Coldplay's concert in Athens this week highlighted a well-known fact: when a band popular with Israelis performs at a destination favored by Israelis, the audience will be packed with them. But what about those who couldn't make it due to flight prices nearing $1,000? It turns out that the demand from Israelis for Coldplay concerts is so dominant in certain locations that mass cancellations can cause ticket prices to plummet.
"Coldplay is the national concert, perhaps the most beloved band among Israelis, appealing to the broadest common denominator. We have customers who attended a concert a year or two ago and keep coming back. It's a guaranteed sell," says Eyal Rimer, content manager at Ticket House, a site that sells tickets and packages for concerts and events abroad.
Israel members of the audience chant 'being them home' in tribute to Gaza hostages at Coldplay show in Athens
"For Coldplay's concerts in Athens, we sold packages for €1,400 and €1,500, which included tickets worth €500-800. Two weeks before the concert, ticket prices collapsed to €150-200, even though everyone expected prices to exceed €800. This happened because Israelis released a lot of tickets back into the market. We discovered that Israelis significantly impact prices at relevant events."
What happened?
"Israelis release tickets in large quantities for several reasons, or a combination of all of them: they don't want to travel to a certain destination because flight prices are unreasonable, or because of the current situation. There are many cancellations: we receive about five requests for resale or ticket cancellation every day.
"Coldplay's concerts in Lyon, for example, were our best-sellers before the war. People bought tickets a year in advance because we had great prices, and now 80% want to cancel. It's a mix of factors: first, there's a fear of an unfriendly atmosphere toward Israelis in France. Additionally, Transavia's direct flights were canceled, as were EasyJet's flights to Geneva, which is close to Lyon. This complicates travel—people need to fly to Paris or Marseille and then take a train or make connections, with high flight prices. It’s a combination of all these issues. Moreover, I think people just aren't in the mood for concerts right now. In the past, people would go to great lengths to attend, but now it needs to fit perfectly into their plans."
Flights to Athens reached Tokyo prices
Gabriel Mizrahi, owner and CEO of Tiktik, a company specializing in selling tickets and packages for overseas concerts and sports events, agrees. "Coldplay in Athens was supposed to be a huge deal for Israelis. The most beloved band among Israelis performing at a nearby destination. If they had come to Israel, they would have filled Yarkon Park at least five times. Imagine how many people waited for the weekend the tickets went on sale and bought them because they genuinely wanted to go. I estimate more than 10,000 people.
"The tickets were sold well in advance, and people waited to see what the foreign airlines would offer. Slowly, it became clear that the prices were very high for the destination: $500 and up. Then flights got canceled. Everyone waited for the low-cost airlines to return because it's only a two-hour flight. But that didn't happen, and prices kept rising. Then Aegean and Ryanair canceled flights, and the few seats on Israeli airlines filled up quickly, making the dream even more distant as flights became more expensive, up to $800. I know someone who even paid $1,000—an insane price like a flight to Tokyo. People waited until two to three weeks before the concert and saw no drop in flight prices or return of low-cost airlines. So suddenly, thousands of Israelis put their tickets up for sale, crashing the prices."
Israelis released tickets, driving down El Clasico prices
This phenomenon began right after October 7. Rimer says, "We noticed this earlier with El Clasico in October. All flights from Israel were canceled, and most ticket holders tried to get rid of them. Prices for such events are usually very high, up to €1,000, but for the first time, prices dropped to those of a regular game or even lower because all the Israelis flooded the market with their tickets.
"Typically, it's hard to know what's happening in the industry because ticket sales for concerts and games are divided among many players. The biggest sellers hold a few hundred tickets per event. Each seller typically has 100-500 tickets. For events like an Adele concert, there are between 20,000 to 100,000 tickets in total. So, no one really knows how many buyers there are; there's usually no clear market picture.
"For the first time, we saw prices plummet with our own eyes. You see it systematically: 'Israeli events' that you know are strong—but we didn't know how strong. We saw the price drops on ticket exchanges like Viagogo, the rush to sell tickets in Facebook groups, and then you know Israelis flooded the market and brought prices down. Usually, when you cancel, you're competing with very few sellers because these are in-demand events. Suddenly, you see another 50 people listing tickets just like yours, and prices drop."
Where else has this happened?
"As mentioned, there's an influx of tickets in Lyon, Athens and Budapest. 'Israeli' destinations see ticket releases affecting prices. How do I know? Because in 'non-Israeli' destinations, there's no change; everything is normal. For example, concerts in Scandinavia show typical pricing, but in Israeli-favored destinations like Athens, Budapest, Vienna, Rome, Milan, Larnaca and Bucharest, Israelis influence the market more than any other nation."
How do you know about other nations?
"Because only in those places do we see these price drops and mass cancellations by Israelis. For instance, I know an entire family of ten who planned to attend Coldplay in Athens. They bought tickets a year ago and told me, 'We're just giving up on the tickets. We can't sell them because prices have crashed, and we're not in the mood. We're also a bit afraid to go to a large event with many Israelis.' They were simply afraid of a security incident, so they flew to Athens and enjoyed their time there without the concert."
Are there concerts Israelis will attend without cancellations?
