Music can be an equalizing force; music concerts, much less so. Fans have griped for decades about the high prices of live concert fees—especially with the additional troubles piled on by ticket scalping—but a new analysis shows just how unfair the price tags can be.
Fare aggregator website Wanderu examined the price points for several large-scale arena tours scheduled for 2017 and 2018 and found that concert tickets in large cities can be nearly twice as expensive as those in smaller towns—for the same musician’s show. (Wanderu standardized everything against a $100 ticket in New York, showing how that same show would be $127 in Los Angeles and $74 in Buffalo.)
This isn’t to say people living in Los Angeles should trek out to Little Rock if they want to see Katy Perry live—flight fees would more than cancel out the savings, of course—but it’s useful to consider in situations when the additional travel time may be worth it.
Houston, for instance, is more expensive than San Antonio ($109 for a ticket compared to $84), but a mere three-hour drive away.