Bruce Springsteen’s manager responds to criticism about ticket prices

Bruce Springsteen’s manager Jon Landau has released a statement following criticism about the musician’s recent ticket prices.

Last week, when tickets for Springsteen’s 2023 world tour dates went on sale, fans were asked to pay up to $5000 (£4152) for some tickets.

The site’s “dynamic pricing” model allows Ticketmaster to charge more for tickets when they first go on sale. The system responds to demand and so increases or decreases prices in line with what “scalpers” – a person who re-sells a ticket for profit – would sell them for, keeping the money in-house for the seller and artist.

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The system also sees increase with demand for certain “platinum tickets”, which are placed throughout each venue.

Now, Springsteen’s manager has responded to the backlash to the prices. In a statement to The New York Times he said: “In pricing tickets for this tour, we looked carefully at what our peers have been doing. We chose prices that are lower than some and on par with others.”

He continued: “Regardless of the commentary about a modest number of tickets costing $1,000 (£828) or more, our true average ticket price has been in the mid-$200 (£165) range. I believe that in today’s environment, that is a fair price to see someone universally regarded as among the very greatest artists of his generation.”

Bruce Springsteen performing live on stage during Paul McCartney's headline set at Glastonbury 2022
Bruce Springsteen performs live during Paul McCartney’s headline set at Glastonbury 2022. CREDIT: Getty

Ticketmaster had previously defended the model saying that only 11.2 per cent of the Springsteen tickets sold were platinum, and only 1.3 per cent were $1000 (£830) or more. They also said the average price for a Springsteen ticket was $262 (£217).

As per Variety, it was reported that “Ticketmaster says [the most expensive tickets] represent only 11 per cent of the overall tickets sold. By the ticketing service’s calculations, that left the other 88.2 per cent of tickets sold at fixed prices that ranged from from $59.50 [£49.42] to $399 [£331] before added service fees.

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Ticketmaster further said that the average price of all tickets sold so far is $262 [£217.63], with 56 per cent being sold for under $200 [£166] face value…The service further broke down the percentages on the 56 per cent of tickets it says were sold for under $200 [£166]. It said that one per cent were sold under $99 [£82.23], 27 per cent went for between $100-150 [£83-124], and one per cent sold for between $150-200 [£124-166].”

In a statement, Ticketmaster added: “Prices and formats are consistent with industry standards for top performers”.

Earlier this month (July 14), Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band announced four UK tour dates in 2023.

The dates include shows at BT Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on May 30 and Villa Park in Birmingham on June 16 along with two shows at BST Hyde Park in London on July 6 and 8.

Tickets went on sale last Thursday (July 21) and any remaining tickets can be purchased here.

The gigs, which will be The Boss’ first with the full E Street Band since 2017, are part of an extensive world tour that kicks off in the US between February 1 and April 14 before heading to Europe.

Tickets for the 2023 US arena gigs went on sale over the last two weeks and you can purchase tickets for the US dates here.