Taylor Swift is about to embark on her UK leg of the Eras Tour – but not everyone has tickets (Picture: Getty Images)
I remember my first ever gig like it was yesterday. I was 12 and me, my sister and her friends bundled into the car after school to see Busted at Wembley Arena.
I had this permanent, frenzied expression on my face as I quietly took in my surroundings and the sheer size of the crowd.
When Matt, Charlie and James appeared onstage, I was all but deceased. There they were – the three guys from the poster on my bedroom wall, in the flesh, metres away from me.
By the time the show ended, I’d lost my voice completely and my ears rang for about a week. But it didn’t matter. I had gone up to big old London and witnessed my favourite artists perform live.
It’s what makes me so sad for kids these days. Not only are ticket prices astronomical, they’re now near impossible to buy in the first place. A prime example of this being Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which has just begun its London leg.
Now, before you think I’m bitter or not a Swiftie, I should say that I’ve managed to secure tickets to one of her shows. I got a code and, in the middle of the working day, joined the online queue with countless others.
‘Not now!’ I replied, as my colleague came over to the desk to ask me something. ‘It’s Taylor Swift time.’ In an instant, they understood the gravity of the situation, walked away and – bless them – brought me a cup of tea, knowing I’d probably be stuck for a while.
My tickets were a ‘bargain’ at £75 each (Credit: Getty Images)
Eventually, I got through and was able to bag tickets at £75 each – the second cheapest bracket. At that point I hadn’t even confirmed who was coming with me, I just knew I had to get tickets to see Tay Tay and the rest would fall into place.
Yes, £75 is a ‘bargain’ in this day and age (especially to go see The Queen of the Universe) and I’m lucky enough to have my own source of income to cover these costs. But for parents who might have had to pay for multiple tickets for their kids and their chaperones, it’s a hefty fee, to say the least.
What’s more, the price brackets above £75 suddenly jumped to well over £100 for regular seating and standing tickets – and that’s before you get anywhere near the £500+ VIP packages, where you’re so close you can almost smell Taylor’s sweat.
Having grown up in a working class environment, and knowing how much it took to scrimp and save for tickets when I was younger, I can tell you that it’s children from poorer households that will miss out the most.
What was previously seen as a huge, but valuable, undertaking to grant your child’s wish will now be impossible for …read more
Source:: Metro
