With major artists embarking on ever more elaborate globetrotting tours, live music is alive and kicking. However, ticket costs have reached an all-time high, driven by the rise of VIP packages charging premium prices for ‘extras’ and seats closer to the stage, additional processing fees for things like ‘delivery’ and ‘transactions’, and the emergence of ‘dynamic pricing’, an increasingly controversial practice where prices surge when demand is high.

But how much have prices really risen? We’ve done some digging to compare prices to see your favourite stars then and now. Read on to discover how much you'll pay to see some of the world’s most popular musicians today, compared to the cost of their previous tours.

All dollar amounts in US dollars. Ticket prices for earlier tours have been adjusted for inflation to give you an idea of their cost in today's money.

A decade ago, attending an Ed Sheeran concert was slightly more affordable than today.

Between 2011 and 2013, the rising star embarked on his debut global trek, the + (Plus) Tour. Tickets for the final show of the tour at New York's iconic Madison Square Garden were priced around $50, or roughly $68 (£52) when adjusted for inflation.

Sheeran is currently on his +–=÷× Tour (pronounced 'Mathematics'). He began the tour in 2022, and by the time the mammoth trek wraps up later this year, he'll have performed over 140 shows across five continents.

In North America, ticket prices for the tour started at an affordable $49 (£37) and reached $99 (£75) for certain seats. Meanwhile, general admission tickets closer to the stage cost a steeper $139 (£106). 

The star has taken a dim view of inflated ticket prices in the past. At the trial of two ticket touts last year, his manager said the singer wanted to keep tickets "accessible for as many people as possible".

Rising stars Coldplay embarked on their debut Parachutes Tour between 2000 and 2001 (pictured) in support of their studio album of the same name.

The band performed at intimate venues across Europe, North America and Australia, playing songs including Yellow and Shiver, which would go on to become classics. Tickets in the UK were priced at just £9.50, or about $24 (£18) in today's money. 

Fast-forward to 2008's globetrotting Viva la Vida Tour and fans could expect to pay between $50 to $85, the equivalent of $73 to $125 (£55 to £96) in today's money. While tickets to see Coldplay have clearly risen in price, the band has made a point of offering affordable options to fans.

Metallica's M72 World Tour recently wrapped after taking in 75 dates across Europe, Asia and North America.

While the cheapest tickets in the 'nosebleed' sections of stadiums could be snapped up for as little as $20 (£15), the most sought-after spots close to the stage often came with a hefty $480 (£367) price tag.

Back in 1994, Green Day went on tour to support their third studio album, Dookie. At the time, tickets cost fans a modest $22.30, which is around $47 (£36) today when adjusted for inflation.

By 2009, during the arena-packing American Idiot Tour (pictured), tickets cost $25, plus $6 in fees, or a total of $31. Adjusted for inflation, that’s around $45 (£34).

Green Day are currently on The Saviors Tour in support of their 14th studio album. The tour began in May 2024 and will wrap later this year, with the band performing concerts across five continents.

In the US, prices for the cheapest seats started at a modest $46 (£35) but soared to $141 (£108), depending on the venue and location.

The Australian leg of the tour was affected by dynamic pricing. When tickets went on sale, prices started at a hefty $217 (£166), despite initially being advertised for $135 (£103). In extreme cases, some tickets reached an eye-watering $500 (£382). 

The fact that Green Day charged nearly the same price for tickets in both the mid-1990s and late 2000s makes the skyrocketing prices of their current shows even more jaw-dropping, highlighting the growing problem of increasingly unaffordable concert tickets.

In 1964, Bob Dylan embarked on his Still On the Road Tour (pictured), playing huge venues across America.

The landmark trek marked the folk music star's transition into more rock-oriented music, during which he performed songs that later became classics, such as Mr. Tambourine Man and The Times They Are A-Changin'.

Tickets ranged from $2.50 to $3.75, which is an affordable $25 (£19) to $38 (£29) when adjusted for inflation – a stark contrast to what he charges today...

Bob Dylan kicked off his Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour in 2021. By the time it wrapped in April of this year, Dylan had performed more than 240 times at venues across the globe.

However, witnessing the music legend perform his biggest hits live wasn't cheap. According to British magazine RadioTimes, tickets for the 2024 UK leg of the tour ranged from $99 (£75) to $259 (£198), depending on the seat, venue and location. Meanwhile, tickets for the US leg tended to start around the $100 (£76) mark, with VIP packages retailing for up to $580 (£444).

The high prices left many fans disgruntled.

