Image by Lara Antunez de Mayolo Daly

Fandom and consumerism have gone hand-in-hand for decades. Over the years, the music industry has found new ways to monetise devotion, from deluxe albums to coloured vinyl and limited-edition merch. Concert films are the latest addition to the formula.  

For labels, a sold-out tour is no longer enough. Following major runs, artists such as Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and BTS have made their live shows into cinematic events. Filmed at a designated tour stop, these films offer high-quality footage of the performers for fans who lost the “Ticketmaster wars”. Fans are aware that it isn’t the real thing, but the zoom-ins and oscillating drone shots backed by cheering crowds are close. The appeal of concert films isn’t lost on cinemas either. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (2023), the highest-grossing concert film ever, opened with £5.7 million in the UK. 

For fans, the appeal is obvious. Concert films reach countries left off tour schedules, and offer a much cheaper alternative to live tickets. That matters in places such as London, where stadium concerts are increasingly shaped by dynamic pricing, resale culture, and expensive VIP packages. BTS’ ARIRANG world tour is scheduled to stop at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in July 2026, while Netflix has already expanded the comeback into screen-based events through BTS: THE RETURN and BTS COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG.

This wider screen culture is especially visible in London. Promotional campaigns now spill into public space as much as they do online. In February 2026, BTS staged a rose-wall pop-up in Covent Garden as part of the ARIRANG rollout, turning album promotion into a physical fan event in one of the city’s busiest tourist areas. For students and young fans already priced out of multiple live shows, these events show how the music industry now sells not just music, but participation.

Concert films try to reproduce the emotional intensity of a live event. Many films include backstage footage or commentary from the artist reflecting on the tour, its hardships, and their relationship with the fans. Along with modern technology, concert films are able to effortlessly recreate the high. Cinemas encourage this atmosphere too. Odeon has promoted BTS live-viewing events as experiences designed to bring fans together, not just a screening to watch in silence. Fans have come together to chant lyrics, wave light sticks, and even create dance circles, fostering a sense of community. 

Concert films are a real conundrum, making live music more accessible but revealing how thoroughly the industry now packages fandom into sellable tiers: the stadium seat, the VIP upgrade, the livestream, the film, the documentary, the pop-up. Fans already pay appalling prices just to be inside the venue, and extra to see a concert film. They may feel like a gift to fans, but they are also a reminder that music culture in 2026 increasingly asks how many times audiences are willing to pay for versions of the same experience.