In the wake of the Taylor Swift Ticketmaster fiasco in November when ticketmaster crashed and very few fans got tickets, spending hundreds of dollars on overpriced tickets (is really starting to take the joy out of live music for concert goers). The excitement of attending a highly anticipated concert or music festival quickly turns sour upon heading to the checkout phase of the purchase process.

Over the past three decades, buying tickets has become increasingly complex and frustrating, with many significant concerts selling out seconds after the tickets go on sale. Sometimes buyers’ only recourse is to go to the secondary market, where fans must pay exponentially more than face value, due to a battery of mysterious “fees.”

With the recent release of San Francisco’s own Outside Lands Music Festival tickets on March 8th, music lovers were yet again hit with astronomically high concert prices.

This year the three-day general admissions pass sold for an astounding $449 plus shipping and fees, bringing the grand total to just over $520. This increase is, compared to last year’s $399 plus shipping and fees, a very unwelcome surprise, which seems to go without reason.

So what’s behind this music and money madness? COVID-19 can’t be to blame for the increase in prices as the festival was able to hold its first “post-pandemic” event in 2021. Furthermore, inflation, while certainly playing a part due to increased costs of goods and services, can’t be solely to blame given that the Outside Lands festival price increase of 12% is double that of the 2023 inflation rate. Something else is at play here.

It’s pretty obvious: greed.

Outside Lands is owned by Superfly Presents and Starr Hill Presents, the masterminds behind a slew of other major festivals, including Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and Wanderlust Festival. Corporations like this prey on fans’ love for particular artists and gouge the customer with absurd prices and fees. And the online technology with dynamic pricing built in supports this business practice.

Given the price hikes and with so many festivals happening throughout the year, fans are forced to be more discerning in choosing which concerts to see and which to take a pass on. Gone are the days when you could see half a dozen shows in a year.

It’s time for a change. The music industry should focus on making live events more accessible and affordable for everyone, not just the privileged few who can afford to shell out hundreds of dollars for a single concert ticket.

Fans also have a role to play. We need to demand transparency and fairness from ticketing agencies and support artists actively working to make live events more accessible and inclusive. In the meantime, let’s take advantage of the music playing in our own backyard. San Francisco in particular has a great live music scene with up-and-coming artists showcasing their talents several nights a week at various smaller venues throughout the city. Afterall, the next Taylor Swift has to start somewhere.