What is the cause of the touring industry’s “blue dot fever?”
[This was my weekly column for GlobalNews.ca. – AC]
As the Andes version of hantavirus continues to cause concern among health officials, the music industry is monitoring what’s being called “blue dot fever.”
It’s nothing biological, nor will it be the cause of the next lockdown, but it is of concern.
The condition gets its name from online Ticketmaster seating charts for concerts at venues across North America. A blue dot indicates an unsold seat, and a quick survey of summer concerts features a lot of gigs that look like a bad case of Smurf measles.
For the couple of years immediately following COVID, business for the touring end of the music industry surged as we made up for lost time during the shut-in period in 2020-21. We called it “funflation,” a wave of spending on things that hadn’t been able to do.
Concert revenues exploded, with 145 million people attending gigs in 2023, compared to 98 million in 2019, before the pandemic. Last year, the global market for concert tickets was worth US$25.4 billion as stadiums and arenas worldwide were filled to capacity. And as 2026 started, predictions were that this would be another banner year.
BUT…
