Gig tickets have doubled in price since the 1990s

Average ticket prices for arena gigs have doubled since the 1990s, a new study has found.

A report commissioned by the BBC for BBC 5 live's Wake Up to Money show revealed that, when taking inflation into account, prices have risen by 27%.

The study, which looked at data across 21 venues from the National Arenas Association, showed ticket prices at face value by the promoter (rather than secondary ticket websites), rose faster than inflation between 1999 and 2016.

In 1999 the average cost of a ticket was £22.58, which is £37.20 at today's prices. In 2016, that figure had risen to £45.49 (£47.14 today). 

One example used on BBC 5 live was the Spice Girls' Wembley Stadium show in 1998, which cost £23.50, or £39 in today's money. 

By comparison, Taylor Swift's show at the same venue this June costs between £55 and £120. 

John Corr of Sound Moves, a company that handles some of the world's biggest tours including Beyonce, Madonna and The Rolling Stones, said that the rise in ticket prices is down to tours being more ambitious and therefore costly. 

He told the BBC: "People complain about the cost of the tickets... but when they understand the scale of what goes on in the background they begin to get an understanding of why we've got to the cost we have.

"People's expectations keep rising - do they want a musical performance or do they want a show?"

The rise of streaming has also meant live music has become a more important source of income for performance. 

In stark contrast, The Music Venue Trust said the average cost of grassroots gigs has remained roughly the same for 20 years, at around £8.