Beyoncé ‘Formation’ Tickets Too Expensive? Here Are Cheaper Alternatives To The Summer’s Hottest Tours And Festivals

Watching a Ticketmaster processing screen refresh endlessly while the last few tickets to Beyoncé's "Formation" tour disappear can be a real drag, to say the least. But don't let it ruin your summer.

The rising temperatures outside means it's time for the biggest tours and hottest festivals of the year. Among the hottest tickets this summer are blockbuster tours from pop queen Beyoncé, the rap double-header of Drake and Future, indie-rock giant Radiohead, country stars the Dixie Chicks, and chart-topper Adele. Those shows will all cost fans upwards of $100 a pop — that is, if there are even tickets left. Many desperate Beyhive members and Radioheads will be forced onto StubHub to buy tickets going for two or three times face value unless they were logged in to Ticketmaster the second the shows went on sale, and even then, getting tickets wasn't guaranteed.

Meanwhile, some of the most popular festivals in the country are back this year, including New York's Governor's Ball, which features headliners like Kanye West, The Strokes and The Killers; Chicago's Lollapalooza, which includes Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers; and Bonnaroo in Tennessee, which features Pearl Jam, LCD Soundsystem and J. Cole. Each event is likely to run close to $300 for even the most basic ticket option, and that does not account for food, water, camping (in some cases) and the various other costs associated with the multiday concerts.

Worried about having to choose between making rent and seeing your favorite performer live? Don't fret! You still have options. For the same amount of money that an hour and a half of Beyoncé would cost, fans can check out a small festival filled with a dozen R&B greats. For every Drake, there's an up-and-coming rapper playing just blocks away for a fifth of the cost. And with the growing popularity and plethora of festivals at fans' disposal, there are much more affordable options than the standard heavy hitters.

Below is a tool to help figure out your next-best move if your favorite artist's performance is sold out or beyond your budget: