This is how cheap Ticketmaster concert prices were in Canada in the 2000s
A Toronto man’s Ticketmaster stub collection shows just how good concert-goers in Canada had it in the early 2000s.
Yes, back in the good ol’ days, we used to get physical concert tickets from Ticketmaster in Canada, and prices didn’t require you to take out a loan.
“I want to show you how much concerts used to cost,” @johnfluenzer said in a video posted to TikTok and Instagram earlier this week.
He shared a range of artists from big pop stars like Britney Spears to bands like Coldplay, who were on the come-up at the time.
First in John’s collection is a ticket for Destiny’s Child’s 2001 stop in Toronto. He paid $83 for floor seats at Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena), which he explained at the time was considered expensive.
@johnfluenzer/Instagram
Calculating based on inflation, that ticket would cost $139.09 in 2025. That’s actually quite cheap for floor seats nowadays, considering that similar tickets for BeyoncĂ©s 2023 Renaissance tour were selling for over $1,000 at some stops.
John also saw Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake in 2003 for $98 with front-row seats at the ACC. Taking inflation into account, that same ticket would now cost $157.
He showed a Ticketmaster stub for floor seats at Britney Spears’ 2004 stop in Canada that cost $108.95. In 2025, that should cost approximately $171, adjusted for inflation.
@johnfluenzer/Instagram
Some of the cheaper tickets John bought were for some up-and-coming artists and one larger-than-life boy band.
“Backstreet Boys World Tour, eighth row on the floor. Retail: $157. I actually bought it off a scalper for $20 two minutes before they hit the stage,” he said.
That kind of price from resellers is unheard of nowadays. Last year, resold Taylor Swift Eras Tour tickets would cost six months’ rent in Vancouver.
John also got to see Coldplay’s very first show in Toronto in 2001 for only $23.75. That price is nothing compared to what Canadians experienced for their recent Toronto stop in July.
@johnfluenzer/Instagram
â[Coldplay] please do something, I have been a huge fan for years. I want to see you in Toronto. I have sat on Ticketmaster for months, days, and hours. There were released tickets at 9, I got them, but it glitched, and now they are being resold for $1,600! I am a true fan who wants to comeđ,” reads an X post from one frustrated fan in Canada.
John ended the video by calculating how much the pricier tickets from the early 2000s would cost now, taking inflation into account.
“So, $100 in 2005 is worth $151 today. The average concert ticket, I’d say, was about $50 to $60, but I’m going with the high end. So yes, artists today are, in fact, ripping all of you off,” he said.
Concert-goers grieved what once was in the comments.
“Damn, I pay $200 to $300 for tickets now,” reads one comment.
“As a concert girlie, I didnât need this depressing reminder,” added another.
Others blamed Ticketmaster.
“Itâs not the artist, itâs Ticketmaster ripping us off,” commented one TikTok user.
Ticketmaster has been in hot water with fans before, to the point that last year, the NDP called for the company to investigate price gouging after bots and scalpers drove up the prices of Taylor Swift concerts.
Tens of thousands of music lovers even signed a petition urging Canada’s federal and provincial governments to regulate the resale of concert tickets.
While the ticket sales company is usually the first target of anger regarding high costs, there is some truth to John’s point about artists contributing to the pricey concerts.
Ariana Grande has recently been praised for sparing fans from dynamic pricing, a practice that uses algorithms to determine ticket prices based on demand.
Hopefully, this will be something other artists consider in the future.
What are your thoughts on the change in concert ticket prices over the years? Do you think seeing your favourite artists perform live is worth the huge price tags? Let us know in the comments.