Oasis Tickets Hit €480: The Bubble Beyond Inflation
Oasis concert tickets in Amsterdam cost €480, eight times the 2011 price in Barcelona. Inflation doesn't explain the surge; the business model does.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
How much does it cost to see Oasis live? In Amsterdam, the figure is around €480. Twenty years ago, a top rock band's ticket barely reached €100 for premium seats. And in 2011, the Gallagher brothers' last visit to Spain had tickets priced at €60. There's been no inflation to justify the difference between these figures. What has changed is a business model nobody signed up for.
From €50 to €480: What the CPI Doesn't Explain
The arithmetic is stubborn. If a rock concert ticket cost €50 in the late 90s and today they're asking €480, that's a multiplier of almost ten. Lidl's pork loin has kept pace: from €4 to €8 in five years, a 100% inflation, which is saying something. But neither oil, nor eggs, nor rent have multiplied by ten. Some sum it up with a wry smile: people talk about the bitcoin bubble, the stock market, housing... and nobody looks at the ticket bubble.
The Business Isn't Records Anymore, It's Tickets
Here's the key point often left out of headlines. Two decades ago, a band's business was records; the concert was a showcase for you to buy the CD. Today, music is available dirt cheap on any streaming platform, and physical records are collector's items. Income has entirely shifted to the box office. Free songs are the bait; the ticket is the product. When the only sellable item is the live performance, the price isn't set by cost: it's set by what the market will bear.
Why They Still Fill Stadiums at Premium Prices
The defense of the price is always the same: if it sells, there's more demand than supply. And there's an argument that's not insignificant: Oasis and the 90s bands are the last rock stars still active, and seeing them is becoming a race against time before they're museum exhibits. What works against it is obvious: €480 isn't affordable for an average salary, not in the Netherlands or Spain. This elite circus is now sold regionally, targeting audiences from several neighboring countries rather than just the immediate neighbor. As long as the stadium sells out, no one lowers the price.
Perhaps the price is the market price, and the market is outrageous. In that case, the problem isn't the band: it's accepting that going to a concert has become a luxury expense while salaries remain middle-class. At least Lidl's pork loin doesn't come with a numbered seat.
From €50 to €480: What the CPI Doesn't Explain
The arithmetic is stubborn. If a rock concert ticket cost €50 in the late 90s and today they're asking €480, that's a multiplier of almost ten. Lidl's pork loin has kept pace: from €4 to €8 in five years, a 100% inflation, which is saying something. But neither oil, nor eggs, nor rent have multiplied by ten. Some sum it up with a wry smile: people talk about the bitcoin bubble, the stock market, housing... and nobody looks at the ticket bubble.
The Business Isn't Records Anymore, It's Tickets
Here's the key point often left out of headlines. Two decades ago, a band's business was records; the concert was a showcase for you to buy the CD. Today, music is available dirt cheap on any streaming platform, and physical records are collector's items. Income has entirely shifted to the box office. Free songs are the bait; the ticket is the product. When the only sellable item is the live performance, the price isn't set by cost: it's set by what the market will bear.
Why They Still Fill Stadiums at Premium Prices
The defense of the price is always the same: if it sells, there's more demand than supply. And there's an argument that's not insignificant: Oasis and the 90s bands are the last rock stars still active, and seeing them is becoming a race against time before they're museum exhibits. What works against it is obvious: €480 isn't affordable for an average salary, not in the Netherlands or Spain. This elite circus is now sold regionally, targeting audiences from several neighboring countries rather than just the immediate neighbor. As long as the stadium sells out, no one lowers the price.
Perhaps the price is the market price, and the market is outrageous. In that case, the problem isn't the band: it's accepting that going to a concert has become a luxury expense while salaries remain middle-class. At least Lidl's pork loin doesn't come with a numbered seat.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (25 replies).
More summaries
-
Euthanasia in Old Age: Autonomy vs. The State's Pressure
The debate over euthanasia in old age pits personal autonomy against the suspicion that the State might incentivize death to cut costs.
-
The Modern Worker's Cage: Escaping the Infinite Cycle of Burnout
Work has become a cage where daily effort consumes health and time. Discover why we push ourselves so hard and how to break the cycle.
-
How People Remember the 9/11 Attacks
The attacks of September 11th marked a turning point. Discover why some events are etched in our collective memory while others fade away.
-
Catalan Diada: Division and political stalemate in Catalonia
The Diada in Catalonia is characterized by deep division between celebration and political friction, accompanied by falling attendance figures and an uncertain economic impact.
-
Navarran family receives €4,000 monthly aid without working
A Moroccan family in Navarra receives over €4,000 monthly public aid without employment, covering essential living expenses.
-
Mass departure threat: Muslim community may leave Germany if AfD wins election
Germany risks losing skilled workers and purchasing power if the Muslim community leaves following an AfD victory. We analyze the economic implications.