Arcade Fire’s £110 tickets at Brixton are part of a disturbing trend

Much has been writen of soaring ticket prices at big, grade A shows, but this is increasingly true at smaller venues too, writes James Moore. How long before fans decide they’ve had enough?

The band will be playing their upcoming shows at the Brixton Academy (Getty Images for Coachella)

“I can be both angry at the ticket price of Arcade Fire’s Brixton gig, and angry that they sold out before I could get them. I can and I am.”

I saw this in a tweet in relation to the £110 a throw the band is charging for its forthcoming shows at Brixton Academy, which is now back in business with revised safety procedures after a horrific tragedy in which two people died in a crush.

My first reaction was pretty similar: a loud, “wait, what?” I love the Academy. It is one of those iconic venues. The walls as you make your way in are splattered with its illustrious history, featuring the names of some of the legendary acts that have played there. It’s dusty. A bit musty. A bit old.