Thousands of low-priced tickets remain available for Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour, coinciding with its commencement.
APALOOSA NATION - Just months ago, a die-hard fan would've spent upwards of $800 for a presale ticket to kick off Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour at the iconic SoFi Stadium in L.A.
But mere hours before the extravaganza was set to roll, tickets for night one were listing as low as $57.50, and it seemed like thousands of seats were still up for grabs on the secondary market (looking at you, Ticketmaster).
While some shows on her tour haven't seen such drastic price drops, tickets across all dates have seen a fall, with several stadiums still offering chunks of seats for her marquee performances.
The price plunge has stirred a mix of shock and ire amongst some fans, who've waxed lyrical about their frustration with the ticket-buying process. As concert ticket costs have skyrocketed in recent years, so too has public ire towards ticketing companies, which critics have accused of charging excessive fees and fueling the resale market.
Folks hoping to take advantage of the reduced prices found themselves foiled in their attempts to upgrade their tickets. Several members of the Beyhive – Queen Bey's dedicated fanbase – took to TikTok to share tips with fellow enthusiasts about navigating the upgrade process, but many others claimed they hit a brick wall.
Ticketmaster remains mum on the matter, failing to respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Jada Rivera and Kira Chase, fans who drove all the way from Arizona, were put out about coughing up over $1,200 for their presale tickets, only to later have to fork out an additional $300 to upgrade their seats, despite cheaper options popping up in the same section for half the price.
"We kind of jumped on it, thinking it was only going to get more expensive from there," Chase explained. "And then we just watched those tickets drop. We tried to talk to Ticketmaster about it – they weren't much help."
It's not just L.A. concertgoers who are feeling the burn. Fans from across the nation have shared similar tales of regret over having opted to buy tickets earlier on.
"It's extremely frustrating, because Ticketmaster gave the illusion that the concert was selling out or sold out when I was in the presale," said Paul Poulos Jr., who committed to his original $281 nosebleed seat for Beyoncé's May 28 show at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. "They had little to no tickets available, so it made it seem like it was this seat or not be in attendance at all."
When the embattled ticketing giant did respond, they refused to let him upgrade to a better section because the tickets he wanted were $20 cheaper than what he had already paid.
analysts from TicketNews.com attribute the backlash to "aggressive pricing" and a "expensive, unpredictable process" that left buyers seething. Some fans, however, remain more than willing to pay up to catch Queen Bey live, even if it means forking out more than they have to.
"If you want to make sure you have a row for you and your friends and you have the experience you want, then I think you have to throw down some money, make some choices," says Kristy Larson, who was in the house at SoFi Stadium on Monday.
And we're all simply here for the ride, no matter the cost.
- The ticket price drops for Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour have stirred resentment among some fans, with many feeling deceived by the ticket-buying process and Ticketmaster's fees.
- Despite the price plunge, some fans are still willing to pay more to ensure they get the entertainment experience they want, such as Kristy Larson, who attended the concert at SoFi Stadium.
- In 2025, revenue from concert tickets may face pushback due to the current expensive, unpredictable process and aggressive pricing, according to TicketNews.com analysts.
- Jada Rivera and Kira Chase from Arizona found themselves paying over $1,200 for their presale tickets to Beyoncé's concert, only to discover cheaper options popping up later in the same section.
- The resale market has become a topic of debate in pop-culture discussions, with critics accusing ticketing companies like Ticketmaster of fueling the market by charging excessive fees and driving up initial ticket prices.
