When The Cure played North America in 2023 as part of their “Shows of a Lost World Tour,” the band notably opted out of Ticketmaster’s “platinum” and “dynamic pricing” ticketing options in an attempt to keep prices more affordable for fans. In the end, the average ticket price for the “Shows of a Lost World Tour” was $68.54, 37% less than the average ticket price for other 2022 headlining tours, all while The Cure still managed to achieve the highest grossing tour of his legendary. professional career.
In a new interview with The London TimesThe Cure's Robert Smith reflected on modern ticketing practices, which he says are “driven by greed.” He also chastised artists who “hide behind management” as a way to avoid scrutiny for allowing dynamic pricing.
“I was surprised at how much profit there was,” Smith said. “I thought, 'We don't need to make all this money.' My fights with the label have all been about how we can price things lower. The only reason you would charge more for a concert is if you were worried it was the last time you would be able to sell a t-shirt.”
“But if you were confident that you would still be here a year from now, you would want the show to be fantastic so that people would come back. You don't want to charge as much as the market allows. If people save on tickets, they buy beer or merchandise. There is good will, they will come back next time. It’s a self-fulfilling good vibe and I don’t understand why more people don’t do it.”
“It was easy to set ticket prices, but you have to be stubborn. We don't allow dynamic pricing because it's a scam that would go away if every artist said, 'I don't want that!' But most artists hide behind direction. “Oh, we didn't know,” they say. Everyone knows it. If they say no, they're either fucking stupid or they're lying. “It’s just driven by greed.”
As of now, The Cure only have one full live performance confirmed: an album release show and a livestream event for their new album. Songs for a lost worldwhich will take place at Troxy in London on November 1st. However, Smith recently confirmed that the band intends to tour extensively starting in 2025.
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