The top 15 artists Brits have spent the most to see live – how to get tickets without blowing your budget

Here at thinkmoney, we polled 2,000 concert goers in the UK, to work out the most they’d ever spent on a ticket. And the results are in... *drumroll*... Lady Gaga officially takes the crown for the costliest artist Brits have paid to see perform live. Fans of the “Bad Romance” singer dropped a staggering £589 on average to see her shows.  

Harry Styles was a close second, with people spending around £424 per ticket for his gigs, while fans of Beyonce dropped around £391.  

Here’s the full list.  

• Lady Gaga -  £589 

• Harry Styles - £424 

• Beyonce - £391 

• Dua Lipa - £355 

• Bruno Mars - £349 

• Oasis - £332 

• Taylor Swift - £324 

• Blur - £322 

• Adele - £316 

• Mariah Carey - £302 

• Drake - £284 

• Rolling Stones - £246 

• Ed Sheeran - £232 

• Coldplay - £206 

• Pink Floyd  - £203  

It’s the people of Manchester who are willing to dish the most on a gig, with the average spend on a single gig being £274. Music-loving Sheffield is joint second with Cardiff at £248. London was next, with an average spend of £223, and concert goers in Norwich followed with an average spend of £201.  

People don’t regret dropping serious cash to see their favourite artists 

The vast majority of those polled loved their experience and 92% said they had no regrets. However, of those that did regret it, around a third said the concert wasn’t very good, while nearly a quarter said their financial situation changed and they wished they hadn’t spent the money in the first place.  

Another fifth said the costs around the show (such as hotels, drinks and travel) escalated, while 17% said the concert ticket put them into debt. Money was among the most commonly cited reasons for those who had regrets.

Vix Leyton, our consumer expert here at thinkmoney, said: “The danger with gig tickets is that panic-buy moment when they first go on sale. You’re refreshing the page, your group chat is exploding, and suddenly you’re making a £200 decision in about 30 seconds. That’s usually when budgets fly out of the window. 

“If a tour really matters to you, treat it like you would a holiday. Decide your total spend before tickets go on sale and stick to it. And if you miss out the first time round, try not to lose your head.  

“Additional dates are often added once demand becomes clear, and tickets frequently reappear closer to the show when people’s plans change. A bit of patience can save you from paying well over the odds in the heat of the moment.” 

Surge pricing and ticket prices are growing issues  

Money is becoming an issue with concert goers looking to stretch their budgets further. Dynamic, or surge pricing, for concerts has been a growing issue with demand dictating the price of tickets in real time.  

Artists like Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, and Coldplay have outright refused to implement the controversial pricing structure for their most recent tours. But, fans criticised Harry Styles’ upcoming gigs and the Oasis summer season last year for being too expensive.  

Despite money concerns, fans are willing to go to great lengths to see their favourite artists. While 83% said they nabbed tickets from the original sales process, around 1 in 10 said they bought from a reseller (these tickets often work out more expensive). Worryingly, about 5% said they bought a ticket online from an untrustworthy source. 

Vix’s top tips for getting gig tickets without blowing your budget  

Vix has lots of tips to help you grab tickets for your favourite show without blowing your budget or falling for a scam in the process. Here are a few.  

Get organised in advance  

Log in to your ticketing account the night before and check everything works – from your password, to your payment card, to address and email verification. You don’t want to miss out because you’re too busy typing in card details under pressure during a short checkout window.  

On the day, check your WiFi connection is decent and line up a hotspot just in case. It’s also a good idea to join the queue early. Most ticketing platforms have waiting rooms and logging in 15 to 30 minutes before the sale starts means you’ll be in good stead when the queue opens.  

Avoid multiple tabs or risk getting kicked out  

You can use different devices to book tickets, but you shouldn’t use multiple tabs on the same device as that can get you kicked out. Equally, if friends and family are trying to get tickets, treat it like a team effort but stay in touch so you don’t accidentally buy too many.  

Have a plan before you go in  

This is especially important if you’re booking as a group; know in advance how much you’re willing to spend, what dates you’re all available on, and what ticket types you’re aiming for. Tickets can go in minutes, so hesitating often means missing out.  

Stay scam-aware  

Only ever buy through official sellers or trusted reseller platforms. Be very wary of social media sellers, particularly those reaching out through direct messages. If someone’s offering you a great deal and pressuring you to act now, it’s usually a red flag and you should walk away.  

Don’t panic if you miss out initially  

If there’s enough demand, artists might add extra shows. Also, people’s plans change and legitimate resale platforms resell tickets right up to the event, so patience can sometimes pay off.