Layaway for concert tickets? We can’t decide whether this is a nice way to help people afford to partake of a fun music event, or bad set-up that is just encouraging people to keep spending themselves deeper into debt, $50 at a time. Maybe you can help us decide.
Before you go stand in line (or hop online) to buy Bonnaroo 2009 tickets when they go on sale Saturday February 7, you might want to take a minute to consider how you’re going to pay for those pricey bits of paper.
Setting up a four-day music festival is expensive, and the fans get stuck with the bill. We’re sure it’ll cost plenty to pay all of the musicians involved, including Bruce Springsteen, Phish, Nine Inch Nails, Wilco, Elvis Costello, Animal Collective, Beastie Boys, and about a zillion other performers.
So, how much do tickets to Bonnaroo 2009 cost?
Well, a V.I.P. package goes for a whopping $1,349. Cheap by comparison, general admission tickets fall in the $250 range. However, in a move that makes Ticketmaster’s fees seem tame, there is a service fee of $23.50 per ticket.
In light of the country’s economic downturn, this year Bonnaroo organizers are offering fans a new option when it comes to paying for the expensive tickets: Layaway.
It’s actually a payment plan that breaks the ticket price into a handful of monthly charges applied to your credit/debit card so that you can pay for the ticket bit-by-bit rather than in one lump sum. But, since most people don’t pay off their cards every month, this seems like a moot point.
According to the official Bonnaroo website, general admission tickets will also be available for a down payment of $90.90, followed by four monthly payments of $50, plus applicable fees through a payment plan. Payment plan ticket fees are $28.90 per ticket (non-payment plan ticket fees are $23.50).
Pairs of V.I.P. tickets are available for a down payment of $373.05, followed by four monthly payments of $285.
We can’t decide whether this is a nice way to help people afford to partake of a fun music event, or bad set-up that is just encouraging people to keep spending themselves deeper into debt, $50 at a time. Maybe you can help us decide.
Are Bonnaroo tickets too expensive?
Will you attend this year?
Is the payment plan a good idea?
Leave a comment and tell us what you think!
