
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - If you want to sit in the really good seats for a Keith Urban concert this summer, a pair of tickets will put you about back about $170. But in a nod to the tough economic times, the country superstar has also priced some tickets as low as $20 per seat, so fans won't stay home because they can't afford to go.
With the economic news getting worse by the day, artists and concert promoters are trying to make sure fans come out to the stadiums, arenas and concert halls this year by offering ticket deals and other incentives.
No Doubt is giving away a digital download of their entire catalog in exchange for the purchase of a premium ticket ($42.50 before taxes and fees). Coldplay plans to give concertgoers a free live album, while U2 is pricing at least 10,000 tickets to every show in the $30 range.
Summer is a busy time for the concert business. Live Nation, the world's largest promoter, estimates that more than 50 percent of its annual profit comes in the summer months.
But with this year's economic uncertainty, promoters could have a tougher time filling seats.
"In a crowded marketplace in difficult economic times, you want your show or event to stand out as something people recognize as a deal," said Gary Bongiovanni, editor-in-chief of the concert industry publication Pollstar.
Rocker Stevie Nicks, who's currently on a reunion tour with Fleetwood Mac, said times are so bad, the band doesn't know if it can afford to go overseas: "It's so expensive to do that that you put people out of business to go play for them. It's affecting everybody."
Fans can get tickets to Fleetwood Mac's April 22 show at the St. Pete Times Forum for as little as $32.25 (plus service charges).
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