A money grab?
I see the Rolling Stones will tour this summer, hitting some of the larger stadiums in various US cities. Touring at their age, I'm not sure much jumping around will occur besides Mick occasionally strutting his stuff while the rest of the band will just appear to loiter on stage.
Living in Chicago, I was curious about the prices. They are scheduled to perform at Soldier Field along Chicago's lakefront on June 21st. This outdoor stadium seats roughly 61,000 fans during Bear's (NFL football) games. Curious about the prices I used my Seat Geek app briefly surveyed tickets available and a general sampling of prices for this outdoor event.
The lowest price I could find is in section 430 for $348. Mind you, that's in the highest section (4th level) near the Bear's end zone. Ranked a great deal at 7.8 by SeatGeek. For a seat in section 432, a ticket to this 2 and 1/2 hour show will cost you $353, but don't worry, SeatGeek claims it's an amazing deal ranked at 9.1. Another ticket in nearby section 427 is $358, and is considered a great deal at 8.0. I guess the difference between an amazing deal and great deal is ranking, anything in the high 7's or 8's is considered great and anything above a ranking of 9 is considered 'amazing.' For many seats on the field they range from $1000 - 4000 so that's not something I'd ever consider unless of course I could join them on stage and perhaps spend an evening with them.
One other thing to add, most of these sections have between 34 and 36 rows and many of these tickets being offered are in rows 14 through 36 so many of these seats are not only in the corner of the stadium but you could find yourself several rows from the top of the stadium.
Is this not a money grab? I've seen them several times over the last 20 years at prices around $100-125. Our seats weren't on the floor but we had decent visibility without always having to stare at the large video screen. Time has passed so inflation does play a role with full employment too but still, I experienced "sticker shock" when I first saw these prices not only in Chicago but in New York, Miami and Washington. Another farewell tour to justify the prices?
Would it be schadenfreude if it rained?
If this tour is a success, one could argue that the Stones not only get what they need but what they want!