From Michael Jackson to Harry Styles, Has It Always Cost Big Bucks to See Your Faves?

If you’re a fan of music and love hearing your favorite acts live, then you probably know concert tickets aren’t exactly cheap. Especially if you’re someone who views seeing artists like Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, and Harry Styles hit the stage as must-watch events. For decent seats to see artists like these, you may be looking at paying a few hundred dollars, the equivalent of buying an Apple Watch (the SE model). While you can certainly aim lower and get nosebleed and limited-viewing seats, or floor and VIP seating, many people want at the very least a “decent” ticket to a concert. 

Going back to Styles, tickets for his upcoming Together, Together tour have gone on sale, and some fans aren’t happy with the costs to see the pop star. Check out a few comments found on X (formerly Twitter). 

I’m a massive Harry Styles fan but we need to have a serious conversation about the absurd ticket prices some artists are now charging. Makes music & entertainment completely inaccessible for a whole demographic of fans who don’t have hundreds to spend on a single ticket! pic.twitter.com/QUlkM4TPq0

— Cllr Lauren Oxley (@LaurenOxleyx) January 27, 2026

Hey @Harry_Styles as someone who’s loved you for almost 14 years and went to all the tours, I’m at a loss for words over how much you/ur team seem to have lost touch with reality in terms of residency shows and ticket prices. Music should be accessible. Remember how you started.

— ???????????????????????? (@itsemiliaanna) January 26, 2026

i’m sorry i love harry with all my heart but there is no chance i will be paying $884 and not even be on the floor. born and raised in new york and have been to so many shows at msg, this is a disgrace. @Ticketmaster shame on you. pic.twitter.com/NxAPhShKA5

— jillian (@happycamperjill) January 27, 2026

The fact that Harry’s team actually set $1,182.40 as a ticket price is genuinely ridiculous and absurd. It’s one thing for scalpers to set a resale ticket that price completely different when it’s a face value ticket sale #TogetherTogether #HarryStyles pic.twitter.com/t7A384sww5

— Sarah ❤️‍???? (@SarahKempa) January 27, 2026

Keeping these complaints in mind, I was prompted to ask, "Are concert tickets now really that much more expensive than they were back in the day?"

How Much Are Harry Styles’ Tickets? 

Narrowing this down a bit, Styles is scheduled to perform 30 shows at New York City’s Madison Square Garden (his only US stop), and according to The Hollywood Reporter, “the most expensive VIP package is currently priced at $1,667.” Looking at resale tickets on StubHub, tickets in the 400 section may be roughly $390, while floor seating could get as high $3,400. If you’re doing some calculations, $3,400 can get you a few Apple Watches. 

For comparison's sake, I took another peek at the tickets for Bruno Mars’ upcoming The Romantic Tour. Again, looking at StubHub, nosebleeds appear to be around $270 while floor seating near the stage tops out around $2,550. There are some obvious price differences between Styles and Mars, but it should be recalled that Styles is only stopping in New York City in the US, which could have driven up demand (although he’s performing in the Big Apple for 30 shows). 

How Much Are Harry Styles’ Tickets Vs Michael Jackson Tickets? 

Now, let me preface this by saying, I by no means think Harry Styles can compete with Michael Jackson in terms of performance and entertainment. With that being said, Styles is in demand today, and Jackson was in demand for decades. 

Taking a look at the King of Pop’s scheduled last tour in 2009 before he passed, CNN reports he sold 750,000 tickets to concerts at London's O2 Arena in four hours. Additionally, general admissions seating was “up to $105,” and VIP tickets were around “$1,100.” (It’s reported thought, that at least one person attempted to sell a VIP seat for $35,000.) When placed into an inflation calculator, this means general admissions for the concert would be about $158.63 if it were in 2026, while VIP would be roughly $1,661.88. 

Going back even further to Michael Jackson’s sold-out Dangerous World Tour in the early 90s, The Downey Patriot claims tickets started as low as $39. Yes, you read that correctly. Calculated for inflation, the tickets would start at approximately $90 today. 

With that being said, are Harry Styles’ tour tickets overpriced? I’ll let you decide, but Michael Jackson is the standard that many musicians of today look up to when putting on a show.

Related: Michael Jackson and Mary J. Blige Collaborator Is Releasing Highly Anticipated Memoir