I purchased a ticket for hundreds of dollars and I don’t plan on going to the show. There are too many restrictions, variables, and unknowns.

I’m not alone. Many fans who dropped money on tickets aren’t showing up. No-shows at concerts are near 20%, while the UK is nearing 40%.

No shows hurt venues, promoters, and artists because they sell less merchandise and alcohol and they tend to overstaff. Veteran acts have been hit the hardest with significant no-show rates.

The once thriving UK live scene has turned into a ghost town. Artists have resorted to massive guests just to get people to show up

“You always had people that didn’t turn up,” said artist manager Graeme Stewart. “It was around 5% normally, but you’re getting as much as 40% no-shows for some gigs now. It’s an enormous problem, and it’s happening for anything that’s ticketed.”