Industry in crisis

Expensive tickets: You can only get music for a lot of money

Expensive pleasure: an Andrea Berg concert.

(Bild: Semmel Concerts)

The anticipation of the concert year 2025 is dampened for many fans. Ticket prices are rising dramatically, concert visits are becoming a luxury and the bankruptcy in the event industry is destroying money. Hundreds of Styrian pop fans are being robbed of their ticket money.

Whether Adele, Taylor Swift or Roland Kaiser. If you want to see the artists live, you have to dig deep into your pockets. So deep, in fact, that it borders on usury in the case of the superstars. Concert tickets can cost 600 euros and more.

It seems to have gone too far, because concerts are increasingly becoming a luxury, if they take place at all. The bankruptcy vulture is making its rounds in the local event industry. Hundreds of Styrian Schlager fans can hang their expensively purchased tickets for the "Schlager Party of the Year" on their hats. Kerstin Ott, Semino Rossi, Die Paldauer and Nik.P were supposed to come to the Graz Stadthalle on November 17. But the concert was quietly canceled when the organizer went bankrupt.

People don't go to concerts that often anymore. Going to a concert once a month is no longer an option for many people.

„Nockis“-Manager Gustl Viertbauer

Instead of a hit party, the fans are now frustrated and have been deprived of their money, ranting on Facebook: "The biggest crooks! Even though they knew they were broke, they were still busy selling tickets. According to Ö-Ticket, we won't even get our money back. Shame on you," rumbles Gabi. Ingrid is also annoyed: "Really bad, I've thrown 360 euros to the wind". The audience pays the bill. This "one-timer" unsettles the concertgoers, who become much more reluctant to buy tickets. This is also confirmed by the organizer and "Nockis" manager Gustl Viertbauer: "People don't go to concerts as often as they used to. Going to a concert once a month is no longer an option for many people. The maximum is two to four concerts a year".

That's why ticket prices are so expensive
"This development is a catastrophe," says concert promoter Manfred Koch, assessing the current trend in the ailing industry. "There is a noticeable thinning out everywhere. Now comes the big cut. Promoters are dropping like flies. Those who still make it through have made it". The reasons for this lie on the one hand in the cost explosion of the last two years and the inflated fees.

Organizer and musician Manfred "Cook" Koch laments the development.

(Bild: z.V.g.)

Artists' fees have become the main source of income because only a few can profit from streaming. Staff costs are also driving up ticket prices. In addition, there is the huge technical effort that has changed with the demands of the audience and artists and is paid for by the end consumer. The organizer bears the commercial risk.

Manfred Koch, who now organizes concerts throughout Austria with Gregor Meyle, Silbermond, Hubert von Goisern and Josh, calculates the sums involved. "Canceling the David Hasselhoff concerts cost me 250,000 euros".

Is the Andrea Berg concert in Graz still affordable?
According to the organizer, he has not increased ticket prices since 2018, as artists are also accommodating with their fees. "For me, the pain threshold for concert tickets is 60 euros". Ticket prices for the Andrea Berg concert on February 7, 2025 in the Graz Stadthalle range between 169.90 and 49.90 euros. The once cheap standing tickets are on sale at a hefty 89.90 euros. Even more dramatic: converted into shillings, this standing room ticket would cost just under 1250. Nobody would have bought it for that money.

When asked about this, Andrea Berg justifies the organizer's pricing. "There are three seating areas at the concert this time. Anyone who has the cheap tickets in the back seats will still be able to experience me up close at this concert in Graz. It's important to me personally that everyone can afford to see Andrea Berg live," says the pop star. Will the audience see it the same way? . .