The Grateful Dead has never been about the money...but the "Fare Thee Well" concert seems to have provided quite enough to supplement its members' retirements (in case they don't continue with their other acts). Although AEG Live hasn't opted to reveal any of the financial information for the two weekends of the concert series, Billboard has compiled its own estimate and concluded that the band made, at the very least, $55 million over the last two weeks.
Start with ticket sales. We do know that the five shows—two at Levis Stadium in Santa Clara and three at Soldier Field in Chicago—all sold out. That comes out to a total attendance of 130,000 out West and 212,000 in the Midwest (the three Chicago shows are respectively the three highest-attended events in the stadium's 90-year history). There were different ticket prices depending on seating, but Billboard took the average fee ($120) and multiplied it accordingly, coming to an estimated total of $50 million between the two weekends.
And of course, fans were more than willing to shell out for merchandise at the historic concerts. A source, possibly connected to Global Merchandising Services, told the publication that the average fan spent $25 on merch...an absurdly high amount (the average arena show brings in around $5 per-head on merch). That comes out to $6 million for the Chicago shows alone. Expect similar numbers out West.
This was more than just another stadium show however. Considering the historic nature of the performances, "Fare Thee Well" was available live on pay-per-view via HBO. Although those numbers haven't been made available, AEG representative Peter Shapiro told Billboard that it would easily be the "biggest music-based PPV ever," and the five-concert package cost $110 for viewers. Additionally, theaters around the country sold out live-viewings of the concerts.
The Dead have always been grateful to its fans...but this takes the cake.
