Nosebleed seats: what they are and how many get listed

Why they are called nosebleed seats

The name is a joke about altitude. The seats sit so high above the floor that fans say the thin air could give you a nosebleed. Nobody bleeds, but the view is a long way down and players or performers look small.

Where the nosebleeds are

Each venue names its top Level its own way. Arenas often call it the Upper Level or the 300 Level, stadiums the 500 Level or the Upper Deck, and theaters the Balcony. TD Garden calls it the Balcony, with a few rows of Rafters seats above it. Our count takes the highest Level that holds at least 3% of an event's resale tickets.

How many nosebleed tickets reach resale

The share runs highest at Kathleen Madigan, Nov 13 (96% on the Balcony), Kathleen Madigan, Nov 14 (93% on the Balcony) and Los Tigres del Norte, Nov 13 (81% on the 100 Level). It runs lowest at Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks (4%) and Tyla (6%), where the lower Levels hold most of what sellers list.

Limited view labels show up on 2% of upper-deck listings in our sample, against 1% on the lower Level. A rail, a speaker stack or the roof line can cut off part of the stage from the last rows.

Are nosebleed seats worth it?

At a concert the whole stage production often reads better from above. The trade is distance: you watch the screens more than the stage. For a game, the high angle shows plays develop the way a TV camera does.