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“I Was In The Furthest Seat Possible But It Was Worth Every Penny”: 22 People Shared The Most Money They’ve Spent On A Concert Ticket, And Some Of Them Really Splurged

There is nothing more exhilarating than concert hype. I’m talking about the thrill of listening to an album in the weeks leading up, followed by the adrenaline rush of screaming every single lyric at the top of your lungs when concert day finally rolls around. Seeing a favorite band or artist perform live can be an amazing experience, but it rarely comes cheap.

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A LendingTree survey conducted in 2022 found that 47% of concertgoers plan to spend between $100 and $499 on a concert experience, while 32% plan to spend more than $500 to snag a ticket. Findings also showed that Gen Z and millennial participants were the most likely to take on debt to pay for a live music experience.

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Debt is a nasty business and can quickly become overwhelming. The best way to avoid falling into the slippery slope of credit card debt is to pay off your balance in full as soon as possible. If that’s not feasible, aim to pay higher than the minimum payment and consider finding the debt payoff method that works best for you.

These days, seeing live music can be expensive. After splurging on nosebleeds seats to The Eras Tour this summer, I decided to ask the BuzzFeed community how much they’ve been willing to spend on a concert experience and if it was worth the money. Here are 22 stories:

1. “I spent $400 to see Paul McCartney last year, mostly because I thought it might be my last chance (he’s 80). Totally worth it to see a Beatle IRL!”

2. “I spent $2,000 for two floor seats to the Rock and Roll Induction Ceremony in 2022. After seeing that Stevie Nicks, The Cure and Janet Jackson were inducted in 2019, I told myself I was going to go, not knowing that those artists would be inducted back-to-back. It was worth it in the sense that I also got to see the Eurythmics (which I never thought I would see), Dolly Parton, Judas Priest, Eminem, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar and other artists perform.”

—csmith526

3. “Spent about $300 to see Michael Jackson on the last night of his This Is It tour. The money was refunded. During my overwhelming sadness when he passed, I spent $3,700 on a pair of Louboutins, which I deeply regret.”

—alltherain

4. “Tickets to see Taylor Swift’s The Era’s Tour were about $800 (including fees) per ticket. I’ve been a fan since day one and Taylor is the only person I’d spend that kind of money to see. She always puts on the most incredible show and with this one being three hours, I already know it’s worth it! Fortunately, this was gifted as a college grad gift from my parents, as I am a major concertgoer in general, but usually spend between $25 and $350 depending on who I’m seeing and where.”

5. “I spent $400 to see Elton John. It was a resale ticket I bought two weeks before the concert but the view was great. Wasn’t worth it for me, but I liked the idea of him more than actually seeing him.”

—justchillman

6. “I spent $380 per ticket for front-row gold package seats to see Hans Zimmer. Last time I saw him, I was way up at the back of the arena with the cheapest tickets and that was amazing, so I reckon this time will be amazing, too.”

—r4c9c30079

7. “I spent $600 per ticket on floor seats to The Weeknd’s show last summer. 10,000% worth it. I’d do it all again and spend even more. The visuals were incredible and his vocals were phenomenal.”

8. “The most I ever spent on a concert ticket was $130-ish, and I thought that was crazy, but people are out here spending thousands! That’s insane to me. The ticket I bought was a floor seat at Madison Square Garden for Billy Joel. Totally worth it. I went with my mom, and she’s gone now, so it’s a very special memory.”

—destructogirl

9. “$550 each for VIP pit tickets to see Metallica in 2017. What made it ‘VIP’ was a skip-the-line entrance and a little swag bag. Honestly, the swag bag was kinda lame but the skip-the-line part was totally worth it and being on the floor right next to the stage was awesome.”

—cath77

10. “I spent $800 for a nosebleed ticket to see One Direction. It absolutely wasn’t worth it in any way. I actually apologized to my family for making them take me, and stopped listening to that kind of music entirely.”

—Sierra Padlina

11. “Just shelled out $500 on one seat for the Jonas Brothers’ tour when they come to Detroit in August. I’ve seen them every time they’re in this area, so I couldn’t miss it, but this is by far the most I’ve spent on concert tickets, easily. They usually put on a good show, so I’m hoping this one is no different!”

12. “Flew from Alberta to England to see Electric Light Orchestra for close to $900 per ticket. Absolutely incredible experience and worth every penny.”

—cooolkratz

13. “I saw Muse in San Diego in 2019. It was about $350 for two general admission tickets. I had a small savings that I used to buy them. I figured this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and if I didn’t go, I wouldn’t have a chance to see them again. It was definitely worth it. I was able to get pretty close to the stage, and Muse always puts on visually stunning shows.”

—donttakethehighroadsummer

14. “I bought tickets for Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks for this summer. The tickets were $120 each and I bought four. The service fees were another ticket’s worth of money, but the real kicker is that these are literally nosebleeds. They are in the second to last row at the stadium. I’m not sure we’re even going to get to see them from that high up. I’ve been saving up for the parking, drinks, food, and merch which will easily be another few hundred bucks.”

—SammyJo

15. “I spent almost $2,000 for two tickets to see Celine Dion perform live. I have a good career so it just worked out. Was it worth it? Hell yeah.”

16. “I go see live music whenever I can, so shelling out a lot of money for a ticket is worth it if it’s someone I am super into. However, I am not here for Ticketmaster’s new pricing system gouging us for tickets that are in ‘high demand’. My tickets to Agust D/SUGA were $650 each because of this, but really should’ve been around $200 for the section I was in.”

—jmffs

17. “In July 2022, I spent almost $900 to take my daughter to a Tomorrow X Together concert for her 19th birthday. It was in Atlanta’s Fox Theater which was waaaaay too small of a venue for a group of their following. Tickets were almost impossible to find. We sat in the very last row and it was totally worth every penny. They were amazing. Yeonjun ran through the crowd near us so that made it extra special.”

18. “I spent $1,400 for a floor seat to see Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour. It was more than worth it and I’d do it a million times over!”

—mckinneytlc

19. “Saw New Kids On The Block for around $1,200, but this included a meet and greet, private shopping with less crowds, light snacks and drinks, and a decent seat. Would only buy for this one group and now I refuse to be nosebleed for them. Even if I have to go solo and make friends. YOLO.”

20. “Somewhere around $1,000 for tickets via Stub Hub for My Chemical Romance in New Jersey, right before they broke up. I could tell from concert videos they were nearing the end, just by their stage presence, so I was really happy to see them at a home show before they broke up, especially since I didn’t think they’d reunite. The pageantry of their older shows was missed, but I don’t regret it.”

—saraa4a00f7b8f

21. “Spent $450 to go to The Eras Tour for seats that were so high up I was almost in heaven. Taylor looked like an ant since I was so far away, but honestly it was so worth it. Probably some of the best money I’ve ever spent. She is such an amazing entertainer.”

—Maggie

22. And finally, “Spent $150 to see Beyoncé’s Mrs. Carter Tour. I was in the furthest seat possible in the nosebleed section but it was worth every penny.”

Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity. 

How much have you spent on concert tickets? Share your story in the comments!