Grateful Dead Tickets to Final Shows May Get Super Bowl Treatment on Secondary Market

Fare thee well, Grateful Dead. The iconic rock band will perform a final trio of shows at Chicago’s Soldier Field this July, and secondary market ticket prices have soared to see the band one last time this summer.

The average secondary price for Grateful Dead tickets on TicketIQ is now $576.47 over the group’s last three shows, which will be some of the most expensive single concert performances in North America this year.

However, with the  general public on-sale not available until February 28, preliminary prices are specifically based on speculative tickets on the secondary market.

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Exorbitant secondary ticket prices will be a constant in the months and weeks leading up to the Dead’s final shows this July. With Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann and Bob Weir all taking the stage one last time between July 3 and 5, buyers beware – those astronomically-priced tickets may not be fulfilled.

It’s a process that flogged fans during the Super Bowl last week; early purchases before tickets were physically available were never met due to the unusual trend of ticket prices continuing to increase all the way up to the game. Because of rising ticket demand, those speculative tickets went to buyers who were willing to pay more, while early buyers were left to kick dust outside University of Phoenix Stadium.

Fans searching for Grateful Dead tickets may be met with a similar experience this summer. The three concerts in Chicago will undoubtedly be packed to the brim, so those perusing the internet for tickets should be cautious when purchasing tickets. It’s likely that prices will continue to increase over the next several months, especially since the group hasn’t hit Soldier Field since Jerry Garcia’s final performance in 1995.

The Super Bowl ticket meltdown was a trend that’s never been seen on the secondary market before. Prospective buyers bought speculative tickets, only to be turned away because the tickets were bought at a higher price. With Grateful Dead tickets potentially following the same pattern, fans should be alert and conscious when checking out – contact the seller and get as much information as possible before coughing up the cash for tickets.

Those planning to attend are in for a good time as long as they can get past the turnstile. The Fare Thee Well Tour will also feature guest appearances by Phish frontman Trey Anastasio, Jeff Chimenti and Bruce Hornsby.