Empty seats, cancelled concerts as music fans reject soaring ticket prices

I'm gonna say what everybody's thinking.

I had to change venues for my show due to low ticket sales.Longtime Canadian indie artist Jeremy Fisher isn't the only one dealing with it.And you've probably noticed it too if you've bought concert tickets lately.Those blue dots symbolizing unsold seats on ticket sales.Fans even have a name for it.Blue dot fever.

This was Post Malone's Toronto seat map just hours before showtime.

We're seeing that more and more tours, especially bigger tours, are not selling out.

The Pussycat Dolls cancelled all but one North American show this year, saying they took an honest look.Post Malone Meghan Trainor and more canceled shows too, citing other reasons, but experts say the root of the problem is the price tag.

Fans are actually now trying to decide who they're going to see because they spend a lot of money on Rush that doesn't leave them a lot of money to go see Oasis.

According to data from Polestar, from 2019 to 2025, the average ticket price for a Top 100 World Tour concert went up about 37 percent.And higher prices come with expensive expectations.

They want to see the choreography.They want to see the pyrotechnics.

The production value is way better.It's much larger.The staging is more impressive.And all of that costs money.

Seekik and StubHub told CBC News demand for concerts is still high, especially for large shows and festivals, but fans say they're spending more selectively.

I have to pick and choose on how many concerts I go to.

I've wanted to see other celebrities, and I can't afford it.

This is the first concert I've gone to in years.Industry observers worry it's changing the concert landscape.

My fear is that it's going to become something that only, you know, the people with a lot of money can afford on both sides.

But she hopes there might be a change.lining, that fans start to make room for smaller artists in local venues too.Griffin Yeager, CBC News, Toronto.