BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 Concert postponements and cancellations are becoming more common across the country, and some in Kern County are beginning to feel the effects locally.<\/p>\n
Entertainment industry professionals say rising ticket prices and tighter household budgets are making it harder for concerts and live events to draw large crowds.<\/p>\n
\u201cEntertainment is one of the first things to go. It\u2019s a luxury item, right?\u201d said Danny Hill, owner and chief operating officer of Hill Broadcasting.<\/p>\n
Hill said when concerts are postponed or canceled, low ticket sales are often the driving factor.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo anytime I see like, \u2018Oh, it didn\u2019t work out,\u2019 or there was a scheduling conflict, nine times out of 10, that\u2019s a ticket sales issue,\u201d Hill said.<\/p>\n
He said many families are being forced to prioritize necessities over entertainment.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo I get gas and food or do I see Madonna? Right? I think I\u2019m gonna get the food,\u201d Hill said.<\/p>\n
Hill also pointed to the rise of third-party ticket re-sellers, saying resale prices can quickly climb far above the original ticket cost.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey would do a $10, 2$0 concert, but then they sell it out and then they\u2019re resold for $600, $700, $800 dollars and no one can afford that,\u201d Hill said.<\/p>\n
According to Hill, artists who want to keep events affordable often have little control over ticket prices once shows sell out and tickets hit resale markets.<\/p>\n
As attendance slows, Hill said the concert industry is adapting. More tours now feature multiple headliners as promoters try to offer audiences more value for their money.<\/p>\n
The impact is also affecting local performers and venues.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard,\u201d Hill said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of pressure put on you if you\u2019re a local singer in a band. They want you to pack the bar, so it\u2019s going to restrict a lot of opportunities for entertainment, at least on a local level, for DJs and events.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hill said Bakersfield can be a particularly difficult market because attending events often requires families to pay for tickets, babysitters and time away from work all at once.<\/p>\n
Despite current struggles, Hill said he believes the entertainment industry will recover as the economy improves.<\/p>\n
He added that some local venues are already adjusting by focusing more on comedy shows and lower-cost events while concert attendance remains slow.<\/p>\n
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