour tickets typically go on sale?
For her last few tours, Beyoncé has announced her tour dates and on-sale info roughly 2 months prior to the tour kickoff. Some key on-sale timeline examples:
- Formation World Tour – First on-sales began in February 2016, about 2 months before April tour kickoff.
- Mrs Carter Show World Tour – On-sales started in December 2012, around 2 months ahead of February 2013 kickoff date.
- I Am… World Tour – Tickets went on sale in February 2009, again 2 months before the late March tour start.
So fans can generally expect Beyoncé concert tickets to go on sale around 8-10 weeks prior to her first show date. There are occasional exceptions when extra shows get added later in the tour cycle. But typically Queen Bey announces specific tour dates and ticket sale info right around 2 months before hitting the road for full scale global tours.
What has been Beyoncé’s best tour from a revenue standpoint?
Based on overall ticket sales and box office gross receipts, Beyoncé’s most financially successful tour to date is her Mrs Carter Show World Tour in 2013-2014. Some key revenue stats:
- 132 shows performed globally
- Over $229 million in gross ticket sales
- Over 2 million tickets sold
- Average show grossed over $1.7 million
The Mrs Carter Tour far eclipsed Beyoncé’s previous highest grossing tour, her 2009-2010 I Am… World Tour, which grossed $119 million. Her 2016 Formation World Tour with 49 shows came close to Mrs Carter numbers with over $256 million grossed. However, the much longer duration and higher show count of the Mrs Carter Tour makes it Beyoncé’s most lucrative tour run yet based on overall revenue.
What have been Beyoncé’s highest grossing single shows?
In terms of top grossing individual shows, Beyoncé’s biggest paydays have come from massive stadium concerts in Europe, Australia, and North America. Some of her highest single show gross receipts have been:
- Paris, France – Stade De France – $5.8 million gross
- São Paulo, Brazil – Morumbi Stadium – $5.2 million gross
- Houston, TX – NRG Stadium – $4.9 million gross
- Sydney, Australia – ANZ Stadium – $4.4 million gross
- London, UK – Wembley Stadium – $3.9 million gross
Beyoncé is one of only a handful of global superstars capable of consistently raking in multi-million dollar paydays in huge stadium venues when touring. Her enormous popularity across the world drives massive ticket sales numbers for her shows.
How has Beyoncé impacted the concert industry?
As one of the most successful live performers of the 21st century, Beyoncé has made a monumental impact on the concert business:
- Shown female artists can carry major world tours – Until the 2000s, only male rock bands tended to play stadiums. Beyoncé helped break that glass ceiling.
- Inspired evolution of pop/R&B tours – Beyoncé set the bar higher for production, choreography, costumes, etc. on her tours, leading other artists to up their game.
- Redefined touring revenue potential – With multiple tours grossing over $100+ million, she expanded expectations of how much even top artists could earn on the road.
- Pioneered surprise album releases – Starting with her 2013 self-titled album release, Beyoncé proved albums could be released suddenly without tour promotion.
- Influenced touring stage designs – Beyoncé’s high-tech video screens and conveyor belt stages inspired the production of tours from Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, and others.
Simply put, contemporary concert tours look very different today than before Beyoncé rose to prominence in the 2000s. The scale, production values, choreography and more have improved. Other artists have had to increase their games to match the high bar set by Queen Bey. Even aside from her music, Beyoncé’s impact on live performing has been felt throughout the touring business.
What does the future look like for Beyoncé touring?
As she approaches her late 30s, Beyoncé remains at the peak of her live performance powers. She continues breaking concert industry records with each successive tour. What can fans expect next from Beyoncé on the road?
- A stadium world tour supporting her new Renaissance album seems very likely for 2023.
- Demand for tickets will be enormous, with most shows selling out instantly.
- She will likely expand touring production design even further, with technological innovations and expanded live band/dancers.
- Setlists will feature new Renaissance songs alongside her classics.
- VIP experiences with premium pricing will provide opportunities for fans to meet Beyoncé.
- Total gross revenues could reach $250 – $300+ million for a lengthy world tour.
Beyoncé shows no signs of slowing down her live performances as she approaches 40. If anything, her tours have only gotten bigger and more technologically advanced with each passing year. There are few artists who can match her combination of cultural influence, chart dominance, visual spectacle, and ticket selling power. Fans can expect even more history-making tours and shows from Queen Bey in the years ahead.