The Cure’s Robert Smith on Concert Ticket Industry: “It’s Just Driven By Greed”

When The Cure played North America in 2023 as part of their “Shows of a Lost World Tour,” the band notably opted out of Ticketmaster’s “platinum” and “dynamically priced” on-sale ticketing options in a bid to keep prices more affordable for fans. In the end, the average ticket price for the “Shows of a Lost World Tour” was $68.54 — 37% less than the average ticket price 2022’s other top tours — all while The Cure still managed to achieve the highest-grossing tour of their legendary career.

In a new interview with The Times of London, The Cure’s Robert Smith discussed the practices of modern ticketing, which he says are “driven by greed.” He also chided artists who “hide behind management” as a way to avoid scrutiny for enabling dynamic pricing.

“I was shocked by how much profit is made,” Smith said. “I thought, ‘We don’t need to make all this money.’ My fights with the label have all been about how we can price things lower. The only reason you’d charge more for a gig is if you were worried that it was the last time you would be able to sell a T-shirt.”

“But if you had the self-belief that you’re still going to be here in a year’s time, you’d want the show to be great so people come back. You don’t want to charge as much as the market will let you. If people save on the tickets, they buy beer or merch. There is goodwill, they will come back next time. It is a self-fulfilling good vibe and I don’t understand why more people don’t do it.”

“It was easy to set ticket prices, but you need to be pig-headed. We didn’t allow dynamic pricing because it’s a scam that would disappear if every artist said, ‘I don’t want that!’ But most artists hide behind management. ‘Oh, we didn’t know,’ they say. They all know. If they say they do not, they’re either f***ing stupid or lying. It’s just driven by greed.”

As of now, The Cure only have one confirmed full live performance on the books: a record release show and livestream event for their new album, Songs for a Lost World, taking place at Troxy in London on November 1st. However, Smith recently confirmed that the band intends to tour extensively beginning in 2025.