_edited.png)
Live Nation: Concert Tix Underpriced
- Curtis Newart
- 1 day ago
- 1 min read
Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino says live entertainment tickets are “underpriced", according to Rolling Stone magazine. Rapino allegedly made the statement last week regarding concert tickets at the CNBC and Boardroom’s Game Plan conference.
“Music has been underappreciated...I joke it’s like a badge of honor to spend 70 grand for a Knicks courtside [seat]. They beat me up if we charge $800 for Beyoncé.”
"The average concert price is still $72," he continued. "The concert is underpriced and has been for a long time.”
Pollstar magazine published in its 2024 year-end report that the average cost of a ticket to a top 100 tour in North America was $136.45.
Rolling Stone said Rapino stated that concert prices are rising due to expectations of the world’s biggest artists, citing Beyoncé's “62 transport trucks” on her recent tour.
“That’s a Super Bowl she’s putting on every night,” he is quoted as saying. “Ten years ago, there might’ve been 10 trucks.”
"You hear about these $100 million grosses, that artist, depending on the show, he might only take home 30 percent of that, spending 70 on the show.”
Multiple sources report Rapino's 2022/23 compensation as CEO of Live Nation as approximately $162 million.
Live Nation posted $7 billion in revenue for the second quarter of 2025, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
