Springsteen Manager Defends Extremely High Cost Of Some Tour Tickets

NEW JERSEY — Bruce Springsteen's manager, Jon Landau, released a statement this week explaining how ticket prices got so high for The Boss' upcoming 2023 tour — and defended the extremely high costs of some tickets, saying it is "a fair price to see someone universally regarded as among the very greatest artists of his generation.”

Fans and music critics alike were upset this July to see some ticket prices for the upcoming tour were selling for as high as $4,000. Ticketmaster was even asking for $5,000 for some floor seats.

“In pricing tickets for this tour, we looked carefully at what our peers have been doing,” Landau told the New York Times Tuesday. “We chose prices that are lower than some and on par with others.

“Regardless of the commentary about a modest number of tickets costing $1,000 or more, our true average ticket price has been in the mid-$200 range,” he continued. “I believe that in today’s environment, that is a fair price to see someone universally regarded as among the very greatest artists of his generation.”

Ticketmaster said this was due to its "dynamic pricing program," which raises prices based on demand.

"Promoters and artist representatives set pricing strategy and price range parameters on all tickets, including dynamic and fixed price points. Ticketmaster has created analytical tools that use historical and real-time data to help quantify supply and demand to determine prices," a Ticketmaster spokesperson said in a statement to Fox Business News this week.

"While people may have had a very different impression, overall 18 percent of Springsteen’s U.S. tour tickets sold for under $99, and only 1% of tickets sold for more than $1,000," said Ticketmaster.

Tickets to see Springsteen and the E Street Band went on sale July 20. The tour starts Feb. 1 in Tampa and ends April 14 at the Prudential Center in Newark. Springsteen lives with his wife and family on a 368-acre horse farm in Colts Neck.

"I have nothing whatsoever to do with the price of tickets. Nothing. Nada. Niente. Bubkis. Dick," said E Street Band drummer Steven "Little Steven" Van Zandt on his Twitter account the same day tickets launched, July 20.