Back in 1983, Stevie Nicks embarked on her second-ever solo tour, the Wild Heart Tour (pictured), in support of her album of the same name. During the jaunt, which took in arenas across America, she was supported by Joe Walsh, best known as the guitarist for the American rock band the Eagles.

Tickets were priced at around $13.50, which is just $43 (£33) in today’s money – a total steal!

The upcoming reunion tour isn't the first time Oasis has sparked overwhelming demand for tickets. 

Back in 1996, two years after Oasis first shot to stardom following their inaugural Definitely Maybe Tour, the band announced two shows at Knebworth Park in Hertfordshire, England (pictured), the biggest the UK had seen at the time.

The 250,000 available tickets sold out within 24 hours and cost fans just £22.50. That's a wallet-friendly $74 (£56) in modern-day money.

Oasis sent fans into a frenzy when they announced their upcoming reunion tour, Oasis Live '25, which is set to kick off in July. 

Ticket prices for the tour started at $97 (£74) and reached an eye-watering $672 (£513) for premium packages. However, due to overwhelming demand, dynamic pricing kicked in. Fans waited in virtual queues for hours to secure sought-after tickets, only to find that prices for some of the cheaper tickets had risen by as much as $261 (£200) over the advertised value at the point of purchase. 

The controversial dynamic pricing model has sparked hundreds of complaints to the UK's Advertising Standards Authority and prompted the European Commission to launch an investigation into the practice.

Back in 1990, Kylie Minogue embarked on her second concert tour, The Enjoy Yourself Tour, performing across Australia, Asia and Europe (pictured). 

The tour helped solidify Kylie’s status as a major pop star. Tickets were priced at a budget-friendly £12.50, around $42 (£32) when adjusted for inflation.

Meanwhile, tickets for Kylie's previous biggest tour, 2011's Aphrodite: Les Folies Tour, which played to arena-sized venues, cost between $98 and $150. That's the equivalent of $137 (£105) to $210 (£161) today. 

Kylie Minogue kicked off her Tension Tour this year. The 2025 global trek will see her perform concerts across Australia, Asia and Europe.

However, ticket prices left fans shocked, with some describing the costs as "grim". In the UK, standard seated tickets started at $99 (£75.50) and reached $247 (£189). Meanwhile, VIP packages ranged from $390 (£299) to $456 (£349). 

Tickets to see the music veteran live in action haven't always been so exorbitant.

Back in 1989, McCartney embarked on his World Tour (pictured) in support of solo album Press to Play. During this landmark trek, he performed a mixture of solo music, Wings songs and Beatles classics such as Hey Jude.

Tickets were priced at around $28.50, or $75 (£57) in today's money.

Back in 2009, rising star Taylor Swift embarked on her first global concert tour, the Fearless Tour (pictured). During her inaugural trek, she played 118 shows across the United States, Canada, Asia, Australia, the United Kingdom and the Bahamas.

In terms of venues, the tour primarily took in arenas as opposed to stadiums, but Swift still managed to attract well over a million fans in total.

For the US leg of the tour, tickets ranged from approximately $39.50 to $53.50, which is $58 (£44) to $78.50 (£60) today – a much more accessible price point for Swift's young fanbase compared to now...

Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour achieved the record-breaking feat of becoming the first tour to gross over $1 billion (£765m). The tour kicked off in March 2023 and wrapped in December last year. Swift performed 149 sell-out concerts across five continents.

For the US leg, ticket prices started at a modest $49 (£37) for seats in the nosebleed section or with obstructed views of the stage. Meanwhile, the most sought-after tickets came with a whopping $499 (£382) price tag. Meanwhile, some fans in the UK paid $860 (£660) each for premium seats at Wembley Stadium.

Due to overwhelming demand, resale tickets skyrocketed to staggering prices, with some selling for as much as $11,000 (£8.4k) in extreme cases, as devoted 'Swifties' spared no expense to see their idol in action.

Metal titans Black Sabbath have been touring the world for decades with dozens of large international jaunts under their belts. Step back in time to their 1976-1977 Technical Ecstasy Tour, and fans in America could secure a spot to see the rockers for just $7.50, the equivalent of $42 (£31) in today's money.

Tickets for Black Sabbath's Back to the Beginning show in Birmingham this July sold out within minutes. The in-demand concert will mark Ozzy Osbourne's final performance with the band.

Fans were not only dismayed by how quickly tickets disappeared but also frustrated by the prices, with some joking they needed a mortgage to afford them. Prices ranged from $261 (£197) to a steep $1,100 (£834). 

Back in 1985, Madonna embarked on her debut world tour, The Virgin Tour (pictured).

During this North American trek, Madonna performed hits that would go on to become classics, such as Material Girl and Like a Virgin, establishing herself as a pop star to be reckoned with. Tickets cost just $15, or about $44 (£33) when adjusted for inflation.

Madonna recently wrapped up her latest tour, the 2023-2024 Celebration Tour.

Ticket prices for concerts initially started at under $100 (£77) but quickly soared due to high demand. By the final dates, the cheapest seats for the US leg cost $245 (£187), while securing a spot close to the stage ranged from $475 (£363) to a staggering $1,750 (£1.3k).

The Rolling Stones first toured the US in 1964 (pictured). Back then, tickets were priced as low as $3.50, or around $36 (£27) in today’s money.

As the band's popularity exploded, so did ticket prices. The Rolling Stones' highest-grossing tour is the 2005-2007 A Bigger Bang Tour, which earned an inflation-adjusted total of $847 million (£648m). 

Tickets for this landmark tour started at just $50, with the most sought-after seats fetching up to $350. That's equivalent to $76 (£58) to $531 (£406) today.

More recently, The Stones embarked on the Hackney Diamonds Tour. The North American trek saw the band perform 20 concerts between April and July 2024. The gigs were sponsored by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), a non-profit organisation representing the interests of those over the age of fifty. 

Tickets started at a modest $73 (£56) and rose to an eye-watering $400 (£306) for general admission passes. Meanwhile, fans could expect to pay up to $2,000 (£1.5k) for the top VIP packages.

Lady Gaga's most successful tour to date was The Monster Ball Tour (2009–2011), which grossed over $227 million (£170m) and attracted 2.5 million fans.

In the US, tickets for her Cleveland shows started at a modest $52.50 and reached up to $178. That's around $78 (£59) to $265 (£199) when adjusted for inflation.

Lady Gaga (pictured at Coachella earlier this year) is set to kick off her latest tour, The Mayhem Ball, in July.

However, soaring ticket prices for the upcoming events have angered fans. For her US concert at Madison Square Garden, ticket prices started at $89.50 (£67) and reached an eye-watering $2,309 (£1.7k). 

Meanwhile, in Australia, Ticketmaster initially advertised prices between $113 (£85) and $1,581 (£1.2k). Unfortunately, tickets soon fell victim to dynamic pricing, with seats in the nosebleed section alone reaching a dizzying $500 (£375). 

After leaving Destiny's Child, Beyoncé embarked on her first solo tour in 2003, the arena-straddling Dangerously in Love Tour (pictured).

Already a star thanks to the success of Destiny's Child, ticket prices for the concerts reflected her status, costing around $74.50, or approximately $127 (£97) in 2025 money.

While this sum is substantial, it's still lower than the soaring costs of tickets today...

Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour took place between May and October 2023. During this period, she performed 56 shows across Europe and North America.

For the UK leg of the tour, tickets started at a relatively affordable $67 (£51), rising to $226 (£173). Meanwhile, fans could snap up tickets for the 'Honey on Stage Risers Front Row Experience' for the princely sum of $3,130 (£2.4k)

In the US, however, ticket prices skyrocketed. At some American venues, seats close to the stage started at $1,000 (£765) and reached upwards of $5,000 (£3.8k), depending on the date and location of the gig.

Between 1975 and 1976, Bruce Springsteen embarked on his first-ever concert tour, the Born to Run Tour, in support of his album of the same name (pictured).

The tour catapulted Springsteen to global stardom, with tickets costing fans just $6, or an affordable $33 (£25) when adjusted for inflation.

Nearly a decade later, Springsteen had become a household name. As a result, ticket prices for his 1984-1985 Born in the U.S.A. Tour, which played to packed stadiums worldwide, rose to $22.50, or about $68 (£52) in today's money. That's still a bargain compared to the cost of Springsteen tickets in today’s climate... 

Bruce Springsteen's ongoing Springsteen & E Street Band Tour kicked off in February 2023 and is set to wrap up later this year. By that time, he'll have performed 118 shows across North America and Europe.

However, seeing 'The Boss' live in action doesn't come cheap, and ticket prices have sparked outrage among fans. In the US, the average ticket price is $262 (£200), with only 18% of tickets priced under $99 (£76).

Similar to the upcoming Oasis gigs, tickets have also been subject to dynamic pricing at the hands of Ticketmaster, with the most sought-after seats rising to an astonishing $5,000 (£3.8k).

Now discover the 20 highest-grossing concert tours of all time