At the risk of understating the case, it is not cheap to be a music fan in 2022. While artists say they are seeing reduced revenues from their actual musical output thanks to services like Spotify, fans are still paying huge amounts of money for tickets, official merchandise, and other “music-adjacent” things that can really add up over time.
Of course, some artists are more expensive than others. As you might expect, being a fan of bands like Wet Leg or Black Country New Road doesn’t carry quite the same price tag as loving Drake, Harry Styles, or Adele. Here are some of the most expensive artists you can love in 2022.
Drake
Obviously, being a huge Drake fan carries a big price tag with it. Back in 2019, Drake was criticised for charging fans up to £175 for seated tickets, with a standing ticket costing up to £140. If you’d attended every single Drake show in the UK within the last five years, then it would have cost you “a massive £12,581.97”, according to research by Betway. Obviously, you probably aren’t going to do that; after all, that’s a level of devotion most fans won’t ever manifest. Still, it’s undeniably costly to be a Drake fan.
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran has come a very long way indeed from being a penniless busker strumming his acoustic guitar all the way through to a stadium-filling superstar. Ticket resale prices average almost £80 for Sheeran’s concerts; he puts his all into his shows, so it’s not like you’re just going to watch a guitarist busk, but that’s still a huge amount of money to pay. Still, if you’re watching him play hits like “Thinking Out Loud” or “Bad Habits” live using just a looper pedal, it can be a sight to behold, so there’s a spectacle involved as well.
BTS
Given the massive boom in K-pop recently, it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that BTS has become phenomenally popular. The band is one of the most well-known and highly-regarded K-pop bands around right now, and that’s reflected in how much it costs to be a BTS fan. On average, BTS merch will set you back around £12.94, which isn’t too bad, but you’re going to be paying around £4,795.50 across the whole time you’re a BTS fan, which is a little more. If you ask us, their music is worth it, though.
Metallica
You probably saw this one coming, right? Metallica has built up a reputation as the priciest rock band to see live, and with good reason. Resale tickets for Metallica shows often cost around £110, so you’re going to be out of pocket to watch James Hetfield and company tear it up on stage. Still, it’s hard to argue with Metallica’s stage presence; the band puts all it has into every single show, playing incredibly technical and speedy songs every single night, and for that, we salute them.
Elton John
Elton John is one of the biggest stars in the world right now. His fame hasn’t waned despite the fact that he’s been around for almost sixty years, and he’s managed to keep up that level of relevance thanks to collaborations with big stars and up-and-coming legends like Rina Sawayama and Lil Nas X. Unfortunately, if you want to go and see Elton John in concert, that level of relevance comes with a price tag, as you’ll pay around £80 for a resale ticket. “I’m Still Standing”, indeed. Seated tickets cost more, after all.
Adele
Unbelievably, according to the Betway research we cited above, Adele resale tickets can cost you almost £550, which is the same price you’ll pay for a brand new pair of AirPods Max headphones. The “Easy On Me” and “Someone Like You” singer also commands a £4,424.58 price tag if you want to invest in merchandise as well as going to see her live (again, this is across the course of your fandom as a whole), so it definitely isn’t cheap being an Adele lover.
Bruno Mars
Research suggests that it’s going to cost you around £2,500 across the course of your Bruno Mars fandom, so if you want to go and see the singer on tour and buy all of his merchandise, then you’re going to be out of pocket by a not insignificant amount of money. However, that does include both Bruno’s solo work and his time in retro R&B band Silk Sonic, so for that price, you’re also getting to see the incredible talents of Anderson .Paak, making the cost more than worth it in our opinion.
Sam Smith
Given Sam Smith’s silky-smooth voice, we shouldn’t be surprised that they’re hugely in demand among fans, and indeed, that turns out to be the case. Picking up official merchandise for the singer could cost you around £30 per item, and you’ll pay an extra £6 if you want your stuff signed by Smith themselves. Research shows that being a Smith superfan will set you back around £2,600, so you should think carefully about whether you want to follow them on tour and buy all of the merch they’re selling!
As you can see, following some of the most popular musical acts around right now definitely isn’t cheap. Of course, some of these figures are lifetime spending numbers rather than one-off purchases, so they’re arguably forgivable in that light. Still, make sure you’re thinking carefully about all of your music purchasing decisions!
