Are Live Shows Becoming Increasingly Inaccessible for Members of the Working Class?

By Amelia Bones, Work Experience Placement

Music has always been and will continue to be a form of expression, especially to relax. Through music, young people develop their identity, gain creativity, confidence, and form friendships for life.

It is no coincidence that with the rising cost of living, attending concerts and live events is becoming more expensive. Ticket prices for arena shows starting at £60 and can range up to over £200 including fees, immediately making attending inaccessible for a large majority of the working population.

In a survey done by Music Week, out of 8000 respondents, over 50% of respondents cited cost of living/financial constraints as a key reason for not attending live shows. With ‘91% agreeing that lower ticket prices would encourage more attendance’ (musicradar.com). But the question is, what can artists, venues and vendors do to combat this?

Championing Grassroots Music: Only the Poets

@jordandaniellogan

Ahead of the ticket sale for their concert on the 2nd of February 2026 at the O2 Academy Brixton, Reading based band ‘Only the Poets’ announced that they would be selling every ticket for £1. That’s 5,000 tickets, plus an extra £1 per ticket sold donated to Live Trust - a UK initiative to help keep grassroots venues alive.

In a statement released on Instagram, the band said that ‘live music saved our lives in our early years’ and expressed their concern for the upcoming generation not having the opportunity to fall in love with music the same way that they had done.

Along with reduced ticket prices, they also gave the opportunity to 6 unsigned artists to support them in Reading and Brixton - with fans choosing the winners in a Battle of the Bands style format. This was in a bid to ‘support new artists and the grassroots venues that give them a stage’.

@onlythepoets

For Only the Poets, all opportunities in live music should be accessible. And so for the Brixton show and European tour, they opened applications to photographers with no experience and equipment required. As well as access to a loaned official Nikon camera kit, the photographers received mentorship from Nikon and Only the Poets’ official photographer. They also received tutorials, workshops and follow up equipment discounts.

This simple, significant action has aided a substantial number of opportunities for people who may have wanted to get involved in the music industry but have struggled due to financial circumstances or lack of a choice.

What does this look like?

Through Only the Poets actions, many other artists, including Sheffield based singer Danny Mellin, have taken the initiative to make low-income tickets available.

By offering low price tickets at shows, artists are recognising that live music should not be a luxury that only a select few can enjoy. Although these schemes do not solve the issue regarding high prices and exclusivity within the music industry, it demonstrates that artists can in fact still take meaningful steps towards ensuring that all fans, regardless of background, have access to live events.

However, responsibility should not rely solely upon the artist. Venues, promoters and ticketing companies also have a role to play to make music more accessible. Measures including capping booking fees, removing dynamic pricing and donating a small portion of tickets sold to grassroots music charities can all help to reduce the barriers for working class music lovers.

Live music has historically been a place where people can leave their problems at the door, express themselves and build safe communities. If ticket prices continue to rise without any restrictions, there is a risk that an entire generation of young people will miss out on these experiences.

The success of Only the Poets’ £1 concert crystallises that there is a demand for affordable live music, and that accessibility can be achieved whilst maintaining the community environment that fans have grown to love and cherish.

Ensuring that live music remains accessible and open to everyone is essential to the industry and the fans who support it. It also contributes to the inspiration for the youth to create their own music and develop as artists themselves.