Parent of 15-year-old daughter questions expensive concert ticket purchase for niece: ‘It just won’t be the kind of experience I wanted us to have’

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jan 7, 2026 11:00 AM EST

There are few things that can throw a teen into a tizzy faster than the prospect of getting concert tickets to their favorite bands! 

Do you remember your first concert? I certainly do — it was a good old fashioned Jingle Ball show, hosted by a popular radio station, and featuring a bunch of popular radio artists. I went with a few family members and we had an incredible time. The hype around the concert was simply irresistible! There's a buzz in the air as you wait for the openers to come on, browse merch, talk with other concert-goers, and then finally, after all that waiting, get to see your favorite musicians right there in front of your very eyes. 

This parent is pretty hype, too — they're trying to plan an awesome concert for their kiddo. She's 15, and as a Christmas present, they wanted to get her a ticket to see a band they both really love. This would be an excellent bonding experience for the two… except that this parent had a bit of a social faux pas while describing the event to their sister-in-law. 

No one ever said that concert tickets were cheap — these days, they're comically expensive, costing 3 or 4 figures easily. Even if you find tickets that cost $150, if you're going as a pair, the price balloons to $300, plus tax, plus whatever silly venue fee they're going to tack on, plus the price of gas, tolls, parking, or transit, plus the cost of food and/or merch… it can easily cost you hundreds to attend a show, and not everyone has that kind of money to burn. 

This person brought up potentially buying tickets in front of the SIL, and things quickly turned awkward. The parent explained that they simply had more disposable income since their daughter is an only child, but that's not the kind of thing you can say out loud during a conversation, it's just implied. Life's not fair — sometimes you watch your friends get expensive gifts and pricey tickets when you know your own parents can't afford that. That's why it can be so awkward to talk about these things, because neither the parent nor the SIL are really in the wrong here. Still, this person was kind enough to consider getting their niece a ticket anyway, and you can read down below how that went over. They added an update to the original post — check out the full tale below.

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  • 01
    Woman in black and white striped pants, white shirt and hat puts arm around woman in lacy yellow shirt and jeans at an outdoor venue
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    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02
    Hi, I need a quick judgement, since theres still tickets available on the website. So in addition to our regular presents we've gotten our daughter a ticket to a concert happening on the 30th. I'm going too, primarily because I need to take her, but also I like that band's music and I want to go with her it'll be a nice experience.
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    Today, my sister in law (my husband's sister) called me and asked what we were doing on New Year's Eve (we're having a Christmas family dinner as it is). I said I'm not sure I'll probably be super tired from the drive back(the concert is on the 30th and so we're staying there overnight before driving back) and told her we'd gotten our daughter a surprise concert ticket. She seemed a bit
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  • 04
    disappointed and said her daughter would have loved to go too, asked if tickets were available, I said I didn't know, and she reiterated her daughter would have loved to go too. I hate saying it, and please don't take this the wrong way but my husband has his business and I'm a working professional too, and our daughter is an only child, so I understand the difference in spending constraints. Anyway we
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  • 05
    hung up later and I felt terrible. I looked it up and there are still tickets available. But also if I get her a ticket for her with the confirmation wrapped up like I'm doing for my daughter, and give it to her to be opened at the dinner, my husband's brother's daughter would then be the one feeling left out. So AITA for not buying her a concert ticket?
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  • 06
    Edit: To clarify I meant if I get my niece the ticket I'd have to give it to her at dinner in front of my other niece. The gifts we're getting our daughter will be opened by her on Christmas morning.
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  • 07
    Edit: Thought about it some more after reading the comments and I'm not going to do it. It just won't be the kind of experience I wanted us to have if I do. And I really do adore my nieces and its not even really about the cost I just want this to be me and her. Thank you for the help!
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  • 08

    Here's the update --- the niece didn't come along after all!

    Thank you to everyone for the advice in my first post. I'm really glad for it. I didn't end up buying my niece the ticket. Like I said back then it wasn't about the cost as much as the experience that I wanted to have with my daughter. Like always we gave her her presents
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  • 09
    on Christmas morning including the ticket confirmation, when it was just us. She was so happy that the two of us were doing this together! We did ask her not to talk about it at the family dinner to her cousins, not because they're jealous people no I love them, but they might feel a bit
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    bad and they shouldn't have to on Christmas. She was fine with that, and it was good thinking on our part because at dinner she was asked what presents she got and she didn't mention the concert.
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  • 11
    We had an amazing trip, stopping along the way for food, getting dressed, screaming our throats out at the concert. When we got back, we watched a cheesy guilty pleasure of mine from when I was young (Maid in Manhattan, please don't judge me hahaa), missed
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  • 12
    our breakfast at the hotel, checked out a minute before it was due, and had dinner and lunch on the way back. I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences that I'm going to cherish forever. She's 15 and has grown into such a thoughtful young girl and just typing this is making me emotional.
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  • 13
    We actually did meet up with the family on New Year's eve for the fireworks. Her cousins were excited to know how the concert was because she'd posted it on her social media. (I had debated whether I should ask her not to, but I went against it, its not a dirty secret after all, but maybe I could have suggested it). My
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  • 14
    sister in law said as a joke that "she's the favorite child after all" at which my husband was genuinely confused and said she's our only child. I don't know if my sister in law meant to make a pointed remark or it was just a poorly delivered joke but I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt. Thank you for the advice, I truly appreciate it.
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    Woman in white shirt and striped pants smiles and puts arm around woman in yellow shirt and blue jeans with light-covered trees and festival in background
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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