U2 has addressed concerns about their ticket prices.
After their Las Vegas Sphere residency and ahead of an upcoming tour, Bono said the group has little control over concert pricing, but is okay with wealthier fans paying more for premium tickets.
"What we do in our band is we take the best seats in the house — we've done this all our life — and make sure that they're often the most affordable," he told The New York Times' 'The Interview' podcast in an Oct. 17 episode.
The "With or Without You" singer, 66, continued: "We also have no problem separating rich people from their money. You know, as we say, rich people have feelings, too. If they want to pay very high prices, we've no problem."
However, Bono clarified that making some front-row seats
less expensive has been a goal for a while. He also said he wants to ensure fans feel they get their money's worth when they leave a U2 show. That includes providing a safe space for fans with opposing political beliefs to unite through a shared love for the music.
"I think there’s a level of depth at a U2 show where people who genuinely don’t normally agree with each other’s politics feel safe. I’m very proud of that. If they’re in America, we want people to feel really good about their choice to probably pay too much to see us. But we are going to challenge them," he said.
The interview comes over two years after they finished their 40-date residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas from September 2023 through March 2024. When the debut residency at the new venue was announced, ticket prices started at $140, and the Sphere said 60% of tickets would be priced under $300, though it also sold a limited number of premium-priced tickets.
U2 to drop new album with Dolly Parton collaboration
The podcast appearance comes as the band is gearing up to drop "Carnaval De Luz," their first full album of new material in nearly a decade.
The band's 16th studio album is slated to release Nov. 13 and includes collaborations with Rosalía and the late Dolly Parton, who died Aug. 25 following a brief battle with cancer. In the final track, "Torn," Bono and the "9 to 5" singer duet in what became Parton's final vocal recording.
Daniel Lanois, who has produced for musicians from Bob Dylan to Willie Nelson, plays pedal steel guitar on the track, which U2 wrote with Parton and Johnny McDaid (Snow Patrol). In the official album announcement, the group described the duet as "a tender country song detailing broken family ties that holds wider resonances."
The tracklist for the new album includes:
- "Go (Carnaval De Luz)"
- "La Reina"
- "Street Of Dreams"
- "The Mirror Maker" (Rosalía)
- "Superficiality"
- "If The World Is At War We Better Not Be"
- "Silencio"
- "The Greatest Show On Earth"
- "Glorify"
- "Midnight Sunshine"
- "Can’t Stop Us Now"
- "Torn" (Feat. Dolly Parton)
Contributing: Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bono says he has 'no problem' with rich people paying more for U2 tickets
