Concerts are costly these days. Purchasing fees and price gouging have made headlines and caused fans to fork over more money to see their favorite musical acts.
But which concerts are costing us more per minute? A new analysis delved into the last four years of Pollstar and Setlist. fm data to uncover the most expensive musical acts of this decade thus far.
The Most Expensive Concerts Per Minute
The narrative currently being pushed in popular media makes it seem like Taylor Swift has some of the most expensive tickets. TikToks and other social media posts detail how people are spending thousands of dollars for one of her shows. However, the study conducted shows that Taylor Swift didn’t even make it into the top three of the most expensive concerts per minute. The results might very well surprise you.
At the very top of this list is Bruno Mars. He has the most expensive show per minute, averaging $2.19 for every 60 seconds. He also ranks fifth among the list of artists with the most expensive ticket prices, as his shows have an average cost of $218 per show. It may come as no surprise once you consider how Bruno Mars has impacted several generations with his music. That might be why he’s able to afford to charge his fans so much money. Bruno also profits an average of $902,445 per show, which makes him one of the least hard-working artists since he can make a lot of money on a few shows.
U2 ranks as the second most expensive concert per minute, as the band averages $2.12 per minute. They also have the highest ticket prices, coming in at an average of $272 per ticket. Most concert tickets cost an average of $172. This means that when you attend a U2 concert, you pay nearly $100 above average. You could see Justin Bieber for $50 less!
Drake is ranked the third most expensive concert per minute, averaging $1.81 per minute. That’s almost a dollar less than the top two artists! He also has the second most expensive tickets overall, with an average price of $239, which makes him tied with Taylor Swift in terms of overall ticket price.
Musicians with the Longest Shows
Taylor Swift may be tied for second in terms of most expensive ticket prices, but she makes her shows more than worthwhile. She puts on the longest concerts out of any artist, averaging 3 hours and 21 minutes per show.
Dead & Company comes in a close second, as they average 3 hours and 14 minutes per show. They also make their shows relatively inexpensive for their fans, charging about $0.59 per minute.
Guns N’ Roses comes in third place, with an average of 3 hours and 2 minutes per show. However, they rank near the bottom of the “hardest working” category, taking the #100 spot. This is due to their paycheck, which runs nearly 2 million dollars per show, but this may be explained by the fact that this band has been popular since 1987 and still has a large fan base.
Hardest Working Musicians
To measure how hard artists worked, the study analyzed the artists who played a high number of shows with relatively small earnings per show. By playing shows that yield a lower revenue, these artists show that they make music they love, and they work hard to perform for their fans.
Lauren Daigle is the hardest-working musician, coming into the top spot of this analysis. She has performed 238 shows over the last four years but only earns an average of $47,899 per show. Compare this to the world’s most popular musicians, who play around 42 concerts per year and earn over $1 million per show. Lauren Daigle only makes about 5% of the average earnings for her shows.
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The Avett Brothers come in second, earning about $68,302 per show. They’ve played 265 shows over the last four years. Meanwhile, Old Dominion played 288 shows over the last four years and earned $102,120 per show, ranking them third on this list. By comparing their earnings per show to the average earnings per show that the top musicians make, you can see how hard these three artists have to work to share their creations with the world.
As you plan your next concert experience, it might be worth considering these findings so you can make your dollar go further. Overall, it will depend on the type of music you’re looking for but clearly, some artists play longer, take home less, and provide a more valuable show.
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