As the music industry continues to bloom, live music only continues to become more inaccessible. The global live music market grew from $34.84 billion in 2024 to $38.58 billion in 2025. But if the industry only continues to grow, why is watching live music seemingly unreachable for working-class individuals?
Take Harry Styles, for example: Styles has recently made his long-awaited return to music, with the release of ‘Aperture’. Fans everywhere rejoiced at his comeback, revelling in the melodic notes of the highly anticipated track. However, reality quickly hit when the Together, Together tour announcement was released, with limited destinations and skyrocketing prices. Despite 67 dates being announced in total, there is little opportunity for those who don’t live close by, with 12 nights in London being the only UK dates, and 30 in MSG, New York alone. Alongside the limited dates available, prices soared up to £600, making people decide between paying rent that week or seeing one live show.
But how does this really affect people, and venues?
Rising prices of arena and stadium tours mean the average working person is not able to afford live music: why is a class divide developing? Particularly with an artist like Harry Styles, a working-class boy from Manchester, the high ticket prices disappointed many fans, with many feeling like the message of togetherness contradicts the inaccessible prices. The small volume of shows also encourages, and assumes, that people can afford the travel costs, on top of the already climbing prices, excluding working-class loyal fans.
This also results in the closure of small grassroots venues, eliminating more opportunities for working-class individuals to access live music, creating a class ceiling in music for those who listen and those who wish to create. According to Music Venue Trust, 1 in 6 small venues closed in 2023, contributing to the levels of high inaccessibility. Without grassroots venues, working-class, humble individuals are not granted an outlet to express themselves, posing the negative issue of pumping excessive financial power into high-calibre stadium and arena tours, without protecting smaller building blocks.
With that being said, live music is immersive, and everyone should have the opportunity to experience it, at least once. Support local venues, and complain loudly about intolerable prices.
Editor: Eva Taper-Boyd