When Beyoncé brings her much-anticipated “Renaissance” world tour to MetLife Stadium this Saturday and Sunday, elite members of the Beyhive will be buzzing within stinging distance of their Queen B.
The hottest — and most expensive — tickets, which sold out immediately, are two VIP experiences named after “Pure/Honey,” the penultimate track on Bey’s Grammy-winning “Renaissance” album, which allow the superstar’s fans to watch the show from risers onstage.
In addition to a dedicated bar and restroom, a limited-edition tour gift and more, those willing to drop a whopping $5,000 — assuming they were even able to grab the tickets at face value — will find themselves in the front row of the risers, close enough to get in formation with Beyoncé herself.
Stage-side seating is just one of the next-level VIP perks being rolled out as the live music business bounces back with a post-pandemic bang.
Now that the days of social distancing are over, artists are all about giving fans A-list access, allowing concertgoers to get up close and personal with intimate experiences that include everything from doing pre-show shots of tequila with Katy Perry to hopping a tour bus to trek around Europe with the Backstreet Boys.
“People were just hungry … and then you open the floodgates,” said Eddie Meehan, CEO and founder of Please & Thank You, the fan-engagement company behind Backstreet Boys’ European experience, as well as VIP offerings for everyone from Justin Timberlake to Mötley Crüe.
“People want to be part of the show. People want to be close to it.”
And while there is rampant fan demand, there is also pent-up desire from the artists to make connections— and cash.
“A lot of artists are trying to make up for the loss in the pandemic,” said Dave Brooks, senior director of live music and touring at Billboard. “You know, ‘What can we sell?’”
Which explains how you get a pop superstar such as Katy Perry boozing it up with fans as part of her “Firework” VIP Experience for her “Play” show at Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas, which begins its final run of dates this weekend. That top-tier package — which also includes a “brilliant” seat, an individual photo op with Perry and a selection of her favorite sushi and sake — costs a cool $1,999.
But that may seem like a bargain compared to the experience Meehan cooked up for Mötley Crüe fans on the group’s co-headlining stadium tour with Def Leppard last summer. In addition to all the usual VIP perks — including the OG meet-and-greet photo op — you got an autographed guitar from the band that sent the package topping out around $5,000.
And for something even more intimate and interactive, Meehan’s company organized a VIP package for New York indie pop trio AJR that included playing dodgeball with them.
For when a night to remember isn’t enough, some artists are bringing their fans with them on vacation. That’s exactly what will be going down when Lionel Richie’s Dancing on the Sand takes place at the renowned Atlantis resort in the Bahamas Nov. 30 to Dec. 3. Packages range from about $3,900 to about $6,500 for two people.
“We’re gonna build a stage on the beach, where Lionel is going to perform for about 2,000 to 3,000 people,” said Howard Cohen, president of Vibee, a new arm of Live Nation specializing in music-oriented destination experiences.
“It’s very, very intimate,” he added of the event, which will also include Sheryl Crow and disco legends Nile Rodgers & Chic. “We’re going to be hosting a fireside chat, where it’s going to be a one-on-one conversation with Lionel talking about his storied career.”
That’s a lot of face time for the fans — the opposite of what they’ll get from leading concert divas Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, who don’t actually have direct contact with their VIP package holders.
Swift’s more basic offering on her epic Eras tour topped out at about $900, and Brooks doesn’t think that anything more expensive than the near-$5,000 price tag of Beyoncé’s priciest of five VIP experiences would be a good look for her.
“It looks like you’re just gouging people,” he said.