Why are tickets getting so expensive — Page 4

My husband and I had a NY trip planned for this past June and ended up having to cancel the entire thing due to COVID. We are now attempting to rebook it in mid-November, including all the same shows (among those that are still open). The prices of the airfare, hotel, and all of the shows - many of which do not appear to be selling very well - have all gone up substantially in just six months, and only one of them (A Strange Loop) is offering discounted tickets. Has anyone else noticed that the Telecharge Offers site, which normally features several discounted shows, is now essentially a blank page?

Updated On: 9/13/22 at 08:46 AM

My issue overall with pricing is like someone else had said - peoples salaries aren’t getting higher but ticket prices are.

if you look at rush and lottery alone, from 2006-2013, lottery tickets ranged from $25, to $27, then got an increase to $30-$32. In 2015, most were $35-$37, then they increased to $40 in 2019. All pretty gradual increases.

Cut to today. Some shows, like Into The Woods, Dear Evan Hansen, and The Music Man are up to $50 for the same crappy partial view seats. If I were a student today, no way would I be able to afford $50 rush seats.


i think an issue lies with the seats, too. Shows no longer put aside certain seats for lottery or rush. Some give away what is left which is how people are justifying these $50 prices which I think is absurd.

hearthemsing22 said: "Hairspray0901 said: "My issue overall with pricing is like someone else had said - peoples salaries aren’t getting higher but ticket prices are.

if you look at rush and lottery alone, from 2006-2013, lottery tickets ranged from $25, to $27, then got an increase to $30-$32. In 2015, most were $35-$37, then they increased to $40 in 2019. All pretty gradual increases.

Cut to today. Some shows, like Into The Woods, Dear Evan Hansen, and The Music Man are up to $50 for the same crappy partial view seats. If I were a student today, no way would I be able to afford $50 rush seats.


i think an issue lies with the seats, too. Shows no longer put aside certain seats for lottery or rush. Some give away what is left which is how people are justifying these $50 prices which I think is absurd."

I'm confused. Shows have rush and lottery so how can you say they don't set aside seats....Hamilton literally reserves some of their front row for specifically for the lottery....Phantom lottery seats are usually in the orchestra very good seats...I'm confused."

Into The Woods and Moulin Rouge, amongst others, do not seem to set aside certain seats for lottery any more. Some people get put in balcony, some full view orchestra. It seems to be whatever seats they have left that are unsold they give to luckyseat. I have friends who have been given house seats, and friends who have been given the last row in the balcony on the side.

Hairspray0901 said: "My issue overall with pricing is like someone else had said - peoples salaries aren’t getting higher but ticket prices are."

The standard analysis for this phenomenon, as I was taught in an economics class in college, is the issue of fixed productivity. In most industries, worker productivity has increased dramatically with advances in technology, and this has enabled employers to pay ever higher salaries. However, certain fields - such as performing arts and higher education - aren't nearly as able to benefit from technological improvements in efficiency; yet, if they want to attract talented people, they also have to increase salaries to keep up with other industries. As a result, they also have to increase prices at a rate that is faster than overall inflation.

I obviously don't claim that this is a comprehensive explanation for the problem of high ticket prices - it's surely an idealized model of the business - but, over the long term, it probably contributes to the problem.