Harry Styles is the Latest Singer Being Dragged for Overpriced Concert Tickets

Going to concerts these days is a horrendously expensive hobby. The times where you could see a headliner for under $50 are long gone, and the Live Nation monopoly and “dynamic pricing” changes have created an obscene stranglehold on the industry that is hurting everyone except for shareholders and billionaire musicians. The latest singer hoping to cash in big with inflated prices? Harry Styles.

Presales for Styles’ Together, Together tour began this week for American Express holders, with general sales kicking off today. As reported by ABC, one person showed that two tickets totalled $1,532.80. In the UK, you can get the cheapest tickets for £44.10, which is a bargain for those able to nab them, but the prices go all the way up to £725.45 for the VIP package. According to The Independent, Wembley tickets to concerts for his last tour ranged between £50.65 to £326.20 before fees, meaning the top-tier tickets for his new shows now cost around £140 more.

To make matters worse, Styles’ tour dates are limited in locations because of his decision to go more for a residency-style model, so even more costs are forced onto the fans in terms of hotels and travel. According to one site, hotel prices for Wembley Stadium-adjacent locations have jumped to over £1100 a night during Styles’ residency there.

This is obviously embarrassing and unfair and something the industry should be ashamed of. The economy is in shambles, people are struggling to pay for basic amenities, but Harry Styles wants you to pay potentially thousands to see him for one night? And let’s not pretend that he’s an ickle smol bean who has no idea what’s going on with his own name and business. He’s not being held at gunpoint to charge these prices. Neither was Beyonce or Taylor or Springsteen. And every concert is like this. Even if the face price of a ticket seems cheap, it becomes expensive through all the add-ons you need, from dodgy fees to your hotel and transport costs to the merch to food and drink. Who can afford to do this regularly?

The detail in this particular case that depressed me the most was seeing so many Styles fans act as though it’s a triumph that their idol can get away with charging this much. Some were mocking critics for being poor and jealous because they think you shouldn’t have to pay hundreds to attend a gig. I remember seeing some Swift fans bragging about how much they spent on her Eras Tour, as though it was a sign of their loyalty to the Taylor cause. It’s all so insidious: This desire to back the winning team and gamify everything, so stan culture turns exploitation into a sign of success. See, my fave can charge a grand for concert tickets and sell out his tour. Where’s my cookie?

Sadly, nothing is going to change until Live Nation is forcibly broken up by legal demand, and I don’t see that happening any time soon. Harry Styles is also going to be fine. This tour has broken records in England for the most consecutive performances at Wembley. Maybe we should take bets on how much the merch is going to be. £60 for a t-shirt, anyone?