One of the experiences that comes with going to a concert is buying merchandise. Most fans enjoy this: checking in through security, then finding the merchandise line inside the venue and getting into it to see what is available for them to buy.

   However, there is nothing more painful than getting to the front of the line and realizing that the prices were unaffordable. With t-shirts being $35-50 each, hoodies and sweatshirts being $60-80 each, and posters, CDs, and other accessories being too expensive for what they are, merchandise prices at concerts can be heartbreaking to read when you realize you can’t afford it.

   Merchandise prices at concerts should be more affordable. Having the prices of merchandise at concerts being so expensive makes it harder for people who already paid so much for the ticket. Not to mention the prices of food and drinks being more on the pricey side. So thinking about the cost of everything, going to a concert can easily go into the hundreds. 

   I had never been to a concert, before my friend and I went to the Slightly Stoopid “Summer Traditions 2022” concert that she paid the tickets for. My parents gave me 40 dollars to spend, thinking things weren’t going to be expensive, but buying one single towel at $35 left me with not even enough money to buy food. I had to ask my parents to transfer me more money to just get food and water, which was around $7 for a hot dog and $5 for a bottle of water. Combine those prices with the ticket price of $35+, you get around $100-ish. 

   This concert also took place on a clear field on a very hot, summer day, so I was buying a lot of water bottles, not only for me but for my friend, because as mentioned before she paid for my ticket. In total at that concert I spent $80, and I was still hungry and thirsty when I went home. And that is considered cheap concert-wise.

   There have been other instances where merchandise prices have been obscene. For example, during Harry Styles’ “15 Nights in Los Angeles” tour, t-shirts were being sold for $50 each. That is an insane amount of money for a shirt. Fans on social media have sent in loads of complaints, but over the years, the prices have only increased. On Styles’ tour in 2021, t-shirts were only around $35, not $50.

   Furthermore, with merchandise prices being more expensive, it makes it less enjoyable to be at the concert and even harder to afford it. With the rise of concert ticket prices, concerts are more expensive to go to, and are now more of an investment than they used to be. Souvenirs are cherished tokens and mean a lot to people who buy them and it sucks to invest so much into an event and find out you can’t even afford a souvenir for it. 

   Concerts are a fun way to support an artist/band, and merchandise reflects the love for them from the fans. However, merchandise is incredibly expensive, and having unaffordable prices makes a concert experience way less fun, merchandise prices should be less expensive for the fans.