Deep Data Cuts: Q3 Totals Reflect Stadium Growth But Modest Drops Among Smaller Venues

Venue box-office totals from the first three quarters of 2025 reflect both decreases and increases compared to results from the past two years, but don’t look for plummeting falls and dramatic spikes. There is a status quo sensibility in the numbers, although slight declines are more prominent than much significant growth. Of the eight venue size categories, six see both ups and downs, but two reflect across-the-board percentage increases over 2024.

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During the Q3 eligibility timeframe – Nov. 14, 2024-Aug. 13, 2025 – the average number of tickets sold per show, average gross, and average ticket price all reflect double-digit increases in the largest category of venues with capacities topping 30,000.

With artists such as Shakira, Beyoncé, The Weeknd and Coldplay among the top stadium draws this year, the ticket sales average is 59,320, 14.9 percent greater than the 51,624-ticket average in 2024. This year’s $7.63 million gross average also reflects growth and by a healthy 22.5 percent. The largest jump, though, is the average ticket price of $234.96. It is 29.7 percent higher at stadiums than 2024’s $181.14.

Then, the 5,001-10,000-capacity group also shows upward movement across the board, although not to the degree of the stadium facilities. Comprised of outdoor venues like Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre or theaters like Mexico City’s Auditorio Nacional and New York’s Radio City Music Hall, this group had only one double-digit increase over 2024. The average ticket price this year is $107.67, which tops 2024’s $94.62 by 13.8 percent. The ticket and gross averages were also both higher this year, but by only 2.4 and 3.3 percent, respectively.

In the other six venue categories, we see twice as many percentage decreases as increases compared to the past two years in all three box-office metrics. Granted, they are not dramatic drops. Of the 24 decreases in a year-to-year breakdown, none are two-digit figures, as the largest drop is 9.4 percent. But, of the 12 percentage increases, five of them are greater than 10 percent.

In the smallest venue category with capacities of 750 or less, primarily clubs like the City Winery venues, the average gross of $10,075 is 7.2 percent higher than last year, but the sold-ticket average of 278 is 3.5 percent lower. Yet looking at the ticket counts from all three years: 299, 288 and 278, they are still similar in scope – the upper 200s, a similarity that is possible for venues of this size, but not in other categories, such as an arena group.

In the next highest category, 751-1,500 capacities, the difference is a bit more profound but still nothing dramatic. The average number of tickets sold totaled 849 in 2023 and 800 last year but 769 this year, 3.9 percent less. Grosses also dropped by about the same percentage, with the past two years averaging over $35k per show but only $33,714 this year. This venue group includes rooms like Washington’s 9:30 Club, The Wilbur in Boston and The Bellwether in Los Angeles.

The 1,501-2,500 category, including Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and Citizens House of Blues Boston, barely sees any decrease at all in tickets and gross. The average ticket count of 1,457 is less than one percent lower than last year’s 1,460. Likewise, the gross average of $81.8k is only 0.6 percent lower than 2024’s $82.3k. On the other hand, the average ticket price jumps 10.1 percent, from $61.27 last year to $67.48 in 2025.

Atlanta’s Fox Theatre and Beacon Theater in New York and other theaters in the 2,501-5,000 range also collectively performed much like they did in the Q3 period last year, with only a 1.2 percent drop in tickets and 0.5 percent in gross, but the average ticket price also was slightly less: $73.08 this year, but $74.98 in 2024.

Then, at indoor arenas, most numbers are slightly down this year, but by very small percentages. The mid-sized arenas in the 10,001-15,000 group moved 2.5 percent less tickets, while grosses dropped 2 percent, but the ticket price average jumped 8 percent to $105.76, topping $100 for the first time.

Larger arenas and amphitheaters with capacities of 15,001-30,000 averaged 13,552 tickets last year, but 13,370 this year, 1.3 percent less. And grosses, while averaging $1.44 million per show in 2024, averaged $1.33 million this year – a larger drop of 7.3 percent. The average price is also down 3 percent from $133.03 to $129.07.