Country music star Morgan Wallen announced his One Night at a Time World Tour for 2023, which is set to visit over 55 cities starting in March. However, fans were shocked to see the high ticket prices, with even nosebleed seats going for over $100 in many venues. This has led many to wonder – why are Morgan Wallen tickets so expensive?
There are a few factors that contribute to the high ticket prices for the Morgan Wallen tour:
High demand
Morgan Wallen has become one of the biggest stars in country music after breaking out with his album Dangerous: The Double Album in 2021. Hits like “Whiskey Glasses” and “7 Summers” propelled him to fame, along with controversies like being caught on video using a racial slur. However, his album spent 10 consecutive weeks at #1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, setting records in the streaming era.
Despite radio play being halted after the controversy, fans continued to stream and buy Wallen’s music. His follow-up, Dangerous: The Double Album (One Year Anniversary), also hit #1 in 2022. This shows the high demand from fans to see him live, allowing promoters to charge premium ticket prices.
Limited supply
Wallen is playing mostly arena shows on this tour, with typical capacities ranging from 10,000-20,000 seats. For context, Wallen has had over 5 billion on-demand streams, indicating a huge potential audience. With high demand and limited arena capacity, simple economics dictates that prices will be high.
Promoters likely priced tickets strategically based on expected demand in each market. For example, a show in Nashville or Dallas will have far more demand than one in Fargo, North Dakota. Adjusting prices accordingly allows them to maximize revenue.
Production costs
Mounting a massive arena tour like this has high production costs for Wallen and promoters. Expenses include:
- Stage, sound, lighting, and video equipment plus labor
- Tour buses and trucks to transport equipment
- Band and crew wages
- Venue rentals
- Insurance, permits, and more
These costs easily run into the millions for a top-tier country tour. Higher ticket prices help offset these expenses.
Average Ticket Prices by City
To visualize the variation in ticket prices by city, here are the average lowest ticket prices currently available for shows on Morgan Wallen’s tour:
City | Venue | Average Lowest Ticket Price |
---|---|---|
Nashville, TN | Bridgestone Arena | $215 |
Dallas, TX | American Airlines Center | $123 |
Detroit, MI | Little Caesars Arena | $99 |
St. Louis, MO | Enterprise Center | $56 |
Kansas City, MO | T-Mobile Center | $55 |
This table shows how prices vary greatly depending on the city. Tickets in Nashville currently average over $200 even for the cheapest seats, while tickets in St. Louis and Kansas City can be had for around $55. Promoters clearly expect higher demand in Nashville as Wallen’s home market.
Reasons for High Demand Among Fans
Looking deeper into why Morgan Wallen tickets are in such high demand provides more insight into these premium ticket prices. Here are some of the key factors driving demand:
Loyal fanbase
Wallen has cultivated an extremely loyal fanbase that has stuck by him even through controversies. These core fans who have helped him sell out arenas and break streaming records are a key demographic that will pay top dollar to see him live. Wallen has a very engaged fanbase on social media, with 7.5 million Instagram followers as of October 2022.
Rare touring schedule
Unlike artists who tour nearly year-round, Wallen has limited his touring schedule since becoming a headliner. He has not done a proper nationwide arena tour since 2018 when he was still an opener. For his fans, this tour is a rare opportunity to see him in their city. The scarcity is driving up demand.
FOMO
FOMO (fear of missing out) is likely also a factor driving demand. Fans see the tour selling out quickly and prices rising, which sparks panic buying from those worried tickets will sell out. This cycle feeds on itself and intensifies demand.
New album imminent
Wallen has been back in the studio in 2022 working on a new album. He is likely to release new music ahead of the tour, which would further hype demand to hear the new songs live for the first time. An announcement about a new album could cause another surge in tour demand.
How Tour Promoters Set Ticket Prices
Morgan Wallen’s touring agency and local concert promoters use careful analysis to determine optimal ticket pricing:
Market-based pricing
As noted earlier, they price tickets based on projected demand in each city. Prices will be higher in Nashville versus Fargo simply because the market will bear a higher price. Promoters use tools like social media engagement and streaming data to estimate demand in each area.
Dynamic pricing
Ticket prices can fluctuate over time based on ongoing sales. If tickets are selling quicker than expected, prices may rise to control inventory. Slow sales may cause prices to drop to spur demand. Promoters adjust prices dynamically based on sales trends.
Facility costs
Venue rentals, labor, utilities and other facility costs determine the baseline price floor for tickets. Even if demand was low, prices have to cover a venue’s expenses. Facility costs vary greatly between venues.
Artist guarantees
Wallen likely has a guaranteed minimum payout for each show written into his tour contract. If total ticket sales fall below a certain threshold, the promoter has to make up the difference. Guarantees protect the artist but also incentivize promoters to maximize ticket prices within demand limits.
Tiered seating
Promoters utilize tiered ticket pricing between the pit, lower bowl, upper bowl, and nosebleeds. Fans pay premiums for better seating sections. VIP packages with meet & greets also augment revenue.
How Scalpers & Resale Sites Drive Up Prices
Third-party ticket resellers also exacerbate high prices for hot tours like Morgan Wallen’s:
Limited supply
With many shows selling out instantly, scarcity on the secondary market lets resellers charge huge premiums. Fans who missed out have no choice but to pay inflated resale prices if they still want to attend. Limited supply enables scalpers to thrive.
Bots and bulk buying
Scalpers use bots and hired armies buying up bulk tickets immediately at on-sale. They create an artificial shortage, which then allows them to mark up for resale. Strict ticket limits can help combat bulk buying.
Dynamic pricing algorithms
Resale sites like StubHub use algorithms to automatically adjust prices based on demand signals like search traffic and sales velocity. As tour dates approach, prices often rise due to these automated tools.
Convenience fees
On top of marked up ticket prices, resellers tack on “convenience” fees of 10-20% or more. These extra service charges flow straight to the reseller’s bottom line.
Conclusion
In summary, Morgan Wallen’s stratospheric popularity combined with the scarcity of his tour dates is creating a perfect storm of high demand and limited supply. Tour promoters are rationally pricing tickets based on market demand differences across cities. Production costs for an arena tour are steep, while Wallen’s minimum payout guarantees necessitate premium ticket prices.
Scalpers and secondary resellers further constrain supply and leverage demand to inflate prices. Ultimately, fans are left paying the price to see one of country music’s biggest stars on a highly anticipated tour. Morgan Wallen’s ticket prices reflect his status as a top touring act.