Fans across Canada are outraged after the cost of tickets for Madonna’s “Celebration Tour” shot to more than than $5,000 online.
Tickets for Madonna’s upcoming tour went on sale Friday and sold out almost immediately. Certified re-sellers listed the most desirable tickets for thousands of dollars, with prices in Toronto going as high as $7,500 (around $5,600 in U.S. dollars), according to Blog TO. Fans in Vancouver complained that even the worst seats were going for up to $400 (around $300 in U.S. dollars), according to Daily Hive.
“They never reveal anymore how much tickets are, until you’re actually in the Ticketmaster program, and depending on how popular that show is you’ll find tickets ranging from the bottom part of $150 all the way up to $7600 for one ticket,” music industry expert Eric Alper told CTV News.
Ticketmaster uses surge pricing, also known as “dynamic pricing,” to adjust ticket prices based on consumer demand, USA Today explains.
Saw the cost of tickets to see Madonna in Toronto. $400 for the seats at the very back? $3,000 for VIP? BULLSHIT!!
I would have gone being a life long fan, but those prices? She’s delusional, too out of touch with reality and the global economical and social issues we face.— Seriously??? (@__Tweet_bitch__) January 21, 2023
Alper went on to justify the exorbitant prices. “I don’t fault the artist one bit for wanting the money that people are willing to give them,” Alper said. “Streaming isn’t paying the bills; touring is how they make money,” he said.
Alper did, however, note that live concerts have become an elitist activity that is no longer within reach for the average citizen. “Not everybody deserves to have a concert ticket, not everybody deserves to have the biggest house on the street, the nicest car…” he told CTV News. (RELATED: Madonna Announces World Tour With X-Rated Game Of Truth Or Dare With Jack Black And Other Celebrity Friends)
Get a load of these Madonna ticket prices (for Chicago — local show presales start next week). pic.twitter.com/8hNnvPlhWb
— Ross Raihala (Alpha Male) 🏳️🌈 (@RossRaihala) January 18, 2023
The cheapest tickets available in Vancouver as of Monday night were listed for $244 ($182.51 in U.S. dollars). More desirable seats were going for over $5,000 (over $3,700 in U.S. dollars), according to Daily Hive.
Madonna announced an additional set of dates Jan. 19, “due to overwhelming demand,” and reports indicate at least 36 shows across the globe are already completely sold out, according to Rolling Stone.