Why are Taylor Swift tickets cheaper in Europe?

Taylor Swift is back on her Eras Tour, ready to wow fans with new tracks like “Fortnight,” “Down Bad,” and “Florida!!!” from her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department.

But before you rush to buy tickets, be prepared for some sticker shock. Prices for Swift’s final nine shows in the United States have seen a significant increase since the album’s release on April 19. The average get-in-the-door price now hovers around $2,600 per ticket, according to TicketIQ data. This means that attending one of her shows in Miami (Oct 18-20), New Orleans (Oct 25-27), or Indianapolis (Nov. 1-3) could cost a couple more than $5,000 just to be in the same room as Swift this fall.

However, in Europe, where Swift kicks off a 51-show run on May 9 at Paris’ La Defense Arena, tickets are much more affordable. Currently, the get-in-the-door price for the European leg of the Eras Tour is only $340 per ticket — 87% cheaper than the prices in the United States.

For example, a fan in Miami could fly to Paris for around $900 per person, spend two nights at a four-star hotel for $250 per night, and snag a $340 concert ticket, all for a grand total of $1,740 — still $760 less than the cheapest tickets available for her Miami shows.

Tickets for Swift’s shows in Stockholm (May 17-19) are even cheaper at $312 for the cheapest seats, while tickets for Portugal (May 24-25) start at $336 and Spain (May 29-30) at $324. Prices start to rise in the UK, with tickets for Liverpool shows (June 13-15) priced around £540 (approximately $674 USD) and Wembley Stadium shows (June 21-23) at £720 ($900).

Experts attribute the significant price difference between the US and Europe to consumer skepticism about resale tickets in most European countries. Stricter regulatory environments in Europe also contribute to keeping prices low, with laws limiting how much tickets can be marked up over face value and empowering artists and consumers to report and remove illegal listings.

Sam Shemtob, managing director of the Face-value European Alliance for Ticketing (FEAT), points to Europe’s regulatory model as a key factor in keeping ticket prices affordable. Countries like France, Germany, and the Netherlands have limits on resale markups, while the UK allows resale with restrictions on who can list tickets and gives artists and promoters the right to take down listings.

Adopting similar regulations in the US, such as capping markups at 20% above face value, could transform the concert business and drive down prices on the secondary market. This could make programs like Ticketmaster’s platinum ticket pricing obsolete and reduce the influence of ticket brokers and bots disrupting ticket sales.

However, implementing a federal cap on ticket markups could have unintended consequences, impacting sports teams that rely on brokers for ticket distribution. It’s also uncertain if American consumers would accept restrictions on ticket resale, as some states have passed laws against regulating how and where brokers can resell tickets.

Europe’s ticketing rules not only protect prices but also empower citizens to take action. Starting in 2025, Europe’s Digital Services Act (DSA) will impose guidelines for online ticket resale, requiring resellers to disclose their information to buyers, track takedowns of deceptive listings, and ban misleading marketing practices.

As Taylor Swift continues her Eras Tour, fans can choose between paying high prices in the US or enjoying more affordable tickets in Europe. The debate over ticket pricing and regulation continues to shape the concert industry, highlighting the importance of consumer rights and fair pricing practices.