For their latest North American tour, The Cure deliberately undercut ticket prices. However, the band still managed to pull off the highest-grossing tour of their careers.
according to billboard, The Cure’s “Shows of a Lost World Tour” sold 547,000 tickets for a total of $37.5 million. Both figures are career highs: the band’s previous record for sold tickets in the US was 402,000 in 1992, and their 2016 tour gross of $18 million has more than doubled.
While the gross was impressive and The Cure could have made more money, frontman Robert Smith deliberately left millions so the band could offer fans reasonably priced tickets.Every billboardwith an average ticket price of $68.54 for the “Shows of a Lost World Tour,” which was 37 percent less than the average ticket price for the other top tours that year.
As part of the tour sales process, Smith opted out of Ticketmaster’s “Platinum” and “Dynamic Pricing” ticket options and restricted ticket transfers in markets where the law allows. He also forced Ticketmaster to provide partial refunds for “exorbitant” transaction fees.
The moral implications of the story? It’s possible to protect fans, sell affordable tickets, and still make millions.
Later this year, The Cure will feature at Riot Fest Chicago and embark on a Latin American tour.
The Cure at Shoreline Amphitheater (May 27, 2023) – Click to expand gallery