When Tanaka Paschal secured two floor seats for Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour at $900, she thought she’d scored. The 43-year-old was excited to treat her son to the pop icon’s final Southern California show after missing out on the Renaissance World Tour. “I thought I was not going to be able to see her, so I jumped on it,” she said.
But within weeks, her joy turned to regret. Similar seats dropped by hundreds of dollars. Then they rose again. And dropped again. “It’s frustrating,” Paschal admitted. “The next time, I’m going to wait until the day of.”
She’s not alone.
Big prices, bigger questions
Ticket pricing for Beyoncé’s 2025 Cowboy Carter Tour has left fans confused and, in many cases, furious. Some, like Rosalyn Davis from Los Angeles, are calling out the fan club presale system. “Beehive presale was a scam,” said Davis, 31, who spent $541 on a ticket only to see the same seat listed weeks later for $330.
Others, like Annie Rodriguez, are rethinking the value of buying early. “I’ve gotten to a point that I’m no longer going to compete in a presale,” she said. Rodriguez paid around $860 for her ticket. Seats in her section eventually dipped to $500. “As a fan who is signing up for the presale so that you can guarantee a seat, you’re hoping that the artist will be kind to their true fans.”
A tour like no other—But at what cost?
Despite the controversy, the Cowboy Carter Tour is on track to gross over $325 million from just 31 dates, according to Live Nation and Billboard. That puts it in contention for the highest-grossing tour of 2025.
The nearly three-hour show spans eight elaborate acts, over 35 songs, and spectacle that includes robot dancers, flying Cadillacs and even a horseshoe-shaped swing. Designer outfits by McQueen, Oscar de la Renta, and Dsquared2 fill the stage, while daughters Blue Ivy and Rumi occasionally appear alongside Beyoncé.
Yet for all the extravagance, it’s the price tags that continue to grab headlines. According to StubHub, average ticket prices are lower than her last tour—about $295 compared to $320 for Renaissance—but that hasn't stopped fans from feeling stung.
Dynamic pricing and market confusion
Ticketmaster’s use of dynamic pricing—where prices shift based on demand—has led to huge discrepancies. Floor seats were priced at $1,200 and up during presales, while similar seats could be found days before shows for as low as $380. In Los Angeles, StubHub reported average prices of $195, with entry-level seats dropping to $50.
Chris Leyden, director of category marketing at SeatGeek, explained: “Broadly speaking, pricing concert tickets is extremely difficult, much more so I would say than sports, and especially before the on-sale.”
Veteran music writer Dan Runcie of Trapital added that promoters often try to price tickets close to market value to cut out resellers. But even that strategy isn’t foolproof. Ticketing, said Stephen Parker from the National Independent Venue Association, has become “a war between multibillion-dollar platforms” who “point fingers at each other about what’s going wrong while fans lose.”
Merch, drinks and the true cost of a night out
Beyond ticket prices, fans fork out extra at every corner. Official Cowboy Carter merchandise starts at $55 for a T-shirt, £150 for hoodies and up to $300 for jackets. At SoFi Stadium, where Beyoncé launched her tour, a “Sweet Honey Bey” cocktail goes for $20, while food options include a Beyoncé cheeseburger for $16 and “Texas Twinkies” at similar prices.
And the looks? Glittery cowboy hats, rhinestone boots and fringe jackets have become part of the Beyoncé concert uniform. The merch truck opens from 2 p.m., even for those without tickets.
Despite growing discontent, most fans stop short of blaming Beyoncé herself. “I don’t speak ill of the queen,” said Rodriguez. The real ire is aimed at Ticketmaster and Live Nation, especially after the Department of Justice sued the merged company last year for allegedly maintaining a monopoly in live entertainment.
Still, the fandom endures. Lisa Williams, 45, from Monterey County, waited until two days before the show to grab her floor seat for $380. “I do wish that they were cheaper,” she said. “Gone are the days where we’re spending $200 for floor seats. But there’s not much we can do about it. I am grateful that I got in at the end and could reap the benefits of them going down.”
(With inputs from NYT)
But within weeks, her joy turned to regret. Similar seats dropped by hundreds of dollars. Then they rose again. And dropped again. “It’s frustrating,” Paschal admitted. “The next time, I’m going to wait until the day of.”
She’s not alone.
Big prices, bigger questions
Ticket pricing for Beyoncé’s 2025 Cowboy Carter Tour has left fans confused and, in many cases, furious. Some, like Rosalyn Davis from Los Angeles, are calling out the fan club presale system. “Beehive presale was a scam,” said Davis, 31, who spent $541 on a ticket only to see the same seat listed weeks later for $330.
Others, like Annie Rodriguez, are rethinking the value of buying early. “I’ve gotten to a point that I’m no longer going to compete in a presale,” she said. Rodriguez paid around $860 for her ticket. Seats in her section eventually dipped to $500. “As a fan who is signing up for the presale so that you can guarantee a seat, you’re hoping that the artist will be kind to their true fans.”
A tour like no other—But at what cost?
Despite the controversy, the Cowboy Carter Tour is on track to gross over $325 million from just 31 dates, according to Live Nation and Billboard. That puts it in contention for the highest-grossing tour of 2025.
The nearly three-hour show spans eight elaborate acts, over 35 songs, and spectacle that includes robot dancers, flying Cadillacs and even a horseshoe-shaped swing. Designer outfits by McQueen, Oscar de la Renta, and Dsquared2 fill the stage, while daughters Blue Ivy and Rumi occasionally appear alongside Beyoncé.
Yet for all the extravagance, it’s the price tags that continue to grab headlines. According to StubHub, average ticket prices are lower than her last tour—about $295 compared to $320 for Renaissance—but that hasn't stopped fans from feeling stung.
Dynamic pricing and market confusion
Ticketmaster’s use of dynamic pricing—where prices shift based on demand—has led to huge discrepancies. Floor seats were priced at $1,200 and up during presales, while similar seats could be found days before shows for as low as $380. In Los Angeles, StubHub reported average prices of $195, with entry-level seats dropping to $50.
Chris Leyden, director of category marketing at SeatGeek, explained: “Broadly speaking, pricing concert tickets is extremely difficult, much more so I would say than sports, and especially before the on-sale.”
Veteran music writer Dan Runcie of Trapital added that promoters often try to price tickets close to market value to cut out resellers. But even that strategy isn’t foolproof. Ticketing, said Stephen Parker from the National Independent Venue Association, has become “a war between multibillion-dollar platforms” who “point fingers at each other about what’s going wrong while fans lose.”
Merch, drinks and the true cost of a night out
Beyond ticket prices, fans fork out extra at every corner. Official Cowboy Carter merchandise starts at $55 for a T-shirt, £150 for hoodies and up to $300 for jackets. At SoFi Stadium, where Beyoncé launched her tour, a “Sweet Honey Bey” cocktail goes for $20, while food options include a Beyoncé cheeseburger for $16 and “Texas Twinkies” at similar prices.
And the looks? Glittery cowboy hats, rhinestone boots and fringe jackets have become part of the Beyoncé concert uniform. The merch truck opens from 2 p.m., even for those without tickets.
Despite growing discontent, most fans stop short of blaming Beyoncé herself. “I don’t speak ill of the queen,” said Rodriguez. The real ire is aimed at Ticketmaster and Live Nation, especially after the Department of Justice sued the merged company last year for allegedly maintaining a monopoly in live entertainment.
Still, the fandom endures. Lisa Williams, 45, from Monterey County, waited until two days before the show to grab her floor seat for $380. “I do wish that they were cheaper,” she said. “Gone are the days where we’re spending $200 for floor seats. But there’s not much we can do about it. I am grateful that I got in at the end and could reap the benefits of them going down.”
(With inputs from NYT)
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