With spring starting to bloom, the concert season also swings into high gear. For music lovers and dedicated fans, there is little better than seeing a favorite artist playing a favorite song live. Concerts, sadly, are expensive, especially with the additional fees imposed by ticketing websites. Luckily, there are work-arounds the high cost.
The most effective strategy is to expand the set of venues you're willing to attend. Concerts generally are pricier in better-known stadiums in major metropolitan areas. If you're will to range outside your comfort zone and travel a little farther, concerts are likely to be more affordable.
To jump-start your quest to see concerts for less, we checked prices for some of the most popular tours that are starting this spring.
Lady Gaga artRave Tour. Lady Gaga is touring nationwide this spring and summer. She is playing three shows in a short period in the New York-New Jersey area, and two shows scheduled close to each other in Chicago and Milwaukee. Although prices are comparable in the Midwest, there are some major savings to be had in the greater New York region. The cheapest ticket for Lady Gaga's show at Madison Square Garden in New York City is $113 while tickets for her show at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey start at $49.50.
Miley Cyrus Bangerz Tour. Miley Cyrus is hitting the road this season, although not ranging as widely or as intensely as Lady Gaga. For anyone in the New York metro who is willing to travel to the Garden State, the savings are substantial. Tickets at Brooklyn's Barclays Center start at $64.50 compared with just $21.50 at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Bruno Mars is touring the country through the fall. Fans in northern California will want to keep their eyes open for savings. He's playing the SAP Center in San Jose for $41.50 and also performing at the Oracle Arena in Oakland for just $33.50.
Katy Perry will be appearing throughout the United States and Canada this spring. Although prices for her shows are fairly uniform, fans in the Miami area are in for a treat. Tickets at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida are going for only $21.25 compared with $29.50 at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami.
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For the most part, ticket prices for any given performer don't vary all that much from venue to venue, so it may not make much sense to drive two hours to save a few bucks. But if concert-going is your life, these savings add up over time. It's also wise to constantly scan all the venues in your area for concerts you would like to see. Not all bands are booked at all venues, but they generally play multiple stages in a given area. When they do, there are usually savings to cash in on.
Location A | Location A | Location B | Location B | |
| Lady Gaga | New York City MSG $113; Roseland Ballroom $65 | Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall $49.50 | Chicago United Center $35 | Milwaukee Marcus Amphitheater Summerfest $35 |
| Miley Cyrus | Brooklyn Barclays Center $64.50 | East Rutherford Izod Center $21.50 | Philadelphia Wells Fargo $49.50 | |
| One Direction | East Rutherford MetLife Stadium $39.50 | Philadelphia Lincoln Financial Center $39.50 | ||
| Bruno Mars | New York City MSG $54.50 | Camden Susquehanna Bank Center $35 | San Jose SAP Center $41.50 | Oakland Oracle Arena $33.50 |
| Katy Perry | New York City MSG $29.50 | Brooklyn Barclays Center $29.50 | Miami AmericanAirlines Arena $29.50 | Sunrise BB&T Center $21.25 |
