Concert Ticket Prices in 2025: What Americans Are Willing to Pay, According to ‘Funflation’ Expert

From Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” to Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter Tour,” many Americans were willing to shell out top dollar to see their favorite artists on the big stage in the last few years. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford to buy concert tickets in 2025. A study from Ticket-Compare.com notes just how much concertgoers are shelling out — and which state residents spend the most to see their favorite celebrities. Here’s what to know about “funflation,” according to a Ticket-Compare.com PR representative.

Americans are showing up to concerts in record numbers, with Gen Zs and Millennials driving demand

Live music fans are certainly feeling the weight of increased concert ticket prices. According to a study conducted by Ticket-Compare.com, the average ticket costs $128.46 in the third quarter of 2025. That’s a 34% increase in price from six years earlier. Certain artists, such as Taylor Swift during the “Eras Tour,” saw their tickets go for upwards of $1,088 on average. Despite these high prices, Americans are still showing up and paying the price.

The study notes that Gen Zs and Millennials are driving the demand. Ticket-Compare.com PR representative Rick Pendrick explained why the younger generations treat concerts as essential rather than a luxury.

“Gen Z and Millennials treat live entertainment as a core part of their identity, not a luxury,” Pendrick wrote. “After losing key years of their youth to COVID-19, that pent-up demand is resulting in big spending for live events. For younger fans, concerts are the new status symbol and the new social currency — something you post, share, and build memories around. That emotional value often outweighs the financial pain of funflation.”

Pendrick noted that pop music “dominates” funflation at the moment. “Anything tied to a global superstar — Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Bad Bunny — sees the fastest inflation because demand is limitless.”

Virginia ranks as the No. 1 state for entertainment spending, according to the study

According to the Ticket-Compare.com study, Virginia ranks as the nation’s No. 1 state for entertainment spending. The average person living in Virginia spends $446 on live entertainment.

“Virginia is the perfect storm of high incomes, strong tourism, and access to major venues without the sticker shock you see in New York or California,” PR rep Rick Pendrick wrote to Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “Residents there go to shows often and spend more per ticket. It’s a state where entertainment is deeply cultural — proximity to D.C., military families, and a strong economy all fuel a level of spending that ranks Virginia No. 1.”

Pendrick added that Midwest cities offer lower concert ticket prices.

“Cities like Milwaukee, Omaha, and St. Louis consistently offer some of the lowest average ticket prices because demand steadies out and venues work harder to fill seats,” he continued. “On the flipside, secondary markets like Austin and Nashville — cities you’d expect to be cheaper — are becoming shockingly expensive because demand is exploding faster than venues can keep up.”

Pendrick warned that we haven’t hit the ceiling of ticket prices just yet.

“Prices will keep rising for megastars because demand is infinite,” he noted. “But for mid-tier tours, we’re starting to see resistance — fans are more selective, and promoters are adjusting. If anything corrects, it will be the middle of the market, not the top.”

Which superstar will break pricing records next?

PR rep Rick Pendrick wrote to Showbiz Cheat Sheet about Taylor Swift’s “inflation-proof demand.”

“Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is the textbook definition of inflation-proof demand,” he explained. “She grossed $2 billion across 2023 and 2024, and tickets soared past $1,000 — sometimes $5,000 — yet stadiums still sold out instantly. No other tour showed such a total disconnect between rising prices and fan willingness to pay.”

So, which star will be the next to break pricing records? Pendrick gave his prediction.

“I’d put my money on Bad Bunny,” he said. “He has the youngest fanbase in global music, unmatched streaming dominance, and a track record of every tour outperforming the last. His next stadium run has the potential to set pricing records simply because his audience treats his shows as mandatory events, not optional entertainment.”