As the cost of living crisis continues to bite, you might be hoping to find some escapism through the good old world of popular culture. Perhaps you can while away your financial worries with a bit of live music? Well, about that …
Gigs, it seems, have never been more expensive. Every week there seems to be a fresh wave of outrage over the cost of seeing a blue-chip artist do their thing in person. First there was Bruce Springsteen, whose US tour tickets were going – in some cases – for several thousand pounds, prompting fan fury and a flurry of newspaper comment pieces (never underestimate how many journalists love the Boss!) Then there was the Glastonbury price rise, rising from £265 in 2019 to £335 for next year’s festival. (Glasto defenders argue that that figure is pretty reasonable to see thousands of bands across five days – and the festival certainly hasn’t had a problem shifting them.)
