Culture Society, Identity and Belonging
Buying concert tickets is a complicated affair. Fans of popular artists have to navigate pre-sales, online touts, virtual queuing, reselling sites and dynamic pricing.
For many, it has made big shows more trouble than they’re worth. Enter Paul McCartney.
At midday on Tuesday, McCartney announced that an intimate show at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom would take place that evening.
The only way punters could get tickets was by turning up at the venue. A small number of tickets were available on the door for $50 each, a bargain to see a Beatle play in 2025.
McCartney did the same thing yesterday for a show this evening, leading some to camp outside the Bowery for a ticket. But it was dozens enjoying a novelty, not tens of thousands filled with anxiety.
McCartney’s strategy wouldn’t work for stadium shows, but yesterday all those troubles seemed so far away.
