How to Price
Event Tickets

There are two fundamental approaches to ticket pricing, and most successful organisers use a blend of both.

Cost-plus pricing: Start with your total costs. Venue hire, artist or speaker fees, production, staffing, marketing spend, insurance, and any licensing fees. Divide that total by your target number of tickets sold (not your full capacity; assume 70-80% sell-through for a first event). Add your desired profit margin. That gives you a minimum viable ticket price.

Value-based pricing: Research what similar events in your area charge. A comedy club in Manchester charging £15 for a lineup of three acts sets a market expectation. If your event offers a bigger headliner or a better venue, you can charge more. If you are unknown, you may need to undercut the market to build an audience.

The smart approach is to calculate your cost-plus price as your floor, then use value-based research to set your actual price. If the market will bear £25 and your cost-plus price is £18, you have healthy margin. If the market says £15 and your cost-plus says £20, you need to cut costs or accept a loss-leader first event.

The price on the tin is not always the price the fan pays. Most ticketing platforms add booking fees on top, and this catches many organisers off guard.

On Eventbrite, a £25 ticket actually costs the buyer around £27.33 after the 6.95% + £0.59 fee. On Skiddle, the same ticket might cost £27.25 with their £1.50 + 5% structure. These fees vary by platform. Use our fee calculator to model the exact cost on each platform.

You have three options for handling fees. First, pass them to the buyer, which is the most common approach but can cause checkout surprise. Second, absorb them yourself, which keeps the price clean but reduces your margin. Third, use a zero-fee platform like tickts, where the listed price is the final price with no booking fees added.

Whichever option you choose, be transparent. Hidden fees at checkout are the number one cause of abandoned ticket purchases. If your ticket is £25, make sure the buyer knows what they will actually pay before they reach the payment page.

Tiered pricing is the single most effective technique for maximising both revenue and sell-through. It works by creating price levels that reward early buyers and increase urgency over time.

Early bird (10-20% off): Release a limited batch at a discounted price. This seeds initial sales, creates social proof, and gives you early revenue to cover upfront costs. Limit the quantity strictly. When they are gone, they are gone.

Standard: Your core price point. This is where the majority of your tickets should sell. Set it at the value-based price that the market supports.

Final release / late (10-15% premium): As the event approaches and demand builds, release a final batch at a higher price. This rewards early buyers and captures maximum value from latecomers.

Door price (optional): If you sell on the door, price it above the online price. This incentivises advance purchases, which helps you plan capacity and gives you guaranteed revenue.

Announce your tier structure publicly. When people can see that early bird tickets are £15, standard are £20, and final release is £25, they understand the value of buying early. This transparency builds trust and drives urgency.

Before setting any price, do your homework. Here is a practical research process.

Check competitors: Search Eventbrite, Skiddle, DICE, and tickts for similar events in your area. Note their prices, including any booking fees. Look at events of similar size, genre, and production level.

Survey your audience: If you have an existing following, ask them directly. A quick Instagram poll asking “Would you pay £15, £20, or £25 for [event type]?” gives you real data from real potential buyers.

Consider the full cost to attend: Your ticket price is not the only cost for attendees. They also have transport, drinks, food, and possibly accommodation. A £30 ticket for a city-centre event is very different from a £30 ticket for a rural festival where people also need to budget for travel and camping.

Account for your brand stage: New organisers with no track record need to earn trust. Price competitively for your first few events, deliver an excellent experience, and build a reputation that supports higher prices later. Established brands with loyal followings can command a premium.

For venue-specific pricing benchmarks and capacity data, UK Venue Guide is a useful resource.

Avoid these pitfalls that catch out first-time and experienced organisers alike.

Pricing too low out of fear: Underpricing devalues your event and can actually reduce demand. People associate low prices with low quality. If your event is good, price it to reflect that.

Ignoring the fee impact: A £20 ticket with £3 in booking fees is really a £23 ticket. If your competition charges £22 all-in on a zero-fee platform, you are more expensive despite a lower face value. Always compare total cost to the buyer.

No pricing tiers: A single fixed price leaves money on the table. Early bird tiers drive advance sales. Late-release tiers capture maximum value from keen buyers. Use at least two tiers.

Changing prices erratically: If you drop your price mid-sale, early buyers feel cheated. If you raise it without warning, you look opportunistic. Plan your pricing tiers in advance and stick to them.

Forgetting about VAT: If your business is VAT-registered, remember that your ticket price is VAT-inclusive for consumers. A £24 ticket means you receive £20 plus £4 VAT. Factor this into your cost-plus calculation.

For a complete walkthrough of selling tickets from start to finish, see our step-by-step selling guide.