So for the return of our dormant Weekly Why column, we set out to answer the question: Why are concerts so expensive? Red Rocks ticket prices, for example, increased by more than 60% between 2018 and 2024. Average ticket price for the top 100 tours in 2024 was $127.38, an all-time high and 9.4% above 2019, according to Pollstar’s mid-year report. If you go to a Billy Strings concert, it’s going to be pretty expensive. Those tickets were going for as low as $25 for students and required ID for pickup.