How much should I charge for event tickets?

The short answer

Start with what the event costs you per person, look at what similar events nearby charge, and land somewhere that covers your costs with a margin and feels fair to the people you want to come. Then test it: if you sell out in a day, you were probably too cheap; if nobody books, look at the price and the pitch.

There is no perfect number. There is a sensible range, and you find it with a little arithmetic and a little looking around.

Start with your floor

Your floor is the price where you break even at a realistic turnout, not a full house. Work it out from your fixed costs and your cost per guest. Our post on how many tickets you need to break even walks through it, and the ticket price calculator does the sum for you, with a suggested price and the booking fee added.

Never price below your floor unless you have decided to subsidise the event, for example as a free community day.

Look at what others charge

Search for similar events in your area: the same kind of activity, a similar length, a similar venue. Note what they include. A $45 paint and sip night with a drink and all materials is a different offer to a $30 one where you bring your own.

You do not have to match them. But if you are much higher, your page needs to say why.

Price for your audience

Think about who you want in the room:

• Students and community groups are price-sensitive. A lower price, or a concession ticket, opens the door.
• Professionals at a networking event care more about who else is there than about $10.
• Families add up fast. A family ticket or a child price helps.

Offering two or three ticket types, like concession, standard and supporter, lets people pay what suits them without you guessing.

Round numbers and fees

Round prices are easier to remember and to share: $20 reads better than $18.50. Think about how fees show at checkout. If the buyer pays a booking fee on top, the price on your page stays round and the total is a little more. If you absorb the fee, raise your price so you still cover your costs.

Use early birds and limits carefully

An early-bird price rewards people who commit early and helps your cash flow. Keep the discount modest, and let it end on a date or after a number sell. See how to set up early-bird tickets.

Review after each event

After the event, look at how fast it sold and who came. If it filled early, nudge the price up next time. If it was slow, ask a few people what would have made it easier to say yes. Price is only one reason.

On One Ticket

You set the price and keep all of it. On a paid ticket the buyer pays a booking fee on top, shown as its own line at checkout. For example, a $20 ticket costs the buyer $21.37, a $30 ticket $31.80 and a $50 ticket $52.14. Free tickets cost nothing.

Each event can have several ticket types with different prices, caps and sales windows, so concession, standard and supporter tickets sit side by side. Discount codes and price changes over time are built in. Put any price into the fee calculator to see what the buyer pays.

Related: Who pays the booking fee on event tickets?, How to add a discount code to event tickets and How do I set up adult, child and family tickets?