There’s nothing like the buzzing energy of attending a live show. I’m still riding on the high of an intimate concert I attended last night as I sit down to type this piece. The synchronicity of the heated bodies—singing and moving along to beats that soundtrack the highs and lows of our individual lives—reminds me why I was even in the room to begin with. Each person in the crowd plays a part in the artist’s journey as they perform their original material in a new city every night, having their dream realized in real time. It’s the closest thing we have to magic, so it’s no wonder fans drop everything to catch a glimpse of their favorite artists owning a stage.

But it seems like some of that magic was lost over the past few weeks. A seemingly endless parade of artists has canceled tour dates, with some scrapping tours altogether. (I’m talking Post Malone, Meghan Trainor, Zayn Malik, Kid Cudi, the Pussycat Dolls…the list goes on and on.) Few want to admit it, but according to several reports, these shows were likely canceled due to low ticket sales, causing the internet to dub this phenomenon Blue Dot Fever.

Before you go around and call these artists flops or check them in as inmates at the Khia Asylum, it’s important to recognize that business goals at every level are at play when it comes to the concert industry at large. Ticket retailers earn money from additional fees, venues cash in on seats and concessions, record labels earn a cut from the overall success, and the artists themselves rake in dough from ticket sales and merch. Yet, none of these would even be achieved without the dedication of fandoms who swiftly support their faves.

Last summer, JP Saxe issued a plea to fans in a viral TikTok, where he admitted his tour would be canceled if he didn’t sell 20,000 tickets in 48 hours. Despite seeing grassroots efforts from fans, earning support from other artists, and finding a new audience from the video, JP ultimately scrapped the shows because he didn’t reach a sales goal.

According to Pollstar’s year-end analysis, the average concert ticket price in the U.S. hit $132.62 in 2025, and, as much as it pains me to say, that’s on the lower end of the typical price point. With rising inflation, fans are more selective about which artists they choose to see in person. Especially because stage formats, costume changes, setlists, and the concerts themselves are being shared online as soon as opening night, spoiling the experience for casual attendees.

While most of the issues with the concert industry link back to business goals—and, I’ll say it, corporate greed—artists and corporations should be taking responsibility and meeting fans where they already are.

On May 21, Spotify announced Reserved, a new feature for Premium users that guarantees tickets will end up in the hands of real fans rather than bots. It’s a solution that adheres to the fan-first methodology most companies should aspire to: The streamer identifies an artist’s most dedicated listeners, holding two tickets for them within a reserved window to purchase before tickets are on sale to the general public.

Live Nation also hosts its Summer of Live! promotion once a year, which gives fans a chance to snag $30 concert tickets, with fees included, for an entire week. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start, since I’d argue they should employ this more often.

And, as we’ve seen in several cases over the years, artists reap the benefits when they listen to criticism and apply feedback from the very people purchasing seats.

Instead of losing out on the money and robbing fans of the experience to see them live, the Jonas Brothers scaled back from stadiums to more intimate venues on their 20th anniversary tour last summer. They still ended up grossing $26.3 million from the tour, and the average ticket price was ultimately more affordable for attendees.

More recently, Harry Styles and his team are looking into solutions for his stage design after receiving feedback from fans whose views were obstructed by its height during the first few shows of his Together, Together residency in Amsterdam earlier this month.

“The floor concept was designed to give fans freedom of movement and the ability to experience the show from different positions, rather than being confined to one fixed viewing angle. That open, free-flowing floor experience has always been an essential part of Harry’s live shows,” Harry’s tour reps wrote in a statement issued to Variety, adding, “A small area of the staging in specific floor positions appears to have had a restricted sightline. Those areas are being reviewed carefully and adjusted where possible in compliance with all safety restrictions.”

Yungblud founded an entire music festival, Bludfest, with the intention of making live music more accessible for fans in 2024.

“Live music has become inaccessible—that is a fact—and artists are canceling all the time based on lack of ticket sales because it is an issue. It’s completely unaffordable for people,” he said during an interview promoting this year’s iteration of the fest. “What really excites me is the artists and the people hold the power. That is why I started Bludfest. I genuinely believe that with my community we can make an impact and make a difference and be an example of something that is affordable, real, and all about community.”

In the end, is the concert industry really that cooked? It all comes down to the people who fuel it, voice their concerns, and hope artists and their teams take the criticism to create a core memory. That’s who we should be listening to.