More Bands are Using VIP Experiences as a Way to Upsell Tickets

New Wave
1 hour ago
2 min read

Ten years ago, if you bought a concert ticket, all you’d have to do was show up some time before the show started, find your seat, and then sit back and enjoy the performance. Now, however, consumers are showing an increased interest in premium experiences that start before the event.

VIP Experiences in the Digital World

Online platforms are also offering digital spaces where people can enjoy exclusive content. Patreon has built its business model on it, providing member-only access so fans can take part in new communities, watch livestreams, or even watch things unfold behind the scenes.

Spotify’s Fans First program uses listener data to find top fans, giving them exclusive access to presales and merchandise. In iGaming, a similar trend can be seen. Paddy Power bingo bonus online offers often include the opportunity to join a bingo club, where people can earn exclusive rewards every week. Sites like Next also offer VIP sales to those who opt in, allowing people to browse ahead of the full sale going live to the general public.

Examples like this show how clubs, or the opportunity to opt in for exclusive experiences, are on the rise, and bands are looking to capitalise on it more than ever. A recent example of how bands are using the online world to create VIP experiences would be Black Sabbath: Back to the Beginning.

Those who bought a digital ticket to the stream ahead of time got given the chance to take part in a virtual chat room before the show, along with a full day of music.

Bands are Upselling VIP Experiences

As a way to try to make touring more profitable, bands are now offering VIP experiences that can be upgraded from a basic concert ticket. Machine Head’s recent show at the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester is a good example, as for £20 per head, people were given the opportunity to watch the show from a private balcony in the Tobacco Lounge. People could also claim a free drink token, alongside exclusive merchandise opportunities.

Bands like Slipknot often offer luxury suite experiences, with Metallica’s Enhanced Experience packages including premium seating, access to a VIP lounge and exclusive event perks.

A lot of this is being driven by the airport lounge effect. Airport lounges were once restricted to business travellers and those traveling first-class, but now people actively purchase the opportunity to have lounge access before flying.

The chance to relax, get a free drink, and escape the crowds is simply worth the cost. Consumers in this day and age are no longer paying for the event in question, but for the convenience or the experience.

As premium experiences generate more revenue, encourage customer loyalty, and help to create more memorable moments for fans, it makes perfect sense why bands are investing more and more in this as time goes on. Selling a ticket is no longer enough to get fans in the door in 2026. Bands are now resorting to selling exclusivity, which for many, is just as important as the event itself, as it’s a way to raise the bar of what live music can offer.

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