"In Bucharest, there are very good prices for Coldplay concerts. Sting, a very popular artist among Israelis, is performing in Athens, which has become like a second Tel Aviv. His July concerts in Athens sold out within five minutes, and flight prices skyrocketed on Sting's concert dates. If, heaven forbid, there is a northern front, we might see cancellations for Sting as well. Israelis haven't yet released tickets for Coldplay in Vienna, but flight prices are insane, around $900. If the situation continues, we might see a similar phenomenon there.
"In any case, all summer flight prices are completely crazy. Suddenly, some destinations sell for €500; there's no consistency. Overall, prices are very, very high."
800,000 tickets for Adele in Munich, but flights are expensive
According to Mizrahi, ticket releases are expected for other concerts as well. "For Sting, the situation is the opposite of Coldplay. Flights to see Sting are cheap, but ticket prices are soaring to €800-900 because he performs day after day in a small stadium of 5,000 seats. So, there are many variables.
"Of course, there's the war, but there are also many other considerations: Adele has 10 concerts in Munich, totaling 800,000 tickets, during peak season. Munich only has flights from Israel with El Al and Lufthansa, and prices are around $1,000. There are many tickets on the market, and people bought them relatively cheaply, but the flights are expensive. Taylor Swift performs in Amsterdam, Paris and London, with ticket prices between $800 and $1,000 per person. In contrast, those who flew to Lyon, a less 'Israeli' destination, could see her for $200-300 per person."
What other concerts are Israelis flocking to?
"Olivia Rodrigo, David Gilmour, who performs in Rome at the end of September and October, and Adele. André Rieu is also on the list, but Israelis prefer to see him in his hometown of Maastricht. Many Israelis attend two to three Taylor Swift concerts, one after another, or see her again in another city.
"When you buy a ticket, it's crucial to have reliable support because we often hear about 'the dream and its shattering.' Especially for big events, people find their tickets don't scan at the entrance, which is extremely disappointing after waiting so long. For major events, we keep spare tickets. If someone gets stuck, we immediately send a replacement via WhatsApp. This is the most important thing when purchasing tickets for such large-scale events."
What about the Euro? Eyal Rimer claims, "Israelis are traveling to the Euro, but not as many as could. The lack of enthusiasm and limited flights have led to a decline in trips to the Euro. The entire industry stocked up, but sales aren't peaking, leading to a significant revenue drop. This is an industry driven by mood, and there's no mood now. Few will travel to the Olympics either, due to Paris's negative connotation."
Mizrahi is more optimistic: "Estimates suggest 10,000 to 20,000 Israelis will travel throughout the month to the tournament. Hebrew will be widely heard, especially in Berlin, as it's the easiest destination for Israelis. The quarter-finals fall in July, during the summer break and on a weekend. Plus, travelers can watch two quarter-finals in one trip, making it very attractive. You can also travel between cities to see four to five matches. Sales are currently calm but will pick up after the event starts. Once people see the excitement and drama, they'll decide to go last minute. The same will happen with the Olympics—if the young Israeli team succeeds, if there are events where Israel is expected to do well, people will be motivated and travel spontaneously."
According to Rimer, people are still traveling because "life goes on." "There were many trips for Taylor Swift's concerts, as many were bat mitzvah gifts, and they don't want to disappoint the girls. So, they traveled to France, Spain. Life continues somehow, but sales are down."
How are you coping with the decline in ticket sales?
"We have shifted our sales to overseas markets due to the dramatic drop in revenue. We now sell in Europe, to Europeans."
How does data leakage affect ticket purchases?
"Live Nation is the highest-ticketing company in the world. Hackers can breach any company. I don't think it significantly impacts Israeli customers; it doesn't stop them from flying or ordering on Ticketmaster."
Around 30,000 Israelis are expected to attend Coldplay concerts this summer, similar to the last two years and Yossi Elfasi, CEO of Live Tickets, remains optimistic. "Israelis at concerts are a phenomenon. For Coldplay, they are the largest audience after the local crowd. We are the biggest ticket-buying country after the host nation. Despite the war, the numbers are still high. Without the war, they would be even higher, but we are still very surprised by the turnout. At Coldplay in Athens, there were over 5,000 Israelis. Those are significant numbers. Yes, there were cancellations, but the figures remain substantial.
"This will be the third consecutive year that 20,000 to 30,000 Israelis will attend Coldplay's summer tour. Some are attending for the second or third time. Some who attended the first concert in Athens immediately bought tickets for the next day's show. Another example: Sting performed in Bratislava, which has no direct flights, but it's a 50-minute drive from Vienna. About 250 Israelis attended, and you could see them everywhere in the city center.
Sting performs in Bratislava
(Video: Yuval Lidor)
"Many Israelis also bought tickets for Bruce Springsteen's European tour, even though he postponed his shows to next year. Israelis love concerts abroad. It's different from Yarkon Park. It's new, with a different crowd and experience, and Israelis need escapism. They also find ways to manage costs, like flying to Budapest and then to Vienna for a Coldplay concert instead of paying for a direct flight to Vienna. For Athens, people flew via Thessaloniki and Crete. It's very Israeli: first, buy the concert ticket, then figure out the flight. That's why so many tickets are sold because sometimes the plan doesn't work out."
What about concerns of anti-Israeli sentiment?
We have clients who traveled to see Eric Clapton a few days after he performed in Ireland with a guitar painted with the Palestinian flag. Israeli audiences are forgiving. We are still selling many tickets for Billie Eilish for next year. Israelis likely won't buy tickets for Roger Waters, nor will they travel to Sweden for a concert."