Coping with rising concert ticket prices

By Jess Santacroce
Music Writer: 95.5 The Heat: Phoenix Radio 

Summer always means live music for most who love music. Sadly, summer 2025 is a time of skyrocketing prices for everything, including concert tickets. Once you add in the price of traveling tot he venue, getting meals or snacks, and souvenirs, many households could not afford for a single person to go alone, never mind making the concert a date night, friends trip, or family trip. In an article written for the music website “Simple Been,” writer Eram Shaikh reports that a single ticket alone ranges from $75-$250 for standard tickets, with premium options starting at $300 and soaring above $1,600. 

Many of these prices are for big name acts, particularly in pop music, and these tickets are likely to never be truly affordable for people on a budget. As disappointing as it may be, waiting until the tour is over and watching it on a streaming service may be the only way to see a specific show and still pay for your rent and utilities that month for many. But there are some ways to cut costs, and to make live music a part of your summer plans. 

Use YouTube codes

One way to save a small amount on the price of a major stadium tour ticket is to take advantage of sponsor codes on YouTube videos. The website “Seat Geek” is a common sponsor for many content creators on YouTube. As you watch your favorite YouTube video, sit through the channel host’s ad for “Seat Geek,” and take down the code they present at the end. Most of these codes are only good for about 10% off, but depending on the size of your group and the price of your tickets, that amount may be enough to pay for your snacks or meals that evening. 

Adjust your reasonable travel distance limit to decrease travel expenses 

No matter how much we love music, most of us have a distance limit we feel is reasonable to travel to see a favorite artist. If the cost of gas or bus tickets or Amtrak tickets seems to be pricing the concert out of your budget, it may be time to wait for your favorite artist to play someplace a bit closer. This is not an ideal solution, as this often means waiting until they’re on the bill with one or more other artists, or even waiting for the next tour, but it can mean the difference between not seeing them this year and not seeing them at all. 

Pause before you head for the merchandise table

The excitement surrounding a favorite band’s merchandise area almost always leads to overspending that would never happen in any other situation. Band and artist tee shirts often go on sale for around $25.00. but can cost $40.00 or more full price, depending on the artist. Sweatshirts sell for $65.00 or even $75.00. 

One way to stop yourself from running up to the merch area and handing over your credit card for a charge you may not be able to pay off later is to shop online on the artist’s official website before or after the show. Shopping online forces you to pause. It gives you that moment to ask yourself if you truly want that item purely as a souvenir, or if you would wear or use the item enough to justify the cost. 

Purchase gift cards ahead of time to pay for meals and snacks 

Too many “do this on a budget” guides devolve into depressing when it comes to saving money on going out. It doesn’t matter how many chirpy-toned articles sprinkled with self-help book platitudes like “keeping a positive attitude will make all the difference,” if you’ve gone out to dinner with your family before going to every other concert, or it’s always been a tradition for you and your friends to eat at Chili’s or Red Lobster after seeing your favorite band, eating bologna sandwiches you had to make yourself on the side of the road is going to put a damper on the trip. 

Instead, in the months and weeks leading up to the concert trip, purchase gift cards as finances allow. This eliminates the possibility of charging more on a credit card than you can pay off right away, costing you interest. It also prevents you from overspending because you’re not paying attention to the amount of cash you have left or balancing the account connected to your debit card between each transaction. You may also be able to save a little money using sites like “Card Cash” to purchase your gift cards at a discount. 

Make new traditions if the old ones are simply not working out due to cost

While eating food you made yourself in your car might kill the mood of the trip, there are ways to make new traditions that cut costs a bit, and this method can be combined with any of the others to increase savings. 

Churn  credit cards or checking accounts to pay for next year’s concert 

Credit card or checking account churning is one method for getting things free to you, but it doesn’t work for everyone, and it does not produce fast results. The practice of “credit card churning” or “checking account churning” refers to signing up for a credit card or checking account that has no annual or monthly fees, but does offer a cash back reward after certain criteria are met. 

Before you apply for anything, make sure that you can meet those criteria without any hardship. If the credit card offers a $400 cash bonus for spending $5,000 over the next six months, make sure you can put your household bills totaling that much on the card and pay them off right away for that time period. If the checking account is offering a $200 bonus for making a $500 direct deposit for three consecutive months, have the checks from your second job or side hustle or one household member’s paycheck deposited there while the remaining money from the household goes where you normally keep it. It defeats the purpose of churning if you’re getting late fees on bills because of insufficient funds in your old account or paying interest on things you charged on a credit card. 

If you find an account you can successfully churn, put the money you earn aside for next year’s concert tickets. 



Consider local events if you just want a music-filled summer 

We all have favorite artists who record on major labels, but our local favorites are even more important to support, and it is always fun to discover a new artist or band. Consider making summer 2025 stand out as the one you skipped big ticket stadium tour concerts and instead filled your evenings with the best local acts and events. 

This summer is the last one for Levitt Amp Utica, but there are still a few free concerts in the park left to enjoy. The Heat Beat particularly recommends the Friday, August 15 concert, as the opening act is 95.5 The Heat: Phoenix Radio’s own J Easy.