Sticker shock.
That’s what some fans experienced when they purchased, or tried to purchase, tickets for the six Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 2023 U.S. arena tour concerts that went on sale last week.
The price of some floor seats rose to more than $4,000 because of Ticketmaster’s “dynamic pricing” system, which adjusts the price in real time based on demand.
“I assume when Bruce shouts ‘Is anybody alive out there?’ on the next tour, it will be more of a medical check-in on those who had to sell a kidney to be able to afford tickets,” one fan quipped on Twitter.
“(Springsteen) we love you, but Ticketmaster is just scalping true fans!” another tweeted.
But statistics released Sunday by Ticketmaster show 88% of Springsteen fans were able to buy the tickets at face value. Prices for arena shows ranged from $40 to $399 before service fees, and the average ticket price was $202.
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Dynamic pricing, also called “platinum seats,” “enables supply-and-demand pricing (adjusting prices according to supply and demand) for live event tickets, similar to how airline tickets and hotel rooms are sold,” Ticketmaster’s website says.
Ticketmaster said 11.8% of Springsteen tickets were designated platinum, and just 1.3% of tickets across all shows sold for more than $1,000. More than half (56%) of tickets sold for less than $200: 18% were less than $99, 27% between $100 and $150, and 11% between $150 and $200.
The Springsteen ticket prices are in accordance with industry norms for similar acts. Paul McCartney’s recent Got Back and Harry Styles tours used dynamic pricing, and