Grateful Dead’s 60th Anniversary Shows Face Backlash Over ‘Disrespectful’ Ticket Prices
SAN FRANCISCO — Dead & Company’s upcoming 60th anniversary celebration at Golden Gate Park was supposed to be a triumphant tribute to the Grateful Dead’s legendary legacy. Instead, it’s being overshadowed by controversy, as fans express deep frustration over what they call exorbitant and exclusionary ticket prices.
Steep Costs Spark Online Fury
A general admission three-day pass for the San Francisco shows is going for $635 on Ticketmaster, while VIP tickets cost as much as $1,725, offering premium views, upgraded restrooms, and exclusive food and drink access. While some resale sites like SeatGeek have listings around $279, many fans say the damage has already been done.
“It totally goes against what the Grateful Dead was all about. Jerry [Garcia] is rolling over in his grave,” said one longtime fan, quoted in the San Francisco Standard.
Deadheads Say It’s a ‘Money Grab’
The pricing backlash has been particularly fierce among longtime Deadheads, many of whom remember the band’s community-first spirit and history of free shows in Golden Gate Park during the 1960s and ’70s.
“This whole thing is just a big money grab, a real ‘f— you’ to the fans,” one fan told the Standard. Prior to Garcia’s death in 1995, the highest-priced ticket to a Grateful Dead show was just $35—about $73 adjusted for inflation.
“It’s Not About the Music Anymore”
Critics also point out that Dead & Company already billed their 2023 tour as the “final tour,” only to return for high-profile residencies at Las Vegas’s Sphere in 2024 and 2025. Some now view the 60th anniversary concerts as a “hype gimmick”, designed more for profits than legacy.
“This is a damn polo field, not a 2.3 billion-dollar Sphere,” one Reddit user wrote, pointing out that Sphere ticket presales started at $145, making the Golden Gate Park pricing even harder to swallow.
An Alternative for Fans: IMAX Stream
For those who can’t (or won’t) attend in person, a silver lining remains: The final show on August 3 will be broadcast live in IMAX theaters across North America, allowing fans to experience the milestone performance without breaking the bank.
Do you think legacy bands like the Grateful Dead should price shows affordably for longtime fans? Share your views with us at ChicagoMusicGuide.com.