Zara Larsson is pushing back against the assumption that artists are pocketing enormous profits from expensive concert tickets. The Swedish pop star addressed the cost of attending her ongoing “Midnight Sun Tour” after a fan accused wealthy performers of flourishing financially while ordinary people struggle to afford live shows. Although Larsson agreed that concert tickets should be more accessible, she claimed she is currently making little money from touring because her revenue goes directly toward keeping the production on the road.
The discussion began after Larsson shared a video on Friday showing her performing choreography while promoting the final stop of her world tour. The 28-year-old singer is scheduled to perform in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 1 and said she hopes to sell out the remaining concert. However, one follower used the comments section to raise concerns about the cost of attending live performances.
“I wish singers would advocate for cheaper ticket prices. The whole damn world would go to y’all shows, but sh-t is too expensive in this economy,” the user wrote. “While you guys flourish in money, you get to happily leave after singing and dancing on a stage. We have 9-5s that barely pay enough.”
Rather than dismissing the criticism, Larsson said she understood where the commenter was coming from and promised to investigate whether anything could be done. “I don’t want my tickets to be too pricey, and I will definitely see what I can do about that!” the “Lush Life” singer replied.
Singer Says She Is ‘Not Making Big Bucks’ From Touring
Larsson then challenged the idea that her current tour has become a major personal payday. “But right now in my career I’m definitely not making big bucks on touring,” she claimed.
The singer explained that money generated by the tour must cover the extensive costs associated with bringing a large-scale production to cities around the world. Larsson’s show includes backup dancers, elaborate costumes, colorful sets and other production elements.
Touring also requires her to pay crew members while covering transportation and domestic and international travel expenses. “It’s basically a non-profit at this point everything that I make goes to paying people, transportation, production, etc.” Larsson wrote.
Her response explains the difference between gross ticket revenue and an artist’s actual profit. Even when a concert generates a substantial amount at the box office, that money does not go directly into the performer’s pocket. Venue costs, salaries, insurance, equipment, rehearsal expenses and transportation can all reduce what remains after a tour concludes.
Another TikTok user argued that wealthy artists should recognize how financially strained their audiences have become. “Ya see everyone is broke and barely making it by… if rich people could see that and lower the concert prices for people to still go while you still make your bag,” the person commented. “But until they see that, they will overprice their tickets and continue to not have sold-out shows.”
Larsson once again insisted that the perception did not match her “Midnight Sun Tour” experience. “I’m not making a bag on this tour truustt,” she replied, before clarifying that the tour has performed strongly despite tickets remaining available for its final date. “And everything is sold out except for Thailand! Which will be sold out! I’m manifesting and posting.”
The Bangkok performance will conclude the tour, which began in October of last year.
Resale Tickets Are Listed For Hundreds Of Dollars
Larsson’s comments come as resale tickets for the Bangkok show appeared online at significantly elevated prices. Listings on StubHub reportedly included tickets priced at $340 and $419.
However, those figures reflect resale listings rather than necessarily representing the prices originally established by Larsson or the concert promoter. Third-party sellers can list tickets above their original face value, meaning an expensive resale seat does not automatically translate into additional income for the performing artist.
Larsson did not provide the face value of the tickets being discussed or disclose how much revenue she personally expects to earn from the Bangkok concert. She also did not detail what changes, if any, she could make to lower prices before the November 1 performance.
The candid exchange comes months after Larsson made headlines for her blunt response to Chris Brown. As The Blast previously reported, Brown unexpectedly mentioned Larsson while responding to Pitchfork’s highly critical review of his album, “Brown,” which received a 1.3-out-of-10 score.
“If you not my fan, I don’t want you to listen to my sh-t. Go listen to motherf-ckin’ Zara Larsson or somebody,” Brown said during his social media rant.
Larsson responded to the unexpected name-drop with a pointed question: “Who the f-ck are you?”
The tension did not emerge from nowhere. Larsson had already made her position on Brown clear during a February interview with Cosmopolitan, when she discussed artists she prevents from appearing in her Spotify playlists. “There are so many artists I have blocked on Spotify, and all of them are, like, abusers,” she explained. “You certainly wouldn’t find, like, a Chris Brown song.”
But for now, she remains focused on filling the remaining seats in Bangkok, even if selling out the show does not result in the enormous payday some followers assume.
