Top 10 Most Overpriced Events 2026

Yacht packages start at $10,000 and balcony suites run higher, yet the racing itself is notoriously processional on the narrow street circuit — you're paying for the postcode, not the passes.

The VIP card costs thousands and grants early access to buy art worth millions, but critics argue it has devolved into a see-and-be-seen party circuit with champagne budgets eclipsing art budgets.

Two minutes of horse racing somehow justifies five-figure ticket packages, though most attendees in the premium sections seem more interested in juleps, hats, and celebrity spotting.

The satellite party circuit during Cannes costs more than most films in competition had as budgets, with bottle service and B-list celebrity appearances replacing actual cinema discussion.

FIFA's official hospitality packages for the final reach obscene prices, yet the food is often mediocre catering, the seats are far from the pitch, and the real atmosphere is in the cheap sections.

Turnkey "plug-and-play" camps offer air-conditioned yurts, private chefs, and bike valets in the desert for $25,000+, completely contradicting the festival's radical self-reliance principles.

Rooftop bars charge $3,000 minimum spends for a view of the Burj Khalifa fireworks that last 10 minutes, in a city where alcohol markups already border on predatory.

Pre-pitched luxury tents with air conditioning and bedding cost nearly $10,000 for a weekend, turning a music festival into a glamping resort where the music is almost incidental.

A five-year Centre Court debenture costs upwards of $50,000, granting guaranteed seats and access to the exclusive Debenture Holders' Lounge — tennis's most blatant class divide on display.

Yacht packages start at $10,000 and balcony suites run higher, yet the racing itself is notoriously processional on the narrow street circuit — you're paying for the postcode, not the passes.

The VIP card costs thousands and grants early access to buy art worth millions, but critics argue it has devolved into a see-and-be-seen party circuit with champagne budgets eclipsing art budgets.

Two minutes of horse racing somehow justifies five-figure ticket packages, though most attendees in the premium sections seem more interested in juleps, hats, and celebrity spotting.

The satellite party circuit during Cannes costs more than most films in competition had as budgets, with bottle service and B-list celebrity appearances replacing actual cinema discussion.

FIFA's official hospitality packages for the final reach obscene prices, yet the food is often mediocre catering, the seats are far from the pitch, and the real atmosphere is in the cheap sections.

Turnkey "plug-and-play" camps offer air-conditioned yurts, private chefs, and bike valets in the desert for $25,000+, completely contradicting the festival's radical self-reliance principles.

Rooftop bars charge $3,000 minimum spends for a view of the Burj Khalifa fireworks that last 10 minutes, in a city where alcohol markups already border on predatory.

Pre-pitched luxury tents with air conditioning and bedding cost nearly $10,000 for a weekend, turning a music festival into a glamping resort where the music is almost incidental.

A five-year Centre Court debenture costs upwards of $50,000, granting guaranteed seats and access to the exclusive Debenture Holders' Lounge — tennis's most blatant class divide on display.