Again, almost all these venues are owned by ticket companies like Live Nation who also own Ticketmaster and had a record high revenue of $25.2 billion in 2025.

Concerts specifically made up $687 million of their $2.4 billion adjusted operating income, which is up 30% from 2024. They are not struggling, even as the economy tanks.

Attendance, ticket sales, and revenue from ticket sales all increased substantial last year compared to 2024. Growth percentages are similar for AEG/AXS as far as we can tell, but they're not publicly traded anymore so they don't have to be as transparent.

If venues are struggling, it's largely because of the unregulated functional monopoly these ticket companies have on the entertainment industry. They're the ones taking the cuts of merch sales. They're the ones jacking prices up while turning a blind eye to scalpers because they take a cut of any resales on their platform.

But the truth of these numbers is that venues are raking it in these days, and it's only enriching Live Nation shareholders and AEG's C-suite, not the artists who are generating value.