Vegas Ticket Trends

What happens in Vegas may very well stay there, but what’s happened to the U.S. economy is certainly beginning to trickle down into Glitter Gultch.

While the city has a history of flexible pricing and casinos presenting shows at a loss to increase hotel and gaming visits, more and more ticket deals are being offered to get local butts in seats.

Scott Zeiger, producer of Cirque du Soleil’s “Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular,” told the Las Vegas Review-Journal tickets are being offered at sharp discounts for locals – $30, compared with the regular range from $75 to $165 – to build interest.

“Quite frankly, the economy has changed and it’s important for us to recognize that,” Zeiger said. “The industry I’m in is dependent on people spending their discretionary dollars. We have to offer a good price to attract locals.”

Another new trend in Vegas is last-minute ticket purchases.

Zeiger said hundreds of tickets are typically sold day of show for an evening performance, when a year ago the same shows would sell out well in advance.

“It’s just a bit of a nail-biter to look at tomorrow night’s show and see only 650 tickets sold,” he said. “But by day’s end I’ve sold 1,300 tickets.”

To combat last-minute sales, tickets for some acts, including Bette Midler and Jerry Seinfeld at Caesars Palace, were recently offered with dinner deals for roughly $135.

But other casinos are bucking that trend.

Tickets to Beyoncé’s recent “I Am … Yours” dates at the 1,500-seat Encore Theatre at Wynn Las Vegas were available to fans for a pretty penny, ranging from $279 to $1,104, the Review-Journal reported.

Even more costly was the original offer, which packaged the Beyoncé tickets with a required two-night stay at the hotel, the paper said. The hotel requirement was abandoned weeks later.