Diversity & Representation · Indicator 4
Ticket price, wage-normalised
What this indicator asks
How many hours of minimum-wage work does one club night and one festival day cost in New York?
64.3/ 100 · New York
The New York City minimum wage is $17 an hour.
The median club entry price is around $30, which is 1.8 hours of work. Across 27 large festivals with paid tickets in 2025, the median price of a paid day ticket was around $64, which is 3.8 hours of work. Drinks, travel, tables, VIP tickets and free events are not counted.
There are 43 large festivals that are free to enter; more than the 27 that are paid, including SummerStage, Make Music New York and the Soul Summit Music Festival. And 91% of survey respondents said free or outdoor events in public space are important to the city’s nighttime culture.
A participant said lack of access to resources and pay disparities are the biggest things that keep Black and BIPOC people from attending events and throwing their own. Asked who the nightlife is for, written answers said it is aimed at people with